Why visit Dessau
Townapedia lists 215 museums and landmarks, 41 parks and trails, 166 places to eat, 26 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Anhaltisches Theater, Altes Theater, Kornhaus and Bauhaus.
Weather in Dessau
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Dessau
Dessau (German pronunciation: [ˈdɛsaʊ]) is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent city. The population of Dessau is 67,747 (Dec. 2020).
From the Wikipedia article Dessau (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Dessau on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Dessau
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Things to do8
Anhaltisches Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.7 km
Theatre and opera house in Dessau, Germany
1a Friedensplatz, Dessau-Roßlau
Altes Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.6 km
13 Am Alten Theater, Dessau-Roßlau
Alter Räucherturm
Scenic view · 1.0 km
Apr-Sep: Mo-Su 09:00-21:00; Oct-Mar: Mo-Su 09:00-16:00
UCI Kinowelt
Cinema and theater
14b Wolfgangstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo,Tu,Th,Sa 13:45-21:00; We 15:45-21:00; Fr 13:45-21:15; Su 10:45-21:00
Museums and landmarks215
Kornhaus
Monument and historic site · Regional · 2.8 km
Bauhaus-Architekur
146 Kornhausstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Su 12:00-21:00
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Museum
Design museum in Dessau, Germany
Oct-Mar Tu-Su 10:00-17:00; Apr-Sep Tu-Su 10:00-18:00
Direktorenhaus Gropius
Museum · 1.7 km
59 Ebertallee, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Su 10:00-17:00
Museum für Naturkunde und Vorgeschichte
Museum · 0.8 km
32 Askanische Straße, Dessau-Roßlau
Museum für Stadtgeschichte (Johannbau)
Museum · 0.7 km
3a Schloßplatz, Dessau-Roßlau
Tu-Su 10:00-17:00; PH 10:00-17:00
203 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds41
Georgium
Park · 1.2 km
Castle and sculpture garden in Dessau, Germany
Gesundheitsbad, Stadtschwimmhalle Dessau
Sports field and stadium · 0.9 km
50a Askanische Straße, Dessau-Roßlau
Wassersportclub Wallwitzhafen e. V.
Marina and boat launch · 2.6 km
29 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes166
Schlemmer House
Restaurant · German, Burger, Pancake
Spezialisiert auf Burger, Steaks, Pfannkuchen
11 Zerbster Straße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
Am Georgengarten
Restaurant · German · 1.1 km
18 Heinz-Röttger-Straße, Dessau-Roßlau
Tu-Su 11:30-22:00, PH 11:30-22:00
Athos
Restaurant · Greek · 1.6 km
1 Kornhausstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Tu-Fr 17:00-24:00; Sa,Su 11:30-14:30,17:00-24:00
Bäckerei & Konditorei Meiling
Bakery
1 Albrechtstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa 06:00-13:00; Su 07:00-11:00
Gusto Steak- und Grillrestaurant
Restaurant · Steak House · 3.2 km
179 Kreuzbergstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Tu-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 10:00-16:00
Asia Cuisine Sushi
Restaurant · Chinese, Sushi · 0.6 km
53 Kavalierstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00
Brauhaus "Zum Alten Dessauer"
Restaurant · German
16 Lange Gasse, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-23:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Eiscafé Mario Gelato
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 0.9 km
85 Franzstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Mo-Sa 09:30-20:00; Su 14:00-18:00
154 more on the map.
History
Dessau was first mentioned in 1213. It became an important centre in 1570, when the Principality of Anhalt was founded. Dessau became the capital of this state within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1603, the state was split into four – later five – Anhalts, Dessau becoming the capital of the mini-state of Anhalt-Dessau. In 1863 two of the noble lines died out, and the Duchy of Anhalt became reunited. From 1918 to 1945, Dessau was the capital of the Free State of Anhalt.
Dessau is famous as the second site of the Bauhaus school. It moved here in 1925 after it had been forced to close in Weimar. Many famous artists were lecturers in Dessau in the following years, among them Walter Gropius, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. The Nazis’ control of Dessau city council forced the closure of the Dessau Bauhaus in 1932. The school moved to Bernau bei Berlin and closed its doors for the last time in 1933.
The town was almost completely destroyed by Allied air raids in World War II on 7 March 1945, six weeks before American troops occupied the town. Afterwards, it was rebuilt with typical GDR concrete slab architecture (Plattenbau) and became a major industrial centre of East Germany. Since German reunification in 1990, many historic buildings have been restored.
Read more of the history
The composer Kurt Weill was born in Dessau. Since 1993, the city has hosted an annual Kurt Weill Festival. Dessau was also the birthplace of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (in 1729), and Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (der alte Dessauer) (on 3 July 1676), a lauded field marshal for the Kingdom of Prussia.
In January 2005, Dessau gained notoriety for the mysterious death of a Sierra Leonean asylum seeker, Oury Jalloh. Jalloh died in police custody, however, the official version of events released by the police was found to have many inconsistencies.
From the History section of Dessau on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Dessau
Geography
Dessau is situated on a floodplain where the Mulde flows into the Elbe. This causes yearly floods. The worst flood took place in the year 2002, when the Waldersee district was nearly completely flooded. The south of Dessau touches a well-wooded area called Mosigkauer Heide. The highest elevation is a 110 m high former rubbish dump called Scherbelberg in the southwest of Dessau. Dessau is surrounded by numerous parks and palaces that make it one of the greenest towns in Germany.
Arts and culture
Anhalt Art Gallery at Georgium Palace with park (currently closed)
Wochenspiegel (free newspaper on Wednesday) and Supersonntag (free newspaper on Sunday)
REGJO (quarterly Economy Journal for the Region of Leipzig/Halle)
Education
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (Architecture, Facility Management, Design and Geoinformatics)
Learning Centre from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Halle/ Dessau)
Anhalt Vocational School Centre Hugo Junkers I, II, and III (Chapon-School)
From the Wikipedia article Dessau, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Dessau
Moses MendelssohnGerman-Jewish philosopher and theologian (1729–1786)Photo: After Anton Graff, Public domain
Wilhelm MüllerGerman poet (1794-1827)Photo: Johann Friedrich Schröter, Public domain
Maximilian von WeichsGerman field marshal (1881–1954)Photo: German Military Photographer, Public domain
John William Friso, Prince of OrangeStadtholder of Friesland and Groningen (1687-1711)Photo: Lancelot Volders, Public domain- Friedrich Max MüllerGerman-born British philologist, orientalist and indologist (1823–1900)
- Kurt WeillGerman composer (1900–1950)
- Thomas KretschmannGerman actor (born 1962)
- Heinrich SchwabeGerman astronomer (1789–1875)
- Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-DessauGerman nobleman; ruler of Anhalt-Dessau and Prussian army officer (1676-1747)
- Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-DessauDuchess of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1833–1916)
- Duke Friedrich I, Duke of AnhaltMonarch of Anhalt (1831-1904)
- Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-DessauPrince of Anhalt-Dessau
Born in Dessau, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay26
Churches and places of worship18
Königreichssaal Zeugen Jehovas
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 3.2 km
46 Kochstedter Kreisstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Kantorhaus (Rabbinerhaus)
Place of worship · 0.8 km
3 Kantorstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Shopping47
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Berufliches Ausbildungs- und Vorbereitungs-Werk gGmbH Dessau
School · 1.9 km
7 Junkersstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Institut Braune Freie Sekundarschule für Dessau-Roßlau
School · 2.4 km
19 Wasserwerkstraße, Dessau-Roßlau
Healthcare16
Map of Dessau
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Flugplatz Köthen (KOQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 km away.
- Hauptbahnhof map
- Zerbst 18 km northwest, about 18 min by car
- Wolfen 20 km south, about 20 min by car
- Gräfenhainichen 19 km southeast, about 19 min by car
- Köthen 21 km southwest, about 21 min by car
- Bitterfeld-Wolfen 25 km south, about 25 min by car
- Wittenberg 28 km east, about 28 min by car
- Calbe 33 km west, about 33 min by car
- Bernburg 35 km west, about 35 min by car
- Delitzsch 35 km south, about 35 min by car
- Halle (Saale) 44 km southwest, about 44 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Dessau
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- DessauRathaus, Sven Scharr, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau,Kirche St. Peter und Paul, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Zerbster Straße 48,Pfarrhaus, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sts Peter and Paul church in Dessau (4), Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Teichstraße 68, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sts Peter and Paul church in Dessau (3), Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Teichstraße 66,St.Joseph-Krankenhaus, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sts Peter and Paul church in Dessau (2), Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau, Zerbster Straße, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Ferdinand-von-Schill-Straße,Kavalierstraße,Zerbster Straße, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint-Peter-and-Paul-Church-Dessau-March-2025, Acediscovery, CC BY 4.0
- Dessau St. Peter und Paul 01, ErwinMeier, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Teichstraße 67,Kaplanei, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bundesarchiv Bild 183-31322-0006, Dessau, Wilhelm-Pieck-Straße, Neubauten, Klein, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Sts Peter and Paul church in Dessau (1), Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palais Branconi in Dessau (1), Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Albrechtsplatz 2, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Albrechtsplatz 2info, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bundesarchiv Bild 183-31322-0004, Dessau, Wilhelm-Pieck-Straße, Neubauten, Klein, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Dessau - Palais Branconi - geo.hlipp.de - 40747, Colin Smith on geo.hlipp.de, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Albrechtsplatz, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Albrechtsplatz 5, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau - Kavalierstrasse - geo.hlipp.de - 40744, Colin Smith on geo.hlipp.de, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Palais Dietrich (Dessau) 04, Derbrauni, CC BY 4.0
- Palais Dietrich (Dessau) 03, Derbrauni, CC BY 4.0
- Palais Dietrich (Dessau) 02, Derbrauni, CC BY 4.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Zerbster Straße 34, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palais Dietrich (Dessau) 01, Derbrauni, CC BY 4.0
- Bundesarchiv Bild 183-21836-0003, Dessau, Zerbster Straße, Neubauten, Klein, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Dessau-Roßlau,Ferdinand-von-Schill-Straße 4,5,6,7, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau,Stolperstein Rabestr.5, Hermann, Minna, Charlotte Steinbock, Wolf, Jenny, Arnold, Marianne, Bernhard Sally Goldmann, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolperstein Steinbock, Hermann (Dessau), M H.DE , edited by Cookroach, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolperstein Goldmann, Jenny (Dessau), M H.DE , edited by Cookroach, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau,Anhaltisches Theater, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau, Bauhaus Museum, Eröffnung mit Kanzlerin Angela Merkel, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau Bauhaus neu, Lelikron, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Woerlitzpark81, Erbanor at German Wikipedia ( Original text: Erbanor ), Public domain
- Dessau, Altes Theater, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kirche-Poetnitz, TrinDee, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IL-14 im Technikmuseum Dessau 2, Thomas Guffler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau Luftbild Stadion, Matthias Bleek & Dieter Heim, Public domain
- 20240217 xl 1524-Stadtpark Dessau, Molgreen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bundesarchiv Bild 183-31322-0009, Dessau, Friedensplatz, Neubauten, Klein, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Blick vom Klinikpark, Beatnickn74, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6376 Dessau, Spyrosdrakopoulos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rümelin,Christian Adolf Denkmal, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Schloss Georgium, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kornhaus Dessau, Straßenseite, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bauhaus building in Dessau, Marczoutendijk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau, Schillerpark, Schilllerturm (2024), M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dessau,Bevernvase Beckerbruch Georgium, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Museum für Naturkunde und Vorgeschichte, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau-Roßlau,Askanische Straße 50,Stadtschwimmhalle, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Yachtclub Dessau WoMo Stellplatz, Elgaard, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St.Bartholomäi Kirche Dessau-Waldersee, ehemals Jonitz (2010), M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christuskirche, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Petruskirche, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau,Königreichssaal Zeugen Jehovas, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Georgenkirche, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Johanniskirche, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Kantorhaus,Rabbinerhaus, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau, Alter Räucherturm, Panorama vom Aussichtsplattform, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bauhaus Dessau (Nordflügel und Brücke) - panoramio, © R.Möhler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Georgium Blumengartenhaus, M_H.DE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau Luisium Orangery, Doris Antony , Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dessau,Georgium,Beckerbruch,Vorderer Sitz, M_H.DE, CC BY 3.0
- Dessau - Restaurant am Georgengarten - geo.hlipp.de - 40772, Colin Smith on geo.hlipp.de, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, didihn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, didihn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, eserte, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, festina16242, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rschmehl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msdess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, nakaner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, britiger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, LarZz92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, tomatsn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, bejotel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, bejotel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, tomatsn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, tobiaso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, AR88, CC BY-SA 4.0
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