Coselpalais (Cosel palace), Dresden, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Coselpalais is a Baroque town palace on An der Frauenkirche in the heart of Dresden, right beside the Frauenkirche. It was commissioned by Friedrich August von Cosel, a son of August the Strong and the famous Countess of Cosel. Today it is one of the elegant facades that frame the Neumarkt and a good place to begin understanding the court life of Saxony's most flamboyant ruler.

The story behind it

The palace takes its name from the family of Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, Countess of Cosel, the best-known mistress of August the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Their son, Friedrich August von Cosel, had the palace built in the 1740s. His mother had by then long fallen out of favour and was held in Stolpen castle, so the house stands as a mark of the family's place at the Dresden court despite that fall.

Like most of the old centre, the palace was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden in 1945. It was later rebuilt, so what you see today is a reconstruction of the original design, in keeping with the rebuilt Neumarkt around it. The Coselpalais is remembered as a setting for the social and cultural life of 18th-century Dresden.

What to look for

• The curved lines and ornamental detail of the facade, which show the lighter, more decorative taste of the later Baroque period.
• The way the palace sits right beside the Frauenkirche, so you can take in both buildings in a single look.
• The wider Neumarkt setting, where rebuilt facades of different styles stand shoulder to shoulder around the square.
• The contrast between darkened original stones and newer sandstone, a reminder of how much of the area was rebuilt after 1945.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes to look at the facade and its surroundings, and longer if you stop for a coffee.
• Viewing the exterior costs nothing, and the palace now has a cafe, so check current opening hours if you want to go in.
• Morning is quieter around the Frauenkirche, while late afternoon light is kind to the sandstone.
• The Frauenkirche, the Neumarkt and Brühl's Terrace are all a few minutes away on foot, so it fits easily into a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

The palace is one stop on Dresden’s Royal Ghost: The Legacy of August the Strong, a self-guided walk themed around the Saxon ruler whose family built it. You reach the palace on foot as part of a longer route through the old town, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of what you are looking at. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start any time, with no guide and no group to join.