Meissen Tour: A Guide to one of Germany’s Best Preserved Medieval Towns
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Discover Meissen, the small Saxon town that’s barely changed in the last 500 years. On this walking tour, you’ll see the Old Town which was founded by Germans in 929, and many of its historical landmarks including Albrechtsburg Castle, the gothic-style Meissen Cathedral, and Torhaus (Castle Gate).
You’ll start this tour in Marktplatz, the renaissance Market Square. As you walk down its narrow alleys and laneways, you’ll get a feeling for what life must have been like throughout the centuries. There’s a bit of a climb up to the castle, but the view over the Elbe River and surrounding valley is worth every step! After taking in the magnificent cathedral and castle, you’ll go down Afrastufen (Afra Steps) and Frauenstufen (Women’s Steps) and back into Historische Altstadt (the historical Old Town). There, I’ll show you the 16th-century Franciscan Monastery, today the Stadtmuseum Meissein (City Museum). I’ll also tell you all about Meissen porcelain, why it’’s so famous and what makes it so expensive.
Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:
- Climb up and down the town’s hills using 1,000-year old steps
- Hear the story of how drunken postal carriers led to the invention of Meissen’s famous Fummel Cake, and find out where in Fummelplatz (Fummel Square) you can try one!
- Find out how the Germans expanded their territory by crossing the Elbe River right here in the early 10th century
- Cross over Schloßbrücke, a stone bridge that’s even older than Prague’s famous Charles Bridge
- Discover the best spots for taking great pictures (and having an iced coffee at the same time)
- Take in Germany’s first fairy tale castle
- Slide through the castle’s halls in felt slippers
- See where and how knights used to live during the middle ages
- Bite into local fare at one of Germany’s oldest restaurants, the 15th century Ratskeller
By the end of this 60-minute tour of Meissen, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time, and have plenty of pictures to remember the experience.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Jo Eckardt
My name is Jo Eckardt. I studied literature, history, and social work - in Cologne and then in New York where I lived from 1984 to 2001. In 2001 I returned to Germany, settling in Berlin, my favorite city!
A few years later I started my own touring company called A Friend in Berlin (www.afriendinberlin.de). There is so much to see and experience in Berlin: the obvious highlights and landmarks, reminders of Berlin's complicated past, but also lots of surprises such as the many parks and canals, beer gardens, and amazing restaurants at reasonable prices. What I love most though are the stories behind the landmarks - when history becomes alive.
I also love traveling in other cities and regions, especially in historic towns, and I've created several VoiceMap tours to share my passion with you. Check out all my tours! I also write books, mostly in German, but some are in English too (under the name Jo Thun).
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 4
Try a "Fummel"
There is a story that many centuries ago when men on horses would deliver messages ... Read More
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How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Markt
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Altstadt (Meißen)
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Konditorei Zieger Meißen
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Galerie im Prälatenhaus
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Amtsstufen
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Fuß blauer Turm
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Amtsgericht Meißen
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Meissen Cathedral
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Café am Dom
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Domkeller
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Albrechtsburg Castle
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Kornhaus Meissen
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Torhaus
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Schloßstufen
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Schloßbrücke
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Meißner Burgstuben
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Rote Stufen
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St. Afra
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Afrastufen
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Frauenstufen
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Church of Our Lady
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Fleischergasse
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Roßmarkt
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Kleinmarkt
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Stadtbibliothek Meißen
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Stadtmuseum Meißen
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Heinrichsbrunnen
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Ratskeller
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationMarkt 8, 01662 Meißen, Germany
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Total distance2km
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Final locationMarkt 1, 01662 Meißen, Germany
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Distance back to start location36.88m
Directions to Starting Point
The tour starts in Meissen's Market Square (Marktplatz, Markt, Meissen). Meissen is about 30 minutes from Dresden and can be reached via S-Bahn. The Market Square is about 15 minutes walk from the train station. If you are already in town, you will find the market square in the center of Old Town.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
You may want to visit the Cathedral and the Albrechtburg. They cost to get in, but it is really worth it! And of course you'll pass lots of nice restaurants and cafés - I'll point them out on the way, so come hungry - and you'll enjoy a little break all the more.
Best time of day
Since you may want to visit the Dome and the Albrechtburg, you may want to come during opening hours (day time)
Precautions
The tour is not terribly long, but there are a lot of stairs! At the end of the tour you will probably have climbed and descended the equivalent of some 15-20 stories, so wear comfortable shoes!
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