Dessau

Dessau, now Dessau-Roßlau, has a population of 68,000 (2020) and is the third largest city in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany. Dessau is historically the capital of the Principality (later Duchy) of Anhalt. In the 20th century it became famous for the Junkers aircraft factory and the Bauhaus school of architecture and design. Dessau boasts two UNESCO World Heritage listings: the "Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm" consisting of landscape parks and buildings in and around Dessau, built in the second half of the 18th century during the time of enlightenment by prince Franz; and the Bauhaus buildings.

Dessau stands on the river Mulde, which discharges into the Elbe, just north of the city. The meadows of Mulde and Elbe are a protected biosphere reservation.

By plane
Nearest airports are Leipzig and Berlin. Allow 90 minutes transfer from LEJ (S-Bahn to Leipzig or Halle main station, and than onwards to Dessau by regional train), 2.5 to 3 hours from Berlin Brandenburg Airport using public transport.

By car
The easiest way to get to Dessau is by car, using the motorway A9. It has three exits depending on where are you coming from. If you arriving from north use the exit "Dessau Ost" (faster) or "Vockerode" on a more scenic route. From the south the exit is "Dessau Süd".

By train
Regional trains connect from Wittenberg (30 minutes), Leipzig (60 minutes), Halle (50 minutes), Köthen (20 minutes) and Magdeburg (60 minutes) every hour and from Berlin (100 minutes) at two-hourly intervals. Exit at (Dessau main station). There are a few more suburb stations, which are usually not relevant for visitors.

By bus
Germany's biggest long distance bus operator Flixbus has scrapped Dessau as a destination in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the only one serving the city to begin with; come by train or car.

Get around
Most sites in or near the city centre, including Bauhaus building, Master houses, Georgium park, can be reached by foot.

However, if you want to visit some more parks and palaces in the suburbs or vicinity of Dessau, walking is not an option. Flat topography as well as a dense and reasonably maintained network of bicycle paths make touring by bicycle the recommended way of getting around. You can take bikes on regional trains within Saxony-Anhalt for free, from outside Saxony-Anhalt for a couple of euros. There is a bicycle rental in front of Dessau main station in the Mobilitätszentrale (mobility centre), prices are €6 to €7 per day.

Getting around by car is generally easy. There is not too much traffic. Finding a parking space is usually no problem, parking fees may apply in the city centre. Some fine landscape in the Mulde or Elbe meadows is not accessible by car though.

There is public transport, too. Two tramway lines start at the main station and connect with the south (Line 1) and the west (Line 3) of the city. Several bus lines serve all parts of the city. However, they have poor frequency, especially at weekends and do not serve places of tourist interest easily. In many cases you're likely to reach your destination by walking long before the bus turns up, not to mention by bicycle. Tickets for a single journey are €1.50 at the Mobilitätszentrale and vending machines (also in the trams), or €2 if bought from the bus driver.

Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn's (DWE) double-deck railbuses with panorama windows connect Dessau main station with the suburbs of Waldersee and Adria (lido) as well as the nearby towns of Oranienbaum (palace and garden) and Wörlitz ("garden realm"). Trains run at two-hourly intervals daily from late-March to late-October and on certain holidays. A one-way ticket to Oranienbaum or Wörlitz costs €5 (reduced €3.50), a family of two adults and up to three children pays €20 for a whole day. Combined tickets including a guided tour of Oranienbaum or Wörlitz are available for €12 and €15, respectively. Tickets can be bought at the Mobilitätszentrale or from the conductor.

Do



 * Cycle along the Elbe or Mulde rivers and explore hidden beaches. The Elbe was named by the Romans albis fluvius (white river) for its bright sandy beaches.


 * Kurt-Weill-Fest, annual culture festival honouring the German-American composer Kurt Weill (1900–1950), a native of Dessau, in late-February to mid-March every year.

Buy
In the city centre there is the standard shopping choice. Two shopping malls in the city centre, Rathaus-Center (between Kavalierstraße and Zerbster Straße) and Dessau-Center on Franzstraße/Askanische Straße offer similar shops and services.

Worth having a look at are:

Eat
There are several restaurants and bars in the city centre and on Zerbster Straße. There is a food court inside the centrally located shopping mall Rathauscenter.

Sleep
There are plenty of hotels and private B&Bs in and around Dessau. An overview can be found on Dessau's tourism portal and the usual accommodation aggregators.

Budget




Go next

 * Köthen, once a co-residence of the Principality of Anhalt, domain of Johann Sebastian Bach and Samuel Hahnemann (father of homoeopathy), 25 km southwest (20 min by train)
 * Wittenberg, medieval residence and university town, where Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, 35 km east (30 min by train)
 * Halle, city of arts and music, birthplace of George Frideric Handel, old town with medieval churches, castles along the river Saale, 50 km southwest (35 min by train)
 * Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt's state capital, with medieval and modern heritage, 60 km northwest (40–60 min by train)
 * Leipzig, trading hub and centre of music and arts, with many sights and cultural institutions, 70 km south (40–55 min by train)
 * Berlin, Germany's capital and European metropolis, 125 km northeast (1:20 to 1:40 hr by train)