Discover Dessau-Roßlau

Dessau-Roßlau brings together several themes for trip planning: Bauhaus architecture, palace complexes, museums and the Elbe with its floodplain landscape. This overview ranges from buildings and collections to activities on the river.

Bauhaus, palaces and collections

Bauhaus Dessau includes the Bauhaus Building, the Masters’ Houses and the arcade houses in the Dessau-Törten estate. The Bauhaus Museum Dessau permanently displays the collection of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation. In the broader travel destination of Dessau-Roßlau, the Bauhaus Building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. In the same destination, the museum houses the world’s second-largest collection of Bauhaus exhibits. For your visit, it is advisable to check the museum’s current visitor arrangements.

Luisium Palace and Mosigkau Palace and Park also offer distinct historical perspectives. Luisium Palace is a Neoclassical palace built between 1774 and 1778 in the northeastern landscape garden of Dessau. Mosigkau Palace and Park are among the few Rococo ensembles in Germany that have largely been preserved in their original condition. Dessau Zoo has a petting enclosure with Harz goats.

Museums and culture in the broader destination

The Shipping Museum presents the history of Elbe navigation and shipbuilding in Roßlau through ship models and maritime equipment. In the broader travel destination of Dessau-Roßlau, the Kurt Weill Centre in Dessau has an archive and hosts events as well as a festival dedicated to the composer. The Anhaltisches Theater Dessau produces theatre and music in five disciplines: music theatre, concerts, drama, ballet and puppetry. Its productions are aimed at Dessau-Roßlau, the Anhalt and Wittenberg regions, and their visitors.

The Elbe, floodplains and trails

Near Dessau-Roßlau, the Elbe flows largely unaltered through one of Central Europe’s last major floodplain forest complexes. In the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve near Dessau-Roßlau, cycling and hiking trails pass through the core zone. The Elbe near Dessau-Roßlau also offers opportunities for paddling along natural banks, with little boat traffic. Before setting out to paddle, check local regulations and water conditions.

The Auenhaus Visitor Centre provides information about the landscape and offers an opportunity to observe beavers in their natural habitat. Check current access options and visitor arrangements before your visit. This allows you to consider cultural attractions and nature activities as distinct focuses for your trip, rather than combining them into a single excursion programme.

Getting there and cycling tours

Dessau-Roßlau has hourly train connections to Berlin, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Halle, Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Köthen. Check the current timetable before you travel. In the broader travel destination of Dessau-Roßlau, the signposted Bauhaus Buildings cycling route is just over 18 kilometres long; both its northern and southern loops start at the main station. The 62-kilometre circular route connects outer urban areas north and south of the Elbe and showcases the floodplain landscape and the Vorfläming region. Comparing the route lengths gives you a concrete indication of the scope of your cycling plans. Check local route conditions before setting out.

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