Moritzburg with its famous Baroque hunting palace and Meißen with its Meissen porcelain factory, Albrechtsburg Castle, and old town are two very popular day-trip destinations from the Saxon capital Dresden in Germany.
Both towns are easily reached by public transportation from Dresden. Moritzburg and Meißen can also easily be combined into a single day-trip from Dresden with bus and train connections available between the two smaller towns.
- Although the correct German spelling of the town is Meißen, using Meissen is completely acceptable in virtually all circumstances. On the other hand, the porcelain is always spelled Meissen with a normal double “S”. The pronunciation is exactly the same.
Public Transportation from Dresden to Moritzburg in Germany
Schloss Moritzburg Palace is one of the most popular day-trip destinations in Saxony. This romantic Baroque palace is easily reached from Dresden by bus or more romantically by steam train.
- To Schloss Moritzburg by Bus
The fastest and easiest way from Dresden to Moritzburg is by bus. Bus 326 or bus 457 departs up to twice per hour (less frequently on weekends) from Dresden-Neustadt to reach Moritzburg in just less than half an hour.
Not all buses stop at the Schloss Moritzburg stop at the palace itself. The alternative stop Moritzburg Markt (Market) is only a five-minute stroll away and best used when hailing the bus back to Dresden.
- To Schloss Moritzburg by Narrow Gauge Steam Train
The Lößnitzgrundbahn (a narrow-gauge steam railway) runs a few times per day from Radebeul-Ost (on S-Bahn line S1) to Radeburg in 50 minutes. On the full route, the train stops at 11 stations and crosses 17 bridges.
Depending on the day and season, four to five trains per day run from Radebeul-Ost to Moritzburg (26 minutes) with a further two or three continuing all the way to Radeburg.
- Tickets may be bought at Radebeul-Ost and Moritzburg stations or without surcharge on the train itself. Some but not all day-tickets and passes give discounts.
Public Transportation from Moritzburg to Meißen in Saxony
Although both towns are interesting enough to fill a full day of sightseeing, it is very easy to combine both Meißen and Moritzburg in a single day-trip from Dresden. By car, the two towns are only around 20 km apart.
Various public transportation options are available from Moritzburg to Meißen and vice versa:
- Bus 421 runs every two hours or so from Schloss Moritzburg to Meißen Busbahnhof (Bus Station), which is directly next to the regular train station. This bus takes about 40 minutes.
- An alternative, which can actually work out a few minutes faster, is to take bus 405 to Coswig bei Dresden station and then S-Bahn train S1 from there to Meißen.
Buses traveling in the opposite direction from Meißen to Moritzburg do not halt at the Schloss Moritzburg stop - exit the bus at the Moritzburg Markt stop instead.
- The Lößnitzgrundbahn narrow-gauge train can of course also be used to Radebeul-Ost station and the S-Bahn train S1 from there to Meißen.
Tip when using the S-Bahn train S1: if the final destination is the Meissen Porzelanmanufaktur, continue one stop past Meißen Bahnhof to Meißen-Triebischtal station, which is closer to the porcelain factory and showrooms.
- See also public transportation in the Dresden region for more details on trains between Dresden and Meißen as well as discount passes. Schloss Moritzburg Palace is the top sight in Moritzburg while porcelain is for many the main reason to visit Meißen.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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