Kleiner Ballsaal, Royal dance hall in Dresden Castle, Germany
The Kleiner Ballsaal is a ceremonial hall on the second floor of the Georgenbau wing of Dresden Castle. Its large windows face toward the Frauenkirche and open up views across the surrounding old town.
The hall was designed between 1865 and 1868 by court architect Bernhard Krüger, a student of Gottfried Semper, on the orders of King Johann. It was part of a broader effort to modernize the castle after earlier damage.
The room is decorated with marble surfaces, gilded ornaments, and plasterwork showing musical cherubs and floral child figures in a historicist style. This decoration gives a direct sense of the taste favored by the Saxon royal court in the late 19th century.
The hall is open daily except Tuesdays and can be visited at your own pace. It is worth setting aside enough time to take in both the ceiling decoration and the views through the windows.
During restoration, tens of thousands of gold leaves were applied to the ceiling and gallery railings alone. This level of care shows how closely the original appearance was followed when the room was brought back.
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