Shopping in the Altstadt (Old Town)

Combine sightseeing with shopping

Dresden’s Altstadt district represents a great opportunity to combine sightseeing with shopping. Rail travellers who alight at Dresden’s main station are already right at the heart of the city.

The Kugelhaus and so-called "Prager Spitze" stand directly opposite the station and welcome visitors to Dresden with modern architecture and a number of places to enjoy a cup of coffee before setting off to look for some bargains.

Located right outside the station, Wiener Platz is characterized by its glass cubes and the sandstone of Dresden’s modernized main station, which was turned from a transport hub into one of Germany’s most attractive stations by the world-famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. The translucent membrane of the two-storey station’s roof gleams white at night and floods the arrival halls with light as they greet travellers to the city. The underground shopping arcade which has since been added to the station enables Dresden’s citizens and visitors alike to shop at a great range of retail outlets seven days a week.

The Kugelhaus (literally “Ball House”) stands on the opposite side of Wiener Platz and draws on the design of the building which stood on the site prior to the Second World War. It houses further shops and marks the start of Prager Straße – one of Germany’s most popular high streets.

Built as a showpiece district during the GDR era, Prager Straße today blends striking Socialist elements with award-winning contemporary architecture to create a fascinating work of urban art.
During the day the presence of Dresden’s largest hotel complex – the three ibis hotels – and a number of the city’s leading businesses and retailers generates a bustling mix of shoppers and tourists. The expansive boulevard is naturally home to all big brands and chains, for example the renowned Germany department stores Karstadt and Peek&Cloppenburg. A selection of over 100 shops, cafés, restaurants and service-sector businesses make the Centrum Galerie one of the top addresses on Prager Straße.

Its blend of distinctive urban architecture and opportunities to relax, indulge and shop makes the "Prager" an important meeting point for Dresden’s citizens and their guests.

Even as Prager Straße ends the top-quality shopping experience continues just over the road at the Altmarkt-Galerie – another stylish shopping centre featuring around 200 retail outlets. The Altmarkt itself and the surrounding streets are lined with smaller boutiques.
The Altmarkt represents the social heart of the city. Characterized by an intriguing collection of buildings including the historic Kreuzkirche, a number of 1950s arcades and the GDR-era Kulturpalast, the square brings together people of all ages for markets, festivals and concerts which are as diverse as the huge number of visitors who attend them. Germany’s oldest Christmas market – the Striezelmarkt – is a perennial highlight and attracts around a million tourists from around the globe to Dresden. All year round the surrounding area is full of opportunities to please your eyes, ears and taste buds – we particularly recommend taking a stroll through Seestraße to the bars and cafés of Weisse Gasse.

Having crossed Wilsdruffer Straße – another broad shop-lined street to the north of the Altmarkt – you will now find yourself on the Neumarkt in the historic city centre. Prior to its destruction on the 13th and 14th of February 1945 the Neumarkt had been home to a wealth of exquisite Baroque architecture. Having remained undeveloped for decades, the Neumarkt has now been returned to its former glory. The consecration of the Frauenkirche on the 30th of October 2005 saw this iconic landmark return to the centre of the Neumarkt at the heart of Dresden. Reconstructed as a symbol of reconciliation between nations, the world-renowned house of worship is surrounded by a variety of both historical and modern developments which bring colour and life to the Neumarkt and the local area.
To give an example, buildings accurately reconstructed according to historical models now mingle with modern cafés offering breath-taking views, top-class hotels and luxury boutiques for that extra-special present. The Neumarkt is a place to see and be seen!
One address worthy of particular mention is the Quartier an der Frauenkirche, an elegant three-storey shopping arcade at Neumarkt 2. The building is home to Dresden Information amongst other shops and businesses.
Dresden’s Baroque flair can be sampled by taking a stroll from the Neumarkt along the Fürstenzug (“Procession of Princes”), past Dresden Castle and the Taschenbergpalais hotel and over the road to Theaterplatz – home to both the Zwinger and Semper Opera House.

Shopping-Centres

Many day trippers and visitors from the surrounding region regularly come to shop in Dresden. The range of shops on offer is huge, with shopping centres and smaller arcades booming throughout the city.

The most popular destinations are the Centrum Galerie, Altmarkt-Galerie and QF Passage in the city centre.

Altmarkt-Galerie

Altmarkt square used to be Dresden’s commercial centre since the 12th century. On this historic site, Altmarkt-Galerie shopping centre opened its doors back in 2002. Nowadays, more than 200 retail stores, cafés and restaurants on three floors offer an attraction itself for residents as well as for tourists.
Peaceful courtyards and attractively designed outside areas have turned what was once simply a shopping centre into a charming city-centre neighbourhood with its own distinctive character. The careful integration of the shopping centre into the Altstadt district has earned it numerous international awards.

Centrum Galerie

The Centrum Galerie boasts 52,000 square metres of retail space and is home to over 100 shops, cafés, restaurants and service-sector businesses spread over four storeys. Its characteristic retromodern facade and mall concept were designed by the Dresden-based architect Peter Kulka. Both the aluminium honeycomb used to create the facade and the name given to the shopping centre are mementos of the Centrum department store that stood on the site until 2006. A subsequent three-year planning and building phase ended with the opening of the Centrum Galerie on the 17th of September 2009.

QF-Passage

The Quartier an der Frauenkirche (“QF”) is a symbol of the future of the local area and houses the superb QF Hotel alongside around 40 prestigious owner-run retail outlets in the stylish QF Passage. Both the QF Passage and the adjacent Neumarkt are places to see and be seen! Dresden’s Baroque flair can be sampled by taking a stroll from the QF along the "Procession of Princes", past Dresden Castle and the Taschenbergpalais hotel and over the road to Theaterplatz – home to both the Zwinger and Semper Opera House.

Official Tourist Information Center

Dresden Information GmbH

Service Center
Mon to Fri 9 am to 6 pm
Sat 9 am to 5 pm

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Phone +49 351 501 501
Fax +49 351 501 509
email info@dresden.travel

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Postal address

Prager Straße 2b, 01069 Dresden