Pillnitz Palace lies 12 kilometres southeast of Dresden along the Elbe, and the most elegant way to arrive is by paddle steamer from the city centre — a journey that gives you the river views that made this stretch famous among Romantic painters. Augustus the Strong built the palace as a summer residence in the early 18th century, and its distinctive East Asian-influenced rooflines — sweeping curved eaves on a European Baroque body — reflect his obsession with China and Japan.
The complex consists of three wings set around a garden: the Wasserpalais (Water Palace) on the Elbe bank, the Bergpalais (Hill Palace) facing it across the grounds, and the Neues Palais connecting them. The interiors contain collections of applied arts and crafts, with a strong focus on the chinoiserie and lacquerwork that Augustus collected. The palace museums are worth seeing, but the grounds are the real draw.
The garden at Pillnitz is laid out in a mix of English landscape and formal Continental styles, with a kitchen garden, a pleasure garden, and a remarkable arboretum. The most famous resident is the Pillnitz camellia — planted in 1801, now enormous, the oldest surviving example in Europe. Each spring it produces thousands of deep red flowers. The custom greenhouse built around it after restoration is itself a minor feat of engineering.
Pillnitz is also a useful base for cycling along the Elbe. The riverside path from Dresden to Pillnitz is one of the best day rides in Saxony.