Domkeller
What to order: a Saxon dish from the menu with an Elbe white wine, on the terrace if the weather is good
geocalia
Day itinerary · 51.16° N · 13.47° E
Meissen by train: a long day in the cradle of European porcelain.
Train to Dresden and S-Bahn to Meissen: the Albrechtsburg and the cathedral above the Elbe, lunch on the hill, the manufactory's workshop and the Market Square.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Leipzig fromPalma de Mallorca 2 h 45Fuerteventura 5 h 15Gran Canaria 5 h 15Tenerife Sur 5 h 30
Part of Meissen
Add to my trip
Total time13 h
By car2 h 15 each way
TrainAbout 2 h 30 via Dresden
TicketsCastle and cathedral €17.50 · Manufactory €16
DifficultyEasy; slopes and stairs
Best timeApril – October
BookingManufactory online, €1 less
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Berlin 2 h 30 by train
Direct train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Dresden Hauptbahnhof and then the S1 to Meißen Altstadt
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1
Albrechtsburg Castle, above the Elbe
Closed Tuesdays · combined with the cathedral €17.50
- 2 min on foot
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2
Meissen Cathedral and the climb up its towers
The princes' chapel and the Cranach altarpiece
- 2 min on foot
- 3
- 30 min on foot
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4
Meissen Porcelain Manufactory and its demonstration workshop
Workshop until 16:00 · €15 online
+49 3521 4686630
- 15 min on foot
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5
Meissen old town and the Frauenkirche's porcelain carillon
The market square and the porcelain carillon
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Back home 2 h 30 by train
S1 to Dresden and train to Berlin; you arrive around 20:30
Approximate cost
About €35–50 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Albrechtsburg Castle, above the Elbe
Meissen is about two and a half hours from Berlin by train, changing at Dresden to the S-Bahn: a long day, but possible. This plan climbs first up the hill, to the castle where European porcelain was born and to the cathedral, eats up there and goes down in the afternoon to the manufactory, which still makes by hand under the two blue swords.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Train from Berlin. Direct to Dresden Hauptbahnhof, between an hour and three quarters and two hours, and there the S-Bahn S1 to Meißen Altstadt, under 40 minutes.
10:15 · The Albrechtsburg. Fifteen minutes' walk uphill through the old town. An hour and a half with the HistoPad tablet. Get the combined ticket with the cathedral, €17.50.
11:45 · The cathedral. Next door. The chapel of the princes of Saxony and the Cranach altarpiece.
12:45 · Lunch at the Domkeller. On the same square, the oldest tavern in the town, with a terrace over the rooftops.
14:30 · The porcelain manufactory. You go down to Talstraße, 25 minutes on foot. The demonstration workshop closes at 16:00: do not be late. Afterwards, the museum.
16:30 · The Market Square and the Frauenkirche. Return to the centre for the square and the porcelain carillon.
17:45 · Journey back. S1 to Dresden and train to Berlin; you arrive around 20:30.
And on Sunday?
It works just the same: the castle, the manufactory and the restaurants are open. In the cathedral there is Mass at 12:00: visit it beforehand.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
For lunch down in the market square, every day:
Ratskeller Meißen
From late March to October, if you are sleeping in Dresden: arrive on the 9:45 steamer:
Paddle steamer on the Elbe from Dresden to Meissen
If you are staying the night: the tasting at the Proschwitz winery, across the Elbe:
Wine tasting at Proschwitz Castle
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Café am Dom
What to order: coffee and homemade cake; in summer, an ice cream on the pergola
Ratskeller Meißen
What to order: the menu of Saxon classics; in summer, a table on the square terrace
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Meissen
All year except Tuesday, when the Albrechtsburg is closed. It is a long day from Berlin: with a night in Dresden or in Meissen you enjoy it far more.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Better with a night in Dresden
The journey from Berlin takes up half the day.
- 2Do not go on a Tuesday
The Albrechtsburg is closed.
If it rains
The whole plan is under cover apart from the walks between visits.
We'd skip it
On Tuesday: the Albrechtsburg is closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Berlin to Meissen?
By direct train to Dresden and S-Bahn S1 to Meißen Altstadt: about two and a half hours.
How much does the day cost?
Castle and cathedral €17.50, manufactory €15, lunch and train: between €100 and €150 per person.
Can you see Meissen in a day from Berlin?
Yes, if you set out early; with a night in Dresden, more calmly.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony/meissen/itineraries/castle-and-porcelain-from-berlin
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.