The state of Saxony provides a host of treasures that should be discovered and explored. The towns in Saxony carry a rich culture and history – here you can find the state capital Dresden, the fair city of Leipzig and other cities like Bautzen, Görlitz, Zwickau and Chemnitz. Though the landscape provides an exceptionally varied natural habitat, you can participate in various activities outside of nature during your self-catering Germany holidays. Of course, there are also many amusement and theme parks that will amuse people of every age. Below we have outlined just a few of our favourite attractions and activities fro you to enjoy whilst staying in our self-catering Germany accommodation in Saxony.
As the capital of Saxony, Dresden has been nicknamed German Florence because of its buildings from the Renaissance, the Baroque period and the 1800s. The magnificent dome of the Frauenkirche church and the sweeping panorama are both amazing sights to see during your stay in our self-catering Germany holiday homes in Dresden. The mix of urban attractions, world famous collections, and living traditions in music and visual arts make up the cultural atmosphere in today's Dresden.
Dresdener Zwinger is a world-famous baroque piece of art – with it’s ornately decorated pavilions and galleries, you can surround yourself with the courtly festival grounds and see a stunning backdrop of the quaint water fountains.
The ensemble of pavilions and galleries form a masterpiece in the baroque court that continues to be unrivalled in the world. Rich sculptures and ornaments harmonize with stunning architecture to create breath-taking views. The diamonds in the Saxon crown represent the clock pavilion with carillon of Meissen porcelain. The world-famous treasure houses on the grounds were created by old masters, with its main attraction being the Sistine Madonna by Raffael.
The lively merchant town of Leipzig is more alive today than ever; the city forms a bustling place for fairs, conventions and commerce, but also for shopping, culture and nightlife. With fascinating buildings from the Renaissance and Baroque period, historical buildings, sight seeing and shopping, it’s guaranteed to make for a busy holiday immersing yourself in the German culture and history. Exclusive art and culture at venues such as the Gewandhaus concert hall, the opera, cabaret, theatre and jazz choir with Thomanerchor will keep you entertained for hours on end. Great artists like Bach, Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Schumann built up Leipzig's musical tradition.
As Saxon's third largest city, Chemnitz offers impressive art treasures, cultural diversity, magnificent Art Nouveau architecture, nostalgic industrial culture and idyllic landscapes. The opera house, with its successful Wagner performances, has given the city the nickname Saxon Bayreuth. The art collections continually make headlines through its renowned exhibitions. In the Industry Museum, you can relive Saxony’s 200-year-old industrial history.
Since the year 1002, the city of Bautzen has been a cultural and political centre. The city's landmark is the Alte Wasserkunst water tower, which complements major attractions including the medieval fortifications, the historic centre and the impressive Ortenburg Castle. 17 stately towers and bastions point toward heaven, with the most famous being the Reichenturm tower – also known as Schiefer Turm Leaning Tower. Bars and rustic inns in little alleys are always very inviting for tourist, so don’t miss your chance to see this on your holiday self-catering Germany in our Saxony accommodation.
Composers Robert Schumann and August Horch are just some of Zwickau’s famous citizens. Music lovers can learn all about Robert Schumann's life and work in the composer’s birthplace. Autophiles can learn a lot about how automobiles conquered the world in the August Horch Museum. The centre of Zwickau, which has been redeveloped with care, offers magnificent sights from a different century.
Muskauer Park, dating from the early 19th century, demonstrates an exceptional example of a European park that drove pioneering work in the development of artificial landscapes. This park was part of creating a new upswing for a conscious design of landscape in towns, and influenced the development of landscape architecture as scientific discipline. Muskauer Park is situated on the border between Saxony and Poland and is considered both countries' joint projects.
The 18 kilometre long valley of the River Elbe stretches from Castle Ăśbigau in the northwest to Castle Pillnitz and Elben island southeast of the state capital of Dresden. The centrepiece of this river valley's cultural landscape forms the silhouette of Dresden's famous historic old town, with buildings like Frauenkirche, BrĂĽhl's Terrace, Kunsthochschule, Residenzschloss and Semperoper. Along the Elbe there are wide beds, historic village, scenic parks, magnificent castles and centuries joined together in an unprecedented harmony of urban architecture and natural river landscape.