Meissen, Germany
MEISSEN
Population: 28,000. Country-Area code: +49-(0)3521. Elevation: 107 m (351 ft).
Sister city: Provo, Utah. License plate: MEI.
This world-famous porcelain town, dating from 929 A.D., gracefully reached its 1080th birthday in 2009. In fact, Meissen is nearly 300 years older than Dresden. Long ago, in medieval times, the Wettin royal family—whom we associate with reigning over the Saxon capital—actually originated in Meissen, marking the beginning of the state’s history.
Located only 25 km downriver (northwest) from Dresden, Meissen is charmingly wrapped around a Gothic cathedral and the 500-year-old Albrechtsburg castle; both attractions are perched above town parading their regal past. However, the main reason tourists pull into Meissen is porcelain. The Chinese were first to invent the “white gold” in the 13th century, and until the early 1700s Europeans were scratching their heads trying to figure out its secret composition. Augustus the Strong, Saxony’s most celebrated Wettin ruler, had a passion for porcelain and demanded its ingredients be uncovered.
In 1708, the moment of jubilation arrived when the alchemist Johann Böttger discovered the recipe—hence the birth of Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer. Production began in Meissen’s Albrechtsburg castle in 1710, and within a few decades its beloved porcelain decorated royal palaces and aristocratic villas across the continent. After banking 154 years of international success, authorities moved the manufacturer across town to its present location, Talstrasse 9. Today, Meissen is synonymous with the finest porcelain, and its trademark (cobalt blue) crossed swords guarantees excellence. (The uninterrupted use of the Meissen Porcelain trademark since 1731 is the world’s oldest, which originated as an adaptation of the Saxon king’s coat of arms.)
Opinion: If you’re crunched for time and not porcelain friendly, don’t bother visiting Meissen. Sure it’s beautiful, but so are countless other German communities. For porcelain-friendly tourists, Meissen is a must!
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Travelers visiting Meissen between May-October, divide your time like so: From Dresden, catch the early train (around 8:30) to be at the porcelain manufacturer and museum just after it opens. Be at the market square by 11:30 to hear the chiming of the Frauenkirche’s 37 porcelain bells. March up to the cathedral by noon to catch the organ recital from 12:00-12:20 (except Sunday); at 13:00 begins the first tour of the Dom towers. (Note: To walk from the porcelain manufacturer and museum to the Frauenkirche is 10 min; have museum staff point you the way. To walk from the market square up to the cathedral is 10-15 min. To walk down from the cathedral to the main train station is roughly 25 min.) Travelers visiting November thru April can still count on the Frauenkirche’s porcelain bells to chime at 11:30 but not the cathedral’s organ recital or tower tour (both are discontinued Nov-April).
Getting there from Dresden: Trains (S-Bahn) leave every half hour from the stations Hauptbahnhof and Neustadt to Meissen’s main train station, 30-min journey (sit on upper level). If you’re not holding a Dresden Regio Card, from either station a one way ticket (Einzelfahrt) will cost 5.60€. But your best buy is the total network (Verbundraum) day ticket (Tageskarte) valid for all your public transportation till 04:00: adult 12€ (youth 6-14yr and seniors 60+ 10€), family 15€ (Familientageskarte). Small groups purchase the Kleingruppenkarte 23€, valid for up to 5 people till 04:00. Note: Holders of a Eurail consecutive-day or dated Flexi/Select pass ride free on the S-Bahn. Boat: Another option is to ride the train to Meissen and hop on the 15:00/16:15 paddle steamer back (12€/adult, arriving in Dresden 18:15/19:30, applicable April 24 thru October 9, 2011). Auto: If you have wheels your route to Meissen cheerily rolls along juicy sections of the Saxon Wine Road (25 km, north bank).
Meissen’s main train station is unkempt and offers no storage lockers. To walk into the Old Town and TI is 10 min; for directions see tourist information below.
Tourist information (www.touristinfo-meissen.de, tel. 03521/41940, April-Oct Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat/Sun 10:00-16:00—and Nov-March Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-15:00) offers a free foldout town map with history and attractions, has various English-language brochures, and sells stamps to go with the postcards. To get there, the TI is located on the market square (Markt), a 10-min walk from Meissen’s main train station. From the station, exit Ausgang City. Outside, follow signs (ahead left) direction Markt and Albrechtsburg/Dom into the Old Town; (at the bridge is an excellent photo opportunity, where I took the picture heading this section). On the other side of the river begins the Old Town (Altstadt); continue straight (Elbstrasse) to the market square.
Porcelain Manufacturer & Museum, legally Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen GmbH, (daily 9:00-17:00 [except closed Dec 24-26], May-Oct till 18:00, last entry 45 min before shown closing times, www.meissen.com, Talstrasse 9, tel. 03521/468-233. 
Note: To walk from here to the market square is 10 min, but if you prefer to rest your feet there is a city bus that departs from outside the museum for the Old Town and up to the cathedral every 30 min April-Oct, or staff can call you a taxi).
The principal component of Meissen Porcelain is “kaolin,” a fine white clay mined in the nearby village of Seilitz. The pit from which the raw kaolin is excavated is actually Europe’s oldest and smallest, having only enough space to employ two full-time miners. Although a small operation, the work of these two miners is of colossal importance. You see, the precious material they unearth is what gives Meissen Porcelain the opportunity to provide work to some 800 employees and to be commercially represented today in more than 30 countries worldwide.
Meissen Porcelain is the only manufacturer of its kind that produces its product with the aid of its own mine and private paint laboratory, in which roughly 10,000 paints are blended. Combine these units with the in-house training center and you get a skilled force of sure-handed specialists crafting arguably the world’s finest porcelain. It’s not hard to understand why Meissen Porcelain recently celebrated its tercentenary, or 300-year anniversary, 1710-2010.
The production facilities at Meissen Porcelain are not possible to tour, instead they have a large modern museum building consisting of two attractions: the Demonstration Workshop and the Exhibition Hall, (both are explained below).
If you visited here in the past prior to the renovation, you’ll notice big improvements. In June 2005, Meissen management increased the size of its museum with the opening of a three-story 90€-million annex (pictured), now the main entrance where visitors can buy their admission tickets, use the *restroom, attain info on Meissen Porcelain, purchase Meissen Porcelain, or dine off fine porcelain made on the premises in Meissen’s restaurant-café. (*Toilets are located by cashier and again by Dem. Workshop.)
First visit the Demonstration Workshop (Schauwerkstatt), a unique and intriguing tour set within five rooms where real-life artists demonstrate the creative handmade process of making porcelain, from the initial turning and molding to the embossing and painting of each delicate piece, giving you a better appreciation for the finished product in the Exhibition Hall (see next entry). Tours of the Dem. Workshop depart every 10-15 min, duration 35 min, audio guide included (but tell staff you’re an English speaker).
The Exhibition Hall (Schauhalle), the only one of its kind in the world, showcases all the design trends of Meissen Porcelain from 1710 to the present; around 3,000 handmade objects are displayed on two floors. Associated with most display pieces are the words “Modelljahr” meaning the year the *mold for that particular object was produced, and “Objektdatierung” meaning the actual year the piece was made. (*Molds are kept in storage from decades past. These can be reintroduced according to popularity and/or special orders.) Walk through the exhibition on your own; allow at least 30 min for non-buffs. If you have any questions, staff are readily available.
Price (includes admission into both museum attractions as well as special exhibitions), adult 9€, student & youth 6-18yr 5€, family 20€. After paying admission, put your things in one of the lockers provided (insert a 1€ coin that you’ll get back upon reopening locker). All major CCs accepted. Gift Shop: Interesting is to browse the porcelain on sale, ranging from a doable 30€ to an outrageous 25,000€. But perhaps a better deal awaits you in the adjacent ‘second-quality’ Outlet, where you can purchase so-called rejects with only slight imperfections (that to the untrained eye are tough to spot). If you’d like to marvel first-quality Meissen Porcelain without leaving Dresden, visit the shop (Mon-Fri 9:30-19:00, Sat/Sun 9:30-18:00, tel. 0351/864-2964) in the Hilton hotel, a touchdown pass from the Frauenkirche. Or across from the Hilton check out Meissen’s second-quality Outlet in the QF shopping mall. Note: If you spend 50€ or more at any Meissen Porcelain shop or Outlet you qualify for tax-free shopping, which you then register at the airport to get your VAT refund. Or staff can ship the item home for you, in which case you receive the VAT refund on the spot.
To get there, GPS: N51 09.411 E13 27.884. Drivers, park in lot adjacent to manufacturer (1st & 2nd hour 1€/hr, .50¢/hr thereafter, or 5€/day). Railers, from Dresden ride the S-Bahn some 40 min to the end of the line at Meissen-Triebischtal, one stop past Meissen’s main train station. (Note: The train often waits at Meissen main station for a few minutes before continuing on to Triebischtal. After the train pulls away it will cross the Elbe River at which time you’ll have a fabulous view of Meissen.) From *Triebischtal station you have a 10-min walk to the manufacturer and museum; exit train left and bounce to the end of the platform. Descend sloping path then dart left under rail tracks and over creek. Continue straight to end of road, then go right a few hundred meters farther to the manufacturer and museum. (*On the platform of Triebischtal station, trendsetters and bargain hunters browse the Salvation Army-type store, Die Heilsarmee Kleiderkammer, selling secondhand clothes, shoes and jackets, typically Mon-Thur 9:30-17:00, Fri 9:30-13:00.)
Cathedral, Meissen (daily, April-Oct 9:00-18:00, last entry 17:30—Nov-March 10:00-16:00, last entry 15:30, except closed Dec 24-25, www.dom-zu-meissen.de). 
Perched high above town before splendid views of Meissen, the cathedral (locally Dom) dates from 1250 with the final construction being completed some 150 years later. World War II bombs did not rain on Meissen, like in many other German communities, thus the Gothic cathedral remains largely in original condition. The interior of this hallowed structure is just as impressive as its exterior and is recommended for a visit. Interesting is the 15th-century Fürstenkapelle, or Princes’ Chapel, the last resting place of the early Wettin rulers. The chapel is found at the rear of the nave, where a heavenly photo can be captured looking towards the high altar. Time your visit to include the midday organ recital, May-Oct, Mon-Sat 12:00-12:20. Price (entry into cathedral), adult 3€, student 2€, family 8€—add an extra 2€ for tower tour and 1€ for midday organ recital (both are worthwhile); combo-ticket with Albrechtsburg castle possible. Tower tour, or Turmführung (2€ supplement to cathedral admission, April-Oct, daily on the hour from 13:00 till last tour at 16:00). Climb 304 steps to the top of the cathedral, where you’ll be one with the gargoyles enjoying stupendous panoramic views. Your guide will break the climb into segments to explain the history. If you’re afraid of heights, give it your best shot. Try and make it to the 8-ton Johannes bell; it’s nearly the top and the views are, nonetheless, stunning! GPS: N51 09.973 E13 28.229. To get there, walk or bus. By bus, a city shuttle runs between Meissen Porcelain and the market square up to the cathedral every 30 min April-Oct. By foot, follow signs Albrechtsburg/Dom. From the market square (Markt), climb street (Burgstrasse) running off top corner of square. Continue straight, passing quaint architecture and shops. When you reach the steps (Schloßstufen), climb these to the top. From here, dash right through the gate and up to the cathedral and the…
Albrechtsburg Castle (March-Oct daily 10:00-18:00, Nov-Feb daily 10:00-17:00, except closed Dec 24-26, last entry 30 min before closing, adult 8€, student & youth 6-15yr 4€, audio guide included, allow 60 min for a visit, combo-ticket with Dom possible, GPS: N51 09.973 E13 28.229, www.albrechtsburg-meissen.de). Neighboring the cathedral is Albrechtsburg; dating from 1525, it is considered to be the first castle designed as a royal residence in Germany. Because of its defensive bulwarks and secure position on the ridge, Albrechtsburg was chosen by Augustus the Strong to house Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer, 1710-1864. Today, Albrechtsburg houses an elaborate museum in tune with its rich history, especially that of the “white gold.”
Frauenkirche, (Easter thru Christmas daily 10:00-12:00 & 13:00-16:00, less off-season). Dating from 1457, the Gothic-style Church of Our Lady is a commanding presence on the market square (Markt), especially since it maintains the world’s first church bells made from porcelain. The 37 bells were a gift from the Meissen manufacturer in 1929 for the town’s 1,000th birthday. From the market square look up to the church tower; below the clock you’ll see the bells (notice the big bell, bottom center, having the signature Meissen swords). The porcelain bells are a delight to hear, chiming 8:30, 11:30, 14:30, 17:30 and 20:30. Above the clock is an open-air viewing terrace, implemented centuries ago for the night watchman to keep an eye out for fires and the approach of enemy forces—the last watchman to oversee this post was in 1907. The tower, today, is open to the public and may be climbed for a fine view and a donation, (ask inside church for key), adult 2€, student 1€.
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(This page was last updated June 2011)
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