Dessau, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Dessau is a district of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz. The city combines landscape gardens along the Elbe with buildings from the Bauhaus school, which are spread across several sites and connected by paths and bridges.
Prince Leopold III commissioned a sweeping landscape park starting in 1769 that combined Enlightenment ideals with practical agriculture. Later the city became a center of modern architecture and design through the founding of the Bauhaus in 1925.
The Bauhaus Museum and the Masters' Houses show how artists and architects lived and worked here during the 1920s. The clean lines and open floor plans still shape the city today and draw visitors from around the world who are interested in modern design.
Most of the Bauhaus buildings and the park sections of the Garden Kingdom are easily reached on foot or by bicycle. Visitors who want to see both heritage sites should plan at least a full day, as they are located in different parts of the city.
The Kornhaus on the Elbe riverbank was built in 1930 as a restaurant with wraparound views and combines Bauhaus architecture with the idea of a public meeting place by the water. The curved glass structure resembles a ship deck and offers a wide view over the river.
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