The Kunsthofpassage is the Neustadt at its most playful. Behind ordinary tenement fronts on Görlitzer Strasse, a series of five linked courtyards has been turned into a walk-through artwork, a project that began in the late 1990s and opened to the public in 2001, when local artists, designers and residents began to decorate the backyards of the run-down Gründerzeit blocks. Each courtyard has its own theme. The Courtyard of the Elements is the best known, with a facade covered in a tangle of blue-painted funnels and drainpipes that make music when rain runs through them, an installation that has put the passage on many visitors’ lists. The others play with animals, light, fables and metamorphosis, with murals, mosaics, sculptures and unusual materials. Around the yards are small independent shops, studios, galleries, cafes and flats, so it is a living place, not a gallery. It captures the spirit of the Outer Neustadt, the district north of the river where artists, students and independent businesses made a home after reunification.
How to visit
The passage is free and open to walk through, with entrances on Görlitzer Strasse in the Outer Neustadt, a short walk from the Albertplatz and a tram ride or twenty-five minute walk from the Old Town across the Augustus Bridge. Shop and cafe hours vary, and the courtyards are around residential flats, so keep voices down and follow any signs. The courtyards are small, so the visit itself takes only thirty to forty-five minutes, but you will want longer if you stop for coffee or browse the shops.
What to expect
The Courtyard of the Elements is the highlight, especially in rain, when the pipes and funnels on the wall sing, and the effect is surprisingly musical. If the weather is dry you can still enjoy the colour of the wall and the sculptural quality of the pipes. The other courtyards reward a slower look: the animals are carved and painted on the facade, light is played with in mirrors and glass, and the fable and metamorphosis courtyards are full of small details, such as quotations, mosaics and figures.
The area is also a good place for gifts, as many of the shops sell handmade items and design objects that you will not find in the Old Town.
Making the most of it
Come on a rainy day if you can, or at least check the weather, because the rain concert is the signature experience. Combine the passage with a stroll through the surrounding streets, where the Neustadt’s bars, small restaurants and graffiti-covered walls create a different atmosphere from the Baroque Old Town, and with Pfund’s Dairy, a short distance away. Evening is also a good time, as the cafes and bars fill up and the courtyards are lit.
Photography is welcome, but be respectful of residents and of shop staff. The passage suits couples, solo walkers and anyone interested in design, street art and the creative side of the city. If you are visiting in winter, the cafes provide a warm retreat, and in summer some of the courtyards host small events and tables outside, which adds to the relaxed, creative mood of the whole quarter.
What to expect
The experience
A free walk through five decorated courtyards with small shops, studios and cafes around them.
Best time
A rainy day for the singing drainpipes, or early evening when the cafes fill.
How long
Half an hour for the courtyards, longer with coffee and shopping.
Tips
Respect residents, check the shop hours and bring an umbrella if you want to hear the rain concert.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Design, street art and Neustadt fans, and anyone who wants a break from Baroque Dresden.
- Families
- Children like the colourful walls and the funnels, and the passage is free.
- Couples
- A browse and a coffee, then dinner in the Outer Neustadt.
- Pair with
- Pfund’s Dairy and the bars and cafes of the Outer Neustadt.
- Time needed
- Thirty to sixty minutes.
Good questions
What is the Kunsthofpassage?+
It is a series of five themed art courtyards on Görlitzer Strasse in the Outer Neustadt, decorated by artists and designers and surrounded by shops and cafes.
Is the Kunsthofpassage free?+
Yes, walking through the courtyards is free. Shops and cafes have their own hours and prices.
What are the singing drainpipes?+
The Courtyard of the Elements has a wall of blue funnels and pipes that produce a musical sound when rain runs through them.
Where is the Kunsthofpassage?+
It is on Görlitzer Strasse in the Outer Neustadt, a short walk from Albertplatz and a tram ride from the Old Town.
How long does it take?+
The courtyards take about thirty to forty-five minutes, plus time for the shops and a cafe stop.
