Meißen, Germany - Meißen Travel Guide

Meißen

Jacob Ungerer's Three Figures (c. 1907) in Meißen porcelain, Meißen, Germany

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Meißen Travel Guide

Introduction

Meißen is famous first and foremost for its porcelain, specifically its trademark hard-paste porcelain that was originally developed here in 1708. In fact, the town's centerpiece and principal draw is the Meißen Porcelain factory, or Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen, established in 1710 by Johann Friedrich Böttger, which sets the standard for all fine European porcelain and has one of the oldest trademarks in existence – that of the crossed swords, introduced in 1720. But besides porcelain, Meißen enjoys renown, too, as the cradle of Saxony, with a history that dates back to 929 AD. It has several beautiful, historic houses to attest to its heritage, albeit peppered amid a jumble of less inspiring Communist-era buildings.

Location

Meißen is situated on the River Elbe, just 16 miles (25 km) northwest of Dresden, in the northeastern German state of Saxony.

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Meißen is interesting to visit for its 15th-century Albrechtsburg Castle, the Meißen Frauenkirche which has rows of porcelain church bells, and the 13th-century Gothic Meißen Cathedral. The town also hosts a popular pottery market and an annual Weinfest where visitors can sample Meißen wines from vineyards in the Saxonian wine region, one of the northernmost wine-growing regions of Europe.

Main Neighborhoods