Brühl's Terrace
Brühlsche Terrasse
Known as the “Balcony of Europe,” this terrace on the Elbe’s old city walls offers views over the river, its paddle steamers, and the New Town across the water.
Brühl’s Terrace is a riverside promenade built atop the old city walls. It takes its name from Count Brühl, the 18th-century Saxon chief minister who turned the site into a private garden. Opened to the public in 1814, it earned the nickname “Balcony of Europe” for its splendid views. Broad steps beside Schlossplatz (Palace Square) lead up to the terrace. Heading east along it, you pass the Academy of Fine Arts (its glass dome is nicknamed the “Lemon Squeezer”), the Albertinum (New Masters Gallery, with works from Romanticism to modern art), the Dolphin Fountain, and the remains of the castle fortifications, now home to the underground exhibition Festung Xperience. Below the terrace is the Elbe landing stage, where you can board a Saxon paddle steamer for a cruise upstream to Pillnitz Palace and Saxon Switzerland. On the opposite bank, the Elbe Meadows are the spot for photographing the “Canaletto View” of the Old Town skyline.
Opening hours
Open all day
Nearby sights
- Procession of Princes
- Dresden Transport Museum
- Frauenkirche & Neumarkt
- Saxon Steamship Company Paddle Steamers
- Dresden Cathedral (Hofkirche)
- Dresden Castle & Green Vault
- Albertinum
- Altmarkt & Striezelmarkt