Saxony is the German federal state in the country's southeast, bordering the Czech Republic and Poland, built around the twin poles of Dresden and Leipzig. Dresden, the Baroque capital on the Elbe, was painstakingly rebuilt after its 1945 destruction and today holds the Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace, and Grünes Gewölbe treasury. Leipzig, once East Germany's publishing and trade-fair hub, is now known for its Bach heritage, the peaceful-revolution history of the Nikolaikirche, and the Spinnerei art complex in a former cotton mill. Beyond the two cities, Saxony holds the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland National Park, the porcelain town of Meissen, the Sorbian heartland around Bautzen, and the UNESCO-listed Erzgebirge mining region.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Saxony through its food.
Dresden Christstollen Bakery Tour and Tasting, Emil Reimann
A guided visit to Bäckerei Emil Reimann, one of Dresden's oldest working Christstollen bakeries, covering the history of the Dresdner Christstollen protected-name designation and the traditional multi-week resting process, ending with a tasting of the bakery's own stollen and marzipan-filled variant.
Includes: Visit to a working multi-generation Christstollen bakery in Dresden-Neustadt · Explanation of the Dresdner Stollen protected geographical indication · Tasting of classic and marzipan-core stollen with coffee · Insight into the multi-week resting process behind an authentic stollen
Schloss Wackerbarth Vineyard Tour and Sparkling Wine Tasting, Radebeul
A guided walk through the terraced vineyards and Baroque grounds of Schloss Wackerbarth, Germany's oldest still-producing sparkling wine estate, ending with a tasting of several Sächsischer Landwein still and sparkling wines in the estate's cellar or terrace room.
Includes: Germany's oldest still-producing sparkling wine estate · Guided walk through terraced Sächsischer Landwein vineyards · Visit to the traditional-method Sekt production cellar · Seated tasting of 4-6 estate wines including sparkling Sekt
Meissen Porcelain Manufactory Cafe and Show-Workshop Visit
A self-guided or guided visit to the Meissen porcelain manufactory's show-workshop, watching painters and modelers at work, followed by coffee and Saxon Eierschecke cake at the manufactory's own porcelain-set cafe.
Includes: Live demonstration workshop with porcelain painters and throwers at work · Museum collection spanning three centuries of Meissen porcelain history · Cafe serving Saxon Eierschecke cake on the manufactory's own tableware · Walkable from Meissen's Altstadt and the Albrechtsburg hilltop castle
Leipzig Old Town Culinary Walking Tour
A roughly 3-hour guided walk through Leipzig's compact Altstadt, stopping at cafes, traditional Gasthäuser, and market stalls for tastings of local specialties including Leipziger Allerlei vegetable stew and Leipziger Lerche pastry, while covering the city's coffeehouse and trading history.
Includes: Tastings of Leipziger Allerlei vegetable stew and Leipziger Lerche marzipan pastry · Stops in Leipzig's historic arcaded passages and Naschmarkt square · History of the city's coffeehouse culture, including Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum · Background on Leipzig's centuries-long trade fair and publishing history
Sächsische Sauerbraten Cooking Class, Dresden
A roughly 4-hour hands-on cooking course in a Dresden cooking-school kitchen, preparing a traditional Sächsischer Sauerbraten (Saxon marinated pot roast) with Thüringer-style dumplings and red cabbage, plus an Eierschecke dessert.
Includes: Hands-on preparation of Sächsischer Sauerbraten with dumplings and red cabbage · Baking a traditional three-layered Eierschecke cake to take home · Small classes capped at around 12 participants · Shared group meal of the finished Saxon dishes at the end
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Book tours and cooking classes at least a few days in advance — small-group experiences sell out quickly.
Come hungry — most food tours include 5-8 tastings.
Bring cash for unscheduled stops the guide may recommend.