Learning German in Dresden

The capital of Saxony has been dressed up so magnificently by the former electoral princes, that today's tourist can only visit just the most famous sights: The Zwinger, the Semper Opera, the Brühl Terraces, the Church of Our Lady or the Residence Palace, all baroque jewels from the time of the Saxon Elector Augustus the Strong and his son. The Golden Horseman, a statue in honor of Elector August, is set up in the baroque quarter of the new town, where the Goethe-Institut is located, as well. Tourists can visit 51 museums housed in castles, palaces, farmhouses, galleries, power stations and warehouses. The Old Masters gallery is a paradise for art lovers, here you can admire the world-famous "Sistine Madonna" by Raphael, but also many works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Rubens. The New Masters Gallery attracts with works from Caspar David Friedrich to the Expressionists. The Green Vaults are the treasure room of the former Saxon Kings and Electors. The city's orchestras are among the world's best. The trailblazing work of Dresden's young writers, supported by associations, festivals such as "Literatur Jetzt!", and the Literaturbüro, make the city a leading center for contemporary literature.

The nightlife of the Saxon capital is dominated by the city's many students, who throng to the some 180 bars and clubs clustered in and around the Äussere Neustadt district. Here you find many opportunities to try your new German language skills and enjoy the local beer and wine. The city center draws audiences from Germany and abroad with numerous film, dance and music festivals as well as the renowned Dresden Christmas market, which dates back 570 years. Beautiful parks are ideal for long walks, and the cycle paths stretching for kilometers along the Elbe are irresistible for runners, cyclists and inline skaters. In the surrounding area, the Sächsische Schweiz region (literally: the Saxon Switzerland), with its bizarre sandstone formations, has some of Germany's most spectacular scenery.