Things To Do With Kids In Dresden
Outside
Parks
There are lots of good parks around Dresden, and chances are, there’s a good one in your neighborhood. My favorites:
- There’s a big park in Neustadt, on Bishofsweg, just east of Konigsbrueckerstrasse (at the Alaunplatz stop on the #13 tram). It’s got two different playscapes, plus a big sports field and a bike trail.
- There’s a smaller, but still nice, park near Karstadt and Altmarkt Gallerie, at the Webergasse stop on the #8 and #12 tram lines
- There’s also a nice one just east of Fetscherplatz, at Stresemann Platz.
- Grosse Garten - There are 2 small playgrounds in this huge park. But the fun part of going to Grosse Garten for my kids is feeding the ducks and the fish and going on the boat ride in the pond. There is also a small train that you can ride around the park. Grosse Garten is also perfect for bike rides and roller blading since it is flat and not hilly.
- The Elbe - The river is great for the little kids. They enjoy feeding the ducks and throwing rocks. We have spent upward to 2 hours by the Elbe while the kids happily threw rocks into the river. A good spot for rock throwing and duck feeding is the area near Blaues Wunder Bridge. Along the south side of the river there is also a great bike path.
- Dresdner Heide - This huge woods is in the Weisse Hirsch area of Dresden. Take strassenbahn #11 to Am Weissen Adler, Plattleite, Mordgrundbruecke or Schloss Albrechtsberg. There is a very nice wooded playground near the Am Weissen Adler stop. It is great for hot summer days because it is completely shaded. The woods are great for walks. The paths are very accessable even with a stroller. There is also an area where they keep some deer. I've never been to the deer exhibit - only heard about it.
Pools
Georg-Arnhold Bad: This is an indoor/outdoor pool right next to the Hygiene museum. It’s at the Hygiene Museum stop on the #13 and #10 lines. The indoor part is open all year round, and has a nice splash pool for the little kids, plus a big pool for the older kids. You can bring float toys in. Please bring pool shoes (flip-flops or beach shoes, just be sure they’re clean and not used outside), as the floor is a bit slippery. Cost is just under €10 for one adult and two kids. There are also some great outdoor pools around town, but a car is preferred, as none are very close to a tram or bus line. Also note that the water in the outdoor pools will be cold, in general.
Zoo
Nice for most ages. They have some good playscapes in addition to the animals. Decent kid food available at the park.
Restaurants with Play Areas
Some of you cultural purists might scoff at going to McDonald’s in Dresden, but hey, it’s a place that’s familiar to the kids, with food I know they’ll eat, and a playscape, plus they have great cappuccino for mom. One is located on Radebergstrasse, at the Friedenstrasse stop on the #13 tram line. The other is in Elbe Park, on the #70, 80, and 91 bus lines (tram line coming soon…). There is a Burger King with an outdoor play area along the strassenbahn #4 and #13 lines near the Mickten stop. Also keep in mind that most beer gardens are very kid friendly and don't mind the kids running around. Many even provide a small playhouse or sandbox for the kids.
Sledding and Snowboarding
There are some nice hills around town that are perfect for sledding (sleds can be bought at many grocery stores or at Toys R Us in winter).
Inside
Pool
(see Georg Arnold Bad, above)
Museums
There are some great museums in town, including the Hygiene Museum, the Verkehrs (Transportation) Museum, and there is supposed to be a good display of medieval armor and weapons in the Zwinger (great if you have boys!).
Restaurants with Indoor Play Areas
Pizza Hut in Elbe Park, has a small playscape in the back. The top floor of the Karstadt department store has a cafeteria style restaurant with a small play structure.
Bowling
There are a number of bowling alleys in town. The one on Bautznerstrasse (take strassenbahn #11 or Bus #61 to Buehlau - U1 bowling is located above the Plus grocery store. ) has two small lanes especially for the little ones. They even have tiny bowling balls for small hands.
Dresden Public Libraries
You can
find the public library closest to you or go to the main library which is located at the Trade Center Plaze (Strassenbahns #10, #7, #12, #6 at Freibergerstrasse). To get a library card, you need your passport, residence permit and 10 Euros. Children 6 and over can get their own cards too. The library has Books, magazines, board games, CDs, CD Roms, language instruction CDs, DVDs and videos you can check out. The main library has a very tiny selection of English childrens books and a reasonable selection of English books for the grown ups. To get more details about the library check out www.bibo-dresden.de.
Websites with great ideas for kid activities when it’s too yucky to go outside:
Contact Ladies Lunchbunch
Main
About Lunch Bunch
What We Wish We Knew Before Leaving Home
Useful Websites
Directory of English Speaking Services