The best time to visit Dresden
May, June and September for walking, summer for films on the Elbe, late autumn and December for the market, and February for the memory of 1945.
- Best months
- May, June and September
- Christmas market
- Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt
- 13 February
- remembrance of the 1945 bombing
Dresden is better chosen by event than by weather, because rain falls in every month, on 10 to 15 days. The real difference lies in the temperature and in what is open or taking place, so decide first whether you want the river in summer, the walking months in spring and autumn, or the Christmas market.
Through the year
The river, films, long days
From June to August the average daily temperature stays between 19.5 and 20.4 °C, going by Open-Meteo data for 2021 to 2024. That suits the Filmnächte am Elbufer, open-air screenings on the riverbank from the second half of June to the end of August, with almost 100 films and about ten concerts. The Elbhangfest also falls in June, though its days change from year to year, so book a stay around it only after the organisers announce them.
The summer opening hours help as well, because from April to October the Frauenkirche dome stays open until 6 pm, from 1 pm on Sundays, and the climb costs €12. Moritzburg Palace is also open in this season, and the excursions page says how to reach it.
Check the same room on both sites: price and cancellation terms can differ.
Spring and autumn
May averages 13.4 °C and September 15.9 °C, which is why the sensible plan is May, June and September: you can walk across stone squares without the heat and without ice. The dome keeps its summer hours between April and October, which leaves room to fit a climb and a river walk into one day.
October is cooler at 11.7 °C, and April cooler still at 8.8 °C. Moritzburg Palace closes in early November, so an autumn visit has to place it early. Whatever the month, the Zwinger is shut on Mondays and the palace on Tuesdays, so plan the museum days around those two gaps.
The market, Stollen and 13 February
November already averages 5.7 °C, January falls to 2.0 °C and December sits at 3.2 °C, and from November to February the Frauenkirche dome closes at 4 pm. The Striezelmarkt fills the Altmarkt from late November to 24 December, daily from 10 am to 9 pm, and on 24 December from 10 am to 2 pm. The Stollenfest takes place on the Saturday of the second Advent weekend.
The 13th of February is a day of remembrance for the bombing of 1945. In the evening a human chain forms around the centre, church bells ring, and prayers are held in the Frauenkirche. Anyone who stays that evening should expect a quiet, serious mood in the centre and bring a warm coat.
The organisers set the dates anew each year.
Where to next
Getting around Dresden
→S2 train from the airport to the main station, on foot to the Altmarkt from there, tram and S-Bahn for the Neustadt, on a ticket valid only in the city zone.
Leipzig · 101 km
→The city where 1989 began what Berlin finished
How well does Dresden suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Dresden
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is the best month to visit Dresden?
May, June and September, when the average temperature runs from 13 to 20 °C and the heat does not tire you on the stone squares. Rain falls on 10 to 15 days in every month, so it should not decide the choice.
Is Dresden worth visiting in December?
Yes, for the Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt and for Stollen. The cost is the cold, with an average of 3.2 °C, and the Frauenkirche dome closing at 4 pm.
What is 13 February in Dresden?
It is the day Dresden remembers the bombing of 1945. A human chain forms in the centre in the evening and the church bells ring.
Ready for Dresden?
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