Travel blogs and features from the design city of Dessau, Germany
Though the home of the Bauhaus design movement, Dessau is often overlooked as it’s a part of German history often overlooked for bigger, scarier histories. Start here with my basic Dessau travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest Dessau travel blogs.
Like most of Germany, Dessau has four very distinct seasons. Summer is hot and humid and is when the town gets its most visitors, but fall is also a great time to visit, as everything looks prettier under the golden hue of the leaves. In winter, there are Christmas markets and it will often snow and get very cold, but as long as you dress appropriately you’ll be fine. Spring can also be nice, but it will be chilly and you may not be able to enjoy the outdoors as much as other times of year.
Bauhaus Building & Museum – Start your day in Dessau here because the ticket office and gift shop will help you plan your visit to all the major Bauhaus sites. They also offer guided tours to rooms normally closed to the public. Ask at the front desk. Otherwise you can visit the museum (which also includes regular special exhibitions) about the history of Bauhaus design in Dessau. The Bauhaus Museum has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Masters’ Houses – Just down the street from the Bauhaus Building (and Museum) are the four masters’ houses (duplexes which housed seven different residents). These were houses designed by the Bauhaus masters & teachers and where they lived while teaching at the school. Famous residents included Gropius himself, László Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Mies van der Rohe and Josef Albers. The houses have also been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list because of their unique contributions to architectural design. Getting the chance to walk through the very same houses where these revolutionaries once lived might not seem exciting, but when you see the unusual interiors you really start to appreciate what these professors contributed to our world today.
Although it’s a relatively small city, taking a tour around Dessau will save you time and get you in to some areas of the city you might otherwise overlook, so it’s definitely worth you time to consider one. Take a look at this selection of Dessau tours and further afield in Saxony.
Though Germany is generally speaking a pretty easy place for gay travelers, Dessau is a small town and doesn’t have any gay nightlife to speak of specifically. If you’re in search of somewhere to go out at night and meet other queers, head to nearby Berlin!
More gay travel resources here.
Dessau has some cool and quirky hotels, as well as all the big chains you’d expect. I would recommend definitely considering booking in advance and I’ve found that using Booking.com, Agoda.com or Hotels Combined can be really useful for finding last-minute deals.
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Travel tips and suggested things to do on a day trip to Dessau, Germany – from a graphic designer’s perspective
