Cities & Culture

Green Vault Dresden

The Green Vault in Dresden's Royal Palace dazzles visitors with its stunning collection of jewellery and gold, which just so happens to be the biggest of its kind in Europe.

All that glitters really is gold in the Baroque rooms of Dresden's Royal Palace. The Historic Green Vault is a hit with visitors who flock to the Dresden State Art Collections to admire it. Augustus the Strong brought his vision of a Baroque masterpiece to life between 1723 and 1730 as a statement of wealth and absolute power. In keeping with the splendid architecture, around 3,000 masterpieces are presented against a backdrop of ornately decorated display walls or on grand tables. The highlight of a visit to the vault is the Jewel Room, which is home to the collection of jewels that once belonged to Augustus the Strong and his son, and now makes for a unique display of typical 18th-century jewellery.

The glittering gems in the Historic Green Vault blend in with the interior design to form one huge work of art that Baroque dreams are made of. But just one floor up, in the New Green Vault, the focus is on around 1,000 individual exhibits, some of which were only included in the collection following the death of Augustus the Strong. Opening times: Monday to Sunday: 10 am–6 pm

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