Getting There
- Dessau is easy to get to by rail from Berlin. There are slow trains (under 2 hours) every hour, and fast trains (90 minutes) every 2 hours.
- Trains can be caught from Zoo Garden, or Ostbahnhof if you're staying in the East of Berlin. Eventually all will leave from the new Hauptbahnhof in the North of the city.
- Book tickets at any Deutsche Bahn station, or online at German Railways (link below). Even if buying in person, it's worth printing out your chosen trains in advance to overcome langauge problems.
- A typical journey of leaving Berlin at 10:06 and returning for 19:53 cost 25 Euro. This was a 'Sparpreis 25' special price ticket, available only on selected trains. So check online first.
- You will also need to pay for a seat reservation, but this is only 3 Euro.
- You are advised not to go to Dessau on Monday, as most of the Bauhaus buildings are shut.
Arrival
- Dessau station only has 2 platforms. To begin with, come out on the town side of the station. There is a big tram stop and gardens here.
- You will want to buy a Dessau Card, which gives free travel on trams and buses, as well as discounts into Bauhaus buildings and other attractions.
- This can be bought at the "Mobilitatszentrale" outside the station, or you can get one in town if this is closed.
- Walk into town, following the tram lines past the theatre. There is a map of the route below. When you see a large shopping centre on your left, turn left and the Tourist Office is straight ahead, at Rathaus Zerbster Str 2c.
- The Dessau Card costs 8 Euro and lasts 72 hours. English is spoken in the Tourist Office but you need to be very clear what you want.
- Buy copies of Dessau Town Guide and Bauhaus Buildings in Dessau. Make sure they give you English versions.
- Also pick up a copy of the Dessau Culture Trail, which has a very clear map with streetnames.
Torten Estate
- Since you are already in town, it is worth visiting the Torten Estate first. You can read more about it in your Bauhaus Buildings guide.
- Catch Tram no. 1 from outside Macdonalds. The journey takes about 5 minutes. Look for side-streets on the left called Damaschkestrasse or Peterholtzstrasse, either of these stops are suitable places to start your tour.
- Don't panic about going too far! The stop after Peterholtzstrasse is Tempelhoferstrasse which is the last stop on Tram no. 1, and not too far to walk back.
- Both Peterholtzstrasse and Mittelbreite have housing with balcony access.
- Damaschkestrasse has a supermarket and apartment block called the Konsum Building. There is an information board about it in front of the shop.
- There are three concentric roads, Grossring, Mittelring and Kleinring. Each have different types of Bauhaus homes on them. You can also walk along the back alleys to see the style of gardens.
- Two houses are open for visitors. Mittelring 38 is furnished in the original 1920s style, and is also an information centre about Moses Mendelssohn, a Jewish philosopher. It costs 2 Euro, and there is an information leaflet inside.
- The curators may not speak English, but are happy to communicate as best as possible.
- Kleinring 5 is also in its original state, and is open to the public occasionally. It is also available as accommodation - there's a link below.
- The Steel House on Sudstrasse is the information centre for the estate, and has leaflets, books and original designs. There is a tour at 3pm each Sunday afternoon.
- Almost next door is the Fieger House, by another Bauhaus architect, which is visually interesting but not open to the public.
- It is a short walk back to the tram stop and Tram no. 1 will take you back to the centre of town.
Employment Office
- This is another Walter Gropius building, at August-Bebel-Platz 16, not far from the Tourist Office.
Bauhaus Dessau
- Take the tram back to the railway station and go under the subway. Follow Schwabe-strasse (named after the scientist who discovered the periodic nature of sunspots) round to the left onto Bauhausstrasse.
- The road takes you under the bridge of the Bauhaus building. Here you will see the famous balconies, and the high windows on each wall.
- The entrance is on your left, where you will be able to find books, cards, posters and design objects in the basement shop/cafe, and the admissions desk and tours begin upstairs.
- Borrow an English audio guide, as the guided tours in German which are quite inaccessible, even for those who know some of the language.
- Not all of the building is open, and there may be an additional fee for other exhibitions.
Masters Houses
- Buy a combined ticket for the Bauhaus and the Masters Houses, only 8 Euro with a Dessau Card. They are a short walk North up Gropius-allee and then left onto Ebert-allee.
- Each house has 2 entrances, one for each of the Masters who lived there. Ring the bell and show your ticket to the attendant. They may be very chatty or leave you to wander.
- Photography is not allowed, but you may get away with not using a flash.
- Some of the houses have great staircases, others have very Modernist kitchens. Explore everywhere, even the basements!
Kornhaus
- Designed and built by Carl Fieger in 1930, this is a bar and restaurant on the south bank of the Elbe, another short walk from the Masters Houses.
- From here you can get back to the station in about 15 minutes.
Other Attractions
- Dessau is worth a stay, as there are plenty of other attractions in town and in the surrounding area.
- Of particular note are three palaces and four churches, all listed in the Culture Trail.
- There are also two cemeteries, one Jewish, the oldest burial place in the town.
Weblinks
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Balcony Housing
Grossring
Mittelring
Kleinring
Konsum
Bauhaus
Masters House
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