"Pirna - Gateway to Saxon Switzerland" Top 5 Page for this destination Pirna by german_eagle

Pirna Travel Guide: 106 reviews and 417 photos

Pirna is located about 20 km southeast of Dresden to both sides of the Elbe river. Population is about 40,000.

The town is situated right on major routes from (Berlin-) Dresden to Prague: Elbe river, railway and motorway A17.

Southeast of Pirna you find the wonderful recreation area (National Park) of "Saxon Switzerland".

Market square with town hall and St. Mary church

The town was first mentioned in 1233, and it was part of the Kingdom Bohemia from 1294 to 1405, when it came to Saxony. In 1639 it was badly damaged by Swedish troops.

However, the old town with plenty Renaissance and Baroque houses is well preserved. Some of the buildings are still waiting for renovation, though.

old houses on the market square

In August 2002 Pirna was hit hard by a "millenium" flood. The old town was completely flooded, people had to be evacuated etc. You can still see some of the damages, but most of it has been restored and is even more beautiful than before.

Intro Updated Mar 13, 2011
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Reviews (50)

Northern part with view of St. Mary's church - Pirna

Sonnenstein Gardens Things to Do (24)

My new favourite place in Pirna are the gardens that stretch over the hillside between the town and Sonnenstein. They... more travel advice

Sonnenstein bastions/fortifications Things to Do (24)

As mentioned in the (Former) Fortress Sonnenstein tip above, the Baroque bastions/fortifications are still there, and... more travel advice

(Former) Fortress Sonnenstein Things to Do (24)

The landmark of Pirna, St. Mary church aside, is the former fortress Sonnenstein, located on a hill above the town and... more travel advice

County Music School Off The Beaten Path (10)

Pirna is the biggest town and administrative centre of the county "Saxon Switzerland - Eastern Erzgebirge." One of the... more travel advice

Restaurants (7)
See All Cafe & Bistro Cappuccino
Transportation (5)
See All Bicycle

Local Customs (2)
See All Christmas Market
Favorites (2)
See All Neo-styles and Art Nouveau in Pirna

Travelogues (5)

1 - 4 of 5

Comments (24)

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Raimix Jan 29, 2013 at 12:24 AM

Great page! And actually my type of town, would be nice to visit it :)
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Redang Jun 13, 2012 at 3:06 AM

What a pity that I only spent a few hours there!
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Nemorino Mar 2, 2012 at 1:00 PM

It’s been over seven years since I last looked at this page, but I see you have updated most of the tips and added some new ones. I was shocked to read your new tip about the Sonnenstein Memorial Site.
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  Nemorino Feb 9, 2013 at 3:33 AM
  
  Ingo, you have added some very informative updates and new tips since I last looked at this page in March 2012. I wasn’t aware that this was where Wagner started outlining Lohengrin, before he had to go into exile.
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  german_eagle Feb 9, 2013 at 8:12 AM
  
  Thanks, Don. I visit Pirna and surroundings often, so can add a tip every now and then.
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Kuznetsov_Sergey May 10, 2011 at 5:00 AM

Excellent page about Pirna, Ingo! Dream to see the Saxon Switzerland someday. The Sonnenstein Memorial Site tells us about is absolutely terrible things... I don't understand why it was hidden in the GDR times. Nazi crimes were well known in the USSR.
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Kathrin_E Apr 27, 2011 at 4:17 AM

Great updates! I should have known in December... By the way, "Kalter Hund" was popular in the West, too, we called it "Kalte Schnauze" ("cold snout").
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zschachwitz Apr 26, 2011 at 11:08 PM

Year ago I saw a Caneletto painting of the town and river; wonderful and realistic, and so good you could see the boats move on the river; if it's good enough for Canelletto, it's got to be a great place to visit
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yumyum Apr 17, 2011 at 10:45 AM

Wow, amazing new tips! You should write guide books Mr. chocolate conaisseur!
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bugulma Apr 17, 2011 at 9:16 AM

so many updates with architecture in the city and surroundings! as well as with many useful tips about transportation and restaurants! nice travelling of grossseudlitz. interesting places in not-central part-of the town
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globetrott Apr 16, 2011 at 9:35 PM

an interesting page & lots of great updates bringing back great memories ! ...I see there is still a lot to explore for me in Saxony !
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HORSCHECK Apr 10, 2011 at 4:19 AM

Ingo, fantastic updates since my last visit of this gorgeous page. Especially the restaurant tips are outstanding. Have a lovely Sunday.