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Kreuzkirche TowerTurm der Kruezkirche viewing platform From: Dresden, Germany
The
Turm der
Kreuzkirche, or Kreuzkirche tower, is one of six tower viewing platforms in
Dresden's Altstadt. It offers good views of the city center, and it's easy to
visit if you're reasonably fit: Most of the ascent is on a wide staircase, and the final stretch of
steps is narrow but enclosed, without the fan-shaped steps that make so many
church and cathedral towers tricky to climb.
Location: The Kreuzkirche is on the Altmarkt, a square
just south of the Neumarkt and the modern Kulturpalast (see photo on next page)
between the Elbe River and the railroad station. It's easy to find as you're
walking around Dresden's Altstadt. Hours and ticket prices: The Kreuzkirche tower is open
year-round from 10 a.m. Monday-Saturday and noon on Sundays. Closing time is 3:30
p.m. from January to March, 5:30 p.m. from April to November, and 7:30 p.m. in
December. Ticket prices are reasonable: When I visited in March, 2009, adult
admission was only 2 euros. You'll find more aerial views at: Frauenkirche, the largest Protestant church on the
European continent, which has guided tours of the dome and its exterior viewing
platform year-round. (See our Frauenkirche
article.) Schlossturm, a.k.a. the Royal Palace Tower, which is open
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. April to November only. (Closed Tuesday.) Look for the entrance
in the Sophienstrasse.
Rathausturm,
or City Hall Tower, open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. April to October only. The entrance is
inside a courtyard off the Kreuzstrasse. (See photo at left.) Dreikönigskirche,
open year-round with hours that vary according to the day and the season. Ernemanturm (the Erneman
Tower of the Dresden Technical Collections) in the Junghansstrasse. The tower is
open daily except Monday, and the modest ticket fee includes entrance to the
museum. For captioned pictures of the Kreuzkirche Tower's viewing platform and views, go to
page 2 of this article. Next page: More photos
About the author: Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation. After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post. For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials. 1st inset photo copyright © DWT/Christoph Münch. |
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