Page 173 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

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9 Meissen
Road map 4E. & 36,000. £ @ n
Markt 3 (03521-419 40). _ Stadt- und
Weinfest (Sep). ∑ stadt-meissen.de
Meissen is famous for its
porcelain manufacture (see
pp128–9). Its history began in
929, when Henry I made it the
bridgehead for his expansion to
the east, into Slav territories. In
966 Meissen became the capital
of the newly established
Meissen margravate, and in
968 a bishopric. The Baroque hunting lodge in Moritzburg
This town has retained much
of its charm. In the town square showing historical scenes, are 0 Moritzburg
is the late-Gothic Rathaus the work of Wilhelm Römann. Road map 4E. £ n Schloßallee
(town hall), built in 1472–8, The cathedral church of St John 3b (035207-85 40). _ Kammer-
some beautiful Re naissance the Evangelist and St Donat, musikfestival (Aug); Fischzug (Oct).
houses and the Frauenkirche, built from the mid-13th century
a late-Gothic, 15th-century to the early 15th century, has The first hunting lodge in
church boasting the world’s some splendid early-Gothic this marshy region was built
oldest porcelain carillon, which sculptures, an altar by Lucas in the mid-16th century, for
was hung here in 1929. It is also Cranach the Elder in the Moritz of Saxony. The present
worth taking a stroll to St Afra’s Georgskapelle and ducal tombs Schloß Moritzburg is the result
church, built in the 13th century in the Fürstenkapelle. of extensive alterations ordered
for the Augustian monks. by Augustus the Strong,
P Staatliche Porzellan- directed by Matthäus Daniel
+ Albrechtsburg Manufaktur Pöppelmann, and carried out
Domplatz 1. Tel (03521) 47 070. Talstraße 9. Tel (03521) 46 87 00. in 1723–26. The result is a
Open Mar–Oct: 10am–6pm daily; Open May–Oct: 9am–6pm daily; square building, with four
Nov–Feb: 10am–5pm daily. Nov–Apr: 9am–5pm daily. cylindrical corner towers. Much
Closed 24, 25, 31 Dec. & ∑ meissen.com of the interior has survived,
The Albrechtsburg is a vast, The first porcelain factory in including period furnishings
fortified hilltop complex with Europe was set up in 1710 in and hunting trophies.
a cathedral and an Elector’s the castle and moved to its Also open to visitors is the
palace. The latter was built in present premises in 1865. 17th-century castle chapel
1471–89 for the Wettin brothers, Documents relating to the decorated with splendid stucco
Ernst and Albrecht. Designed by history of the factory and many ornaments. Augustus the
Arnold von Westfalen, its special interesting examples of its Strong ordered the marshes
feature is the magnificent products are on display in to be drained, and the newly
external spiral staircase. From the exhibition rooms. Guided available land to be transformed
1710 the palace was used as a tours and demonstrations into landscaped gardens and
porcelain factory. It was restored take the visitor through all lakes. The Fasanenschlößchen
to its former glory in 1864. Huge the stages of the porcelain (little pheasant castle) in the
wall paintings of this period, manufacturing process. eastern part of the gardens
features several interesting
Rococo interiors, and also
houses a zoological exhibition.
At the end of World War II,
the German artist Käthe Kollwitz
spent the last years of her life in
Moritzburg. The house in which
she lived and worked is now the
Käthe-Kollwitz-Gedenkstätte.
+ Schloß Moritzburg
Tel (035207) 8730. Open Feb–Mar:
10am–4pm Sat & Sun; Apr–Oct:
10am–5:30pm daily; Nov–Dec:
10am–4pm Tue–Sun. &
+ Fasanenschlößchen
The late-Gothic Rathaus in Meissen Open as above. 8 compulsory.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p494 and pp514–16

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