Located on the Elbe River, this German city played a crucial role in the Bauhaus movement. The 12th-century settlement was rebuilt after WWII bombing destroyed most structures.
In Dessau-Roßlau, you'll walk past the iconic glass walls of the Bauhaus building, explore the artificial islands of Wörlitz Park, and climb the 131 steps of Alter Räucherturm for city views. This eastern German city, sitting where the Elbe and Mulde rivers meet, contains four UNESCO World Heritage sites. The surrounding Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve creates a green belt around the city's modernist architecture and 18th-century palaces.
The Bauhaus Building and Masters' Houses
The 1925 Bauhaus building at Gropiusallee 38 revolutionized architectural design with its glass curtain walls and geometric forms. You can join daily guided tours (Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-17:00) to see the restored workshops, auditorium, and canteen. A 10-minute walk away, the Masters' Houses complex shows how Bauhaus principles worked in homes - visit the restored residences where artists Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee lived and worked in the 1920s.
Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
This 142-square-kilometer landscape park connects several palaces through walking paths and waterways. At Wörlitz Park, you can take a gondola ride past artificial islands and grottos. The neoclassical Luisium Palace sits among English-style gardens, while Mosigkau Palace displays its original 18th-century rococo interiors. The parks open daily from sunrise to sunset, with palace visiting hours varying by season.
Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve
The 126,000-hectare reserve wraps around the city with flood plains and riverside forests. Swimming is permitted at Kühnauer See from May to September. The Saalberghau nature reserve's marked trails lead through oak and hornbeam woods. For a panoramic view, climb the Alter Räucherturm's 131 steps - the platform looks out over the city's mix of 1920s architecture and medieval spires.
Museums and Theater
The Anhaltisches Theater (Friedensplatz 1) stages operas and plays in a 1938 building. At the Hugo Junkers Technical Museum, you'll find original aircraft and engines from Dessau's early aviation industry. The Bauhaus Museum displays furniture, textiles, and photographs from the school's 1925-1932 period in Dessau.
City Background
Dessau's story began in 1213 as a market town. The city gained prominence as the capital of Anhalt-Dessau in the 14th century. Between 1925 and 1932, the Bauhaus school transformed Dessau into a center of modernist design. In 2007, Dessau merged with neighboring Roßlau to form today's city.
