RESIDENZSCHLOSS - RESIDENCE CASTLE

The residence of the prince-electors (from 1547 to 1806) and the kings of Saxony (from 1806 to 1918) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden. Its foundations date back to the 13th century and its many transformations make it one of the most interesting monuments in the city from an architectural point of view, since each period, from the Renaissance to our contemporary period, including the Baroque and historicism of the 19th century, has left its mark. Allied bombardments in February 1945 left only one piece of the castle roof intact. Its reconstruction was therefore very long: the castle was inaugurated again in 2006 (it is the last of the great monuments rehabilitated). Today, it houses many famous museums in its prestigious, magnificently reconstructed rooms: the Kupferstichkabinett, the Türckische Cammer, the Voûte Verte (Grünes Gewolbe) and the Münzkabinett but also the Bibliothèque des Arts (Kunstbibliothek).

The castle courtyard, dedicated to welcoming visitors, is particularly noteworthy for its roof, a transparent membrane made of 265 pneumatic cushions, created by architect Peter Kulka in 2009, which blends harmoniously into the Renaissance façade while protecting tourists from the elements. In the castle, also note the English staircase, once reserved for the royal family and its guests, built in 1692 by Johann Georg Starcke and Christoph Beyer, then rebuilt in 1719 by Pöppelmann, the Baroque architect, after this staircase had been destroyed by fire. On your way from one museum to another, you will probably pass through the Princes' Gallery (Fürstengalerie), which displays the portraits and busts of the elector princes of Saxony. The castle chapel (Schlosskapelle), which dates from the 16th century, has an exceptional sandstone vault, whose ribs form eight giant flowers. This unique structure had been dismantled in the 18th century, when the Lutheran chapel lost its religious significance after the conversion of Augustus the Strong to Catholicism.

To visit the castle, you will need to buy a ticket for one of the museums it houses, or take a guided tour.