Green vaults dresden exhibits. Sights of Dresden

Historic Green Vaults and New Green Vaults - two museums in the residence palace in Dresden. They are considered the richest treasures of Europe.

Saxon rulers collected jewelry made from precious stones and unusual, rare materials, as well as richly decorated interior items, mechanisms and tools for more than 450 years. Elector of Saxony Augustus the Strong in 1729 ordered to systematize the collection and equip rooms in the former secret vault to show guests the most interesting treasures - this was one of the first European museums.

The walls of the vault were originally painted green, hence the name - Grunes Gewolbe (Grunes Gewoelbe). Now in restored Historic Green Vaults on the first floor of the castle, everything is presented as it was in those days - on special consoles against the backdrop of mirrored walls.

The guests first enter the hall, then the Amber Cabinet (there is one in Dresden), the Ivory Cabinet, the Gilded Silver Cabinet and further - the luxury of the exhibits strikes more and more and culminates in Jewelry cabinet. The rulers of Saxony, Friedrich August I (aka August the Strong) and his son Friedrich August II, during their reign ordered 10 jewelry sets made of precious stones (sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds) to decorate ceremonial costumes. The headsets were called like that - Emerald Set, Sapphire Set, Carnelian Set, etc. They consisted of many dozens of items - there were buckles, buttons, agrafs, aigrettes, sword sheaths, canes, epaulettes, even snuff boxes. The luxury of decorations is striking, it is not for nothing that the museum is called the Treasury

New Green Vaults- a more extensive exposition on the 2nd floor of the residence, right above the historic Vaults, here you can see more than a thousand luxury items in 200 showcases. These are masterpieces of Italian, German and French jewelers - musical clocks with moving figures, a cherry stone with 150 faces carved on it, coral and coconut crafts, a gold coffee service, ivory sailboats, vases made of Venetian glass and rock crystal, decorated with mother-of-pearl and precious stones, funny figurines of huge pearls of unusual shapes. One of the most amazing decorations is the work of the talented court jeweler Melchior Dinglinger "The Court of the Great Mogul ...".

The most significant and incalculable treasures are the golden bowl of Ivan the Terrible made of Scythian gold - a gift from Peter I to August the Strong, an amber cabinet - a gift from the Prussian king (both in the Historical Green vaults), the purest Dresden Green diamonds (41 carats) and Dresden white ( 49 carats) and a sapphire of 648 carats.

A ticket only to the Historical Green Vaults costs 12 euros (admission by time in groups, photography is prohibited).

A ticket to the New Green Vaults + all the museums of the residence palace + an observation deck on the Hausmannturm tower also costs 12 euros (photography without flash, audio guide in Russian is free).

The "Green Vaults" in Dresden (Grunes Gewoelbe) is a museum collection of treasures, one of the most famous and richest treasures in the world. The museum is located in the historic center of Dresden, in the east of Germany.

The basis of the museum's collection, which includes works from the eras from the Renaissance to Classicism, is the collection of treasures of the dukes, princes and kings of the Saxon Wettin dynasty.

Literally translated from German, "Grünes Gewölbe" means "Green Arch". This peculiar name of the museum comes from the color of the columns in the first room where the collection was located. The columns in the vaulted room on the ground floor of the Wettin residence were painted malachite.

"Green Vaults" is one of the oldest museums in the world. Already in 1547, Duke Moritz, who at that time was promoted to Grand Duke, added to his palace four massive rooms with vaulted ceilings, designed to store jewelry and documents, the so-called Secret Vault.

In the 18th century, the Saxon Grand Duke and Polish King Augustus the Strong expanded the vault to nine rooms and opened access to the general public to inspect the collected treasures. The construction is carried out by Matthaus Pöppelman, an architect who also designed the Dresden Zwinger Palace.

Until the 20th century, the museum remained unchanged. As a result of the bombing of Dresden on February 13, 1945, three of the nine premises of the Green Vaults were destroyed. Fortunately, the works of art evacuated by that time were not damaged.

At the end of World War II, the museum's collection was taken to the Soviet Union as a trophy, but in 1958 it was returned to the GDR. Until 2004, the museum collection was kept in Dresden.

On September 1, 2006, after a lengthy restoration work, for which 45 million euros were spent, the Historic Green Vaults were inaugurated in the old place.

The modern treasury "Grünes Gewölbe" is part of the Dresden State Art Collection. The collection is divided into two parts - the Historic "Green Vaults" (Historische Grüne Gewölbe) and the New "Green Vaults" (Neue Grüne Gewölbe), both located in the western part of the Dresden Residence Palace.

Today, the collection of the Green Vaults Museum consists of more than 4,000 exhibits, most of them representing masterpieces, the only ones in Europe and in the world.

Entrance to the Green Vaults Museum on Google Panorama

Historical "Green Vaults"

The historical "Green Vaults", as the name suggests, are located in the restored original interiors on the first floor of the palace. The columns, however, are no longer painted malachite, but covered with mirrors.

The permanent exhibition of the museum consists of more than 3,000 masterpieces of precious stones and jewelry. The Historische Grüne Gewölbe currently consists of ten rooms.

The first room of the Historical "Green Vaults" presents works of art from the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. The most significant exhibits are the cups of Ivan the Terrible and Martin Luther, Martin Luther's printed ring.

The second room of the exposition is the Amber Cabinet, which presents works of art from amber - vessels, caskets, figurines, cutlery made in Koenigsberg and Danzig.

The third room is the Ivory Room. Here are skilful works using ivory carvings.

In the fourth hall of the museum, works made of white silver are collected. The next, fifth room contains works of art made of gilded silver from the 16th and 18th centuries.

The sixth room with a corner office is the largest of all rooms, it is the so-called Preciosi room, the room of jewels. The seventh room, Armorial, is dedicated to the astronomical clock.

The jewelry room contains famous pieces created by court jeweler Johann Melchior Dinglinger.

The most famous of these is the "Moor with an Emerald Ore", a pear wood sculpture made in 1724, 64 cm high, with emeralds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones.

"Obelisk of Augustus" - another famous work of the museum, depicts Augustus the Strong, 240 processed stones and sculptures covered with gold were used for the obelisk. Its cost can be equal to the cost of the palace.

The ninth, Bronze, room contains 80 bronze sculptural compositions. The tenth hall is occupied by bronze miniatures of the Renaissance.

On the official website of the museum, you can make a virtual acquaintance with the halls of the Historical "Green Vaults".

New "Green Vaults"

The exposition of the New "Green Vaults" is located on 2000 square meters of the second floor of the palace. 1100 objects of jewelry art are presented here.

The structure of the exhibition halls of the New "Green Vaults" includes 12 rooms.

The hall of works of art includes works from the second half of the 16th century.

The second room is the Cabinet of Miniatures. The most famous exhibit of the hall is a cherry pit, on which 185 images of faces are applied.

The third hall of the exposition is the Crystal Room, which contains works made of crystal, Venetian glass, and stained-glass windows.

The first room of the Electors presents works of art from the first half of the 17th century. A special pride of the museum is the ivory bowl "Neptune carrying a large frigate".

The second room of the Electors gives an idea of ​​the jewelry art of the second half of the 17th century. The Hall of Royal Jewels contains applied works of art used at the court - table clocks, haberdashery, figurines and more.

The Dinglinger Hall is dedicated to the work of the famous court jeweler.

The so-called “Bath of Diana”, a chalcedony bowl in a gold frame with a sculptural image of a Roman goddess, is exhibited here. The bowl is decorated with pearls, diamonds, silver ornaments.

Dinglinger's other masterpiece is the golden coffee service. For its manufacture, gold, silver, ivory, as well as 5600 diamonds were used.

The sculptural composition “Palace Reception in Delhi on the Birthday of the Great Mogul Aurangzeb”, made of gold, more than 5 thousand diamonds, as well as rubies, emeralds, a large sapphire and pearls, is especially luxurious.

The Enamel Cabinet exhibits enamel miniatures and paintings.

Of particular interest to visitors to the "Green Vaults" is the cabinet of diamonds. Among the masterpieces of this hall is one of the largest diamonds in the world, the Dresden Green Diamond of 41 carats, included in a precious pendant, the White Saxon Diamond of 48 carats, as well as the only sapphire in the world of 648 carats, a gift from Peter the Great.

Working mode

Historical and New "Green Vaults" work according to a single schedule.

• daily from 10.00 to 18.00,
• Friday from 10.00 to 20.00,
• Tuesday - closed.

Note: You can buy a ticket to the New Green Vaults at any time, without restrictions. Tickets to the Historical "Green Vaults" are sold strictly for a certain time. It may turn out that all tickets for today have already been sold. Therefore, it is recommended to book a ticket to the Historic Green Vaults online in advance.

Buy tickets to Green Vaults

Several types of tickets are available for the Grünes Gewölbe Museum. For the historical "Green Vaults" a separate ticket is purchased. A ticket to the New "Green Vaults" is included in the ticket price of the other museums of the residence palace.

Historical "Green Vaults"

Ticket for booked time:

• adult ticket - 12 euros,

New "Green Vaults"

The price of a ticket to the New Green Vaults includes a visit to all the museums of the residence palace - the Turkish Chamber, the Coin Office, the Prince's Gallery, the Hausmann Tower, the Engraving Office.

• adult ticket - 12 euros,
• pensioners and students upon presentation of an international student card - 9 euros,
• children under the age of 17 - free of charge,
• groups of 10 people - 11 euros,
• the audio guide is included in the ticket price.

Special offers

VIP ticket - no time limit, no waiting in lines:

• adult ticket - 20 euros,
• pensioners and students upon presentation of an international student card - 15 euros,
• children under the age of 17 are free.

Combined ticket:

• includes a visit to the museums of the residence palace,
• adult ticket - 21 euros,
• the audio guide is included in the ticket price.

Blue Hour Treasure Tour:

• every Friday from 18.00 to 20.00, including New and Historical "Green Vaults",
• adult ticket - 15 euros,
• children under 17 years old - free of charge.

How to get there

The Green Vault Museum is located in the center of Dresden. It is easily accessible by any means of transport.

By public transport

The Dresden Treasury can be reached by S-Bahn, bus or train.

• By S-Bahn: lines 4, 8, 9 to the stop Theaterplatz.
• By bus: Dresden-Bühlau line 11 to the Postplatz stop, Dresden-Prohlis line 2 to the Postplatz stop.
• By train: to the stop Dresden Hauptbahnhof, then by city train or 10-15 minutes on foot.

By car

To get to the Grunes Gewölbe Museum, you can use the A4 or A17 motorways to Dresden, then take the exit at the Dresden-Zentrum sign.

There are several parking lots in the area of ​​the museum, all of which are paid:

• Parkhaus Frauenkirche/Neumarkt,
• Parkhaus Semperoper,
• Parkhaus Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais,
• Parkhaus Hilton Dresden,
• Parkplatz Altmarkt.

By taxi

It is convenient to get to the Grunes Gewölbe Museum by Uber taxi by placing an order using the mobile application.

Video about the museum "Green Vaults"

Javascript is required to view this map

Museum Grunes Gevelbe, which means "Green Vaults", is located on the territory of the western wing of the famous, in the capital of Saxony. It is one of the State Art Collections and, along with the Numismatic and Engraving Rooms located here, is the central link in the historical and cultural heritage of the city. At the moment, the museum houses two expositions - "Historical Green Vaults" and "New Green Vaults", presenting unique values ​​of different eras to visitors.

Grunes Gevelbe got its unusual name because of the once painted malachite-green massive columns located in the Hall of Jewels. At the moment, they are securely covered with numerous mirrors, but the peculiar name of the museum has not changed for many years. Centuries ago, this place served as the treasury of the Wettin dynasty, and now there are all kinds of valuable objects of Saxon electors and kings, collected over many centuries, including jewelry and works of art.

Among the exhibits of the museum today you can see a sculpture of a Moor, made of pear wood and decorated with various precious stones, a composition of miniatures of people and animals with a long title "Palace reception in Delhi, on the birthday of the Great Mogul", worth a fortune, a magnificent cartouche "Obelisk of Augustus" , a golden coffee service, from the period of the 16th-17th centuries and an incomparable decorative bowl "Diana's Bath". In addition to these treasures, attention is drawn to one of the largest green diamonds on the planet, weighing 41 carats, the famous Cherry Pit, with images of almost two hundred portraits, a bowl of Ivan the Terrible and an exquisite amber cabinet made in Königsberg in the first half of the 18th century. Sapphires, diamonds, the rarest rubies and priceless pearls from the collections of influential electors deserve special mention.

After the bombing of Dresden in 1945, some rooms of the Grunes Gevelbe were completely destroyed, but almost all the valuables, the museum keepers, were taken out of the palace in advance, sending them to the Königstein fortress. Subsequently, they were at the disposal of the Soviet Union, which won the Second World War, but in 1958 they were returned to the GDR. A few years ago, the museum halls opened after a large-scale reconstruction and became even more popular. In 2007 alone, the Green Vaults were visited by almost half a million people, despite the fact that every next year this figure, as a rule, increases, which indicates the high historical and cultural significance of Grunes Gevelbe for the whole

Today I invite you for a walk through the museums of the former residence of the Saxon electors and kings - Dresden Castle. The most famous museum within these walls, the Old Green Vaults, is forbidden for photography, but even without this there is something to see in the palace. We will pass through the New Vaults, the Numismatic Cabinet, the Armory, the Turkish War Hall, and at the end we will climb the Watchtower.

1. When we approached the castle, the weather was rather gloomy and ominous. Before us is the Watchtower.

2. The construction of the first castle building on this site dates back to the 12th century.

3. Today one of the courtyards is covered with a modern dome.

4. The castle was badly damaged during the bombing of 1945, and among the rebuilt premises there are old elements.

5. Refurbished staircase.

7. If in the Old Green vaults the interiors were partially preserved, then in the New ones everything has already been done in a modern way.

8. Let's delve into the examination of the exhibits.

11. Wooden carving.

13. Various desktop items.

15. Items for religious purposes.

19. Lots of crockery and cutlery.

27. For some things, cases for transportation are also presented.

28. Particular attention is drawn to objects created on the basis of wildlife products, such as shells.

29. Or corals.

31. Skillfully carved ivory is the most important part of this collection.

33. Many items include large pearls of irregular shape.

34. Parts of the bodies of characters in dioramas were most often taken out of pearls.

36. All pearls are different, unique shapes and colors.

39. Metal diorama "Palace reception in Delhi on the birthday of the Great Mogul Aurangzeb" the size of a whole table.

41. In one of the towers there is a small Numismatic Cabinet.

42. Here you can see coins from Antiquity.

43. And until the XX century, including the period of unification with Germany.

44. Orders are also presented here.

45. And this jewelry includes a unique Dresden green diamond weighing 41 carats. It got this color because it is saturated with nitrogen atoms, and for a long time it was exposed to radiation.

46. ​​A miniature portrait of Peter I, who was friends with the Elector of Saxony Augustus the Strong.

48. A huge amount of armor and weapons has been collected here. The most interesting thing is the figures of knights frozen in the process of combat.

49. How do you like the shoes?

56. Particular attention is paid to equestrian tournaments.

57. In addition to armor, here you can see wooden spears, arrowheads and even a protective shoulder pad.

58. Knights on horseback in front protective harness.

59. The knights then dressed up in all sorts of things.

60. There are even pony ride kits for kids.

63. Who was more modest, decorated the harness of horses with embroidery.

64. Even the tail was not forgotten.

65. In several rooms there are trophies captured by the Saxon army in the war with Turkey. For example, a huge canopy of a tent.

66. Mail.

67. Miscellaneous weapons.

68. And horse harness.

70. Having finished with the exposition, we climb the tower to look at the city. On the way we pass by the mechanism of the clock tower.

It's funny to watch the work of a huge mechanism live.

71. And here we are in the open area of ​​the Watchtower, wet from the rain.

72. First of all, we see, of course, the palace itself.

75. The dome of the Frauenkirche rebuilt a few years ago.

76. TV tower on the outskirts of the city.

77. Dresden Cathedral from an unusual angle.

78. Palace Square in front of him.

79. The Elbe River carries its waves from the Czech Republic.

80. Mariinsky bridge.

81. Theater Square with a monument to Johann of Saxony and the Semper Opera House.

82. Zwinger with the famous art gallery.

83. Left bank of the Elbe with administrative buildings.

84. Suburbs of Dresden with private houses.

85. But there is no escape from the reminder that during the war the city was almost completely destroyed.

86. Tiles of GDR houses stick out right behind the historical center.

"Green Vaults" (Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum in the German city of Dresden, located in the building of the residence palace. Here is a unique collection of jewelry, as well as the treasury of the ancient European dynasty of Saxon electors - the Wettin family.

Dresden's Green Vault Museum is one of the most famous museums in Europe. It got its name in honor of the malachite-green columns in the Hall of Jewels, which today are covered with mirrors. The museum is rightfully considered the historical core of the state art collections of Dresden.

From the history of the museum

In the 16th century, the premises of the palace-residence were not public, they were used as a cabinet of curiosities, as well as for storing jewelry. In addition, this place was considered the most fireproof. The beginning of the collection was laid by the Polish king and the Elector of Saxony August the Strong in the 20s of the XVIII century, when he gave the order to equip 9 thematic halls. Unique exhibits collected by Augustus the Strong himself and his predecessors were exhibited here.

The king also passed on his love for collecting works of art to his son Augustus III. Thanks to him, the treasury has grown considerably. Today, this wealth is available for acquaintance to every visitor of the "Green Vaults". By the way, the Dresden Gallery, or as it is also called, was also created under these two rulers.

As a result of the bombing of Dresden during the Second World War, 3 out of 9 halls were destroyed. Fortunately, the exhibits were transported to the Königstein fortress in advance. After the end of the war, the treasures ended up in the USSR, and in 1958 they were returned to Germany. For 45 years - from 1959 to 2004, the collection was in the Dresden Museum of Fine Arts Albertinum. After the reconstruction and opening of 10 new halls, the collection was returned to the palace-residence. Today, the permanent exhibition is divided into two exhibition areas - Historical Green Vaults and New Green Vaults.

What can be seen in the "Green Vaults"

The museum's collection covers the period from the Renaissance to Classicism. The total number of exposition includes more than 4,000 exhibits, which include jewelry, ivory and amber items, various figurines, dishes, etc.

Exhibition area "Historic Green Vaults" located on the first floor of the museum in the west wing. Among the 3000 copies are such masterpieces as:

• The jewelry room of August the Strong and his son August III, where unique jewelry studded with diamonds, diamonds, rubies is presented. Here is the world's largest blue sapphire - 548 carats.

• The amber cabinet-study was a gift from the King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm I. There are also other items made of amber here.
• "Moor with an emerald ore" - the work of the court jeweler Johann Melchior Dinglinger. The sculpture is made of pear wood, decorated with topazes, sapphires, garnets, rubies and almandines.

• Cup of Ivan the Terrible, which was presented by Tsar Peter the Great. The bowl is made of gold, decorated with pearls and sapphires.

Historic Green Vaults is limited to a limited number of people, so please keep this in mind when buying tickets and sign up in advance.

"New Green Vaults" include about 1100 items. Among them:

• The most unique figurative composition "Palace Reception in Delhi on the Birthday of the Great Mogul Aurangzeb" - each figurine is covered with gold enamel and also decorated with diamonds, emeralds, pearls and rubies. This beauty cost August the Strong 58,485 Reichstalers, which at that time was the annual income of 1,000 officials.

• A cherry pit carved with 185 portraits, created with a magnifying glass in 1589.
• Golden coffee service of 45 items. In addition to gold, silver, ivory, enamel and about 5,600 diamonds were also used to create it.

• The Dresden Green Diamond is one of the largest diamonds in the world (41 carats), discovered in India. He received his color as a result of natural radioactivity.

• Ivory frigate with tiny sailors.
• Venetian glass plates and crystal caravel.

Thematic halls of this exposition are placed in the museum in chronological order.

The Green Vaults Museum is of great value both for Germany and for the whole world. This is one of those places that should definitely be included in your Dresden travel guide. The city has a lot of historical sights, architectural monuments and world-famous collections - it is not for nothing that Dresden is called the city of art and culture. Come here for 2-3 days and enjoy the beauty left behind by several eras. For accommodation, book on our portal.

Information for tourists

The address: Residenzschloss, Taschenberg 2, Dresden.

Schedule: daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (day off - Tuesday).

How to get there: you can get to the Green Vaults treasury by trams No. 1, 8, 9, 12; the stop is called Theaterplatz.

Ticket price:€12, children under 17 free of charge. You can buy a ticket online on the official website of the museum.