Often referred to as the “Nice of Saxony” due to its mild climate, Radebeul is a picturesque town and viticultural area in Saxony’s Elbe Valley. It features a museum dedicated to one of Germany’s most beloved 19th-century writers, Karl May, and an ornate Rococo castle that’s become synonymous with sparkling wine.
Things to do in Radebeul
One of Radebeul’s most magnificent architectural landmarks is Schloss Wackerbarth, which was designed by the Saxon Rococo architect Johann Christoph Knöffel in the 1720s. Surrounded by lavish gardens and vineyards, it’s open to the public as a cellar door specialising in sparkling wine. Join a guided tour to see its modern winemaking facilities and explore the huge cellars below or coincide your visit with one of the castle’s summer festivals.
On the other side of Radebeul is the Karl May Museum, which occupies the German writer’s Italian Renaissance home, Villa Shatterhand. It exhibits artefacts from May’s life and objects that inspired his adventure novels set in America’s Wild West, the Orient and the Middle East. Housed within a 90-year-old log cabin is a collection of Native American cultural objects.
Modern art enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Lügenmuseum, which was established by Reinhard Zabka as a summer studio in the 1980s. Translating as the “Museum of Lies”, it houses Expressionist installations made from everyday objects, waste materials and cultural artefacts that are designed to stimulate the imagination.
Getting around Radebeul
Radebeul is around 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of Dresden and 15 minutes from Dresden Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. S-Bahn services stop at Radebeul-Kötzschenbroda Station while both trams and buses travel through Radebeul. A narrow-gauge railway connects from the Weißes Roß railway station to the castle of Mortizburg and Radeburg.