Saxony will see a number of grand openings and special exhibitions in the coming months, not least because of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that takes centre stage this year. Read on and find your reason to visit Saxony in 2017.

Reopening of the Kulturpalast (Palace of Culture) in Dresden on 28 April

After three and a half years of construction work the city's Kulturpalast will reopen as a major performance platform and with a new concert hall at its centre. Kulturpalast will also be the new home for three prestigious cultural institutions all under one roof: Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra), the Herkuleskeule political cabaret and Städtische Zentralbibliothek (Central Municipal Library). www.kulturpalast-dresden.de

Opening of new Renaissance wing at Dresden Royal Palace with special exhibitions

In the city's historic centre, Dresden Royal Palace (Residenzschloss Dresden) serves as the centre of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstammlungen Dresden). With the opening of two new permanent exhibitions on 9 April, another facet of the Reformation will be on display that has barely attracted interest so far: In the new museum rooms, visitors can gain insights into the world of the Saxon rulers from the 16th and 17th century. Exhibits like magnificent gowns or ceremonial weapons richly ornamented with motifs from the Reformation tell the story from the point of view of the rich and mighty.

Exhibitions “On the Way to Electoral Power” and “The Electoral Wardrobe”, 9 April 2017 to 31 Dec 2018, www.skd.museum/en

Bach Festival Leipzig: “A Beautiful New Song – Music and the Reformation“, 9 to 18 June

Bachfest Leipzig is one of the world's major classical music festivals. Performances at authentic Bach sites and the involvement of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and St. Thomas Boys Choir make it a unique occasion for Bach fans from all over the world. In the year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the 2017 edition will focus on Luther's influence on Bach and highlight the crucial role Saxony played in the process of the Reformation. www.bachfestleipzig.de/en/bachfest

Discover Torgau and its beautiful Renaissance palace

Travel northwest of Dresden to Torgau on the banks of the Elbe and discover a true architectural gem with five hundred Renaissance and late Gothic buildings. Hartenfels Palace is the highlight of this stunning architectural ensemble, featuring a grand stone spiral stairway that winds its way up to the oldest sculpture of Martin Luther. In the year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Dresden State Art Collections stages a special exhibition in the palace (19 May to 31 Oct) that features precious art treasures and highlights the city's standing as the political centre of the Reformation movement. Hartenfels Palace was the residence of the Elector of Saxony, an important political figure in the region in the Middle Ages who played a key role in the establishment of the new Protestant ideas. Luther therefore visited more than 40 times. On one of these occasions, in 1544, he consecrated the worldwide first newly-built Protestant church building, the Torgauer Schlosskirche. Torgau is also the place where Katharina von Bora, Luther's wife, died – her last residence is today a museum in her memory – and was buried in the parish church.

Tip: Torgau is also home to the oldest toy shop in Germany, dating back to 1685. www.schloesserland-sachsen.de/en/

Yet more reasons not to miss Meissen

Meissen's Albrechtsburg Castle is as stunning as they come and as “Saxony's cradle“, it stands for the more than 1000 years of cultural history visitors can explore in this federal state. This year, Albrechtsburg hosts a unique exhibition on the life and work of St Benno, Bishop of Meissen: “A treasure beyond gold. Benno – Saxony's first saint“ (12 May to 5 Nov 2017) tells the story of Saxony's first saint which is at the same time a tale of power, faith, scheming, politics and not least of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Only a few miles outside Dresden and easily reached by public transport, it's well worth pencilling in when on a city break to Saxony's capital. www.albrechtsburg-meissen.de/en/

Note to the Editor

Saxony Tourism, www.visitsaxony.com, is part of the Cultural Heart of Germany, www.cultural-heart-of-germany.com, a tourism initiative of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt & Thuringia Tourism. The neighbouring states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia feature a unique cultural heritage and rich musical tradition that the Cultural Heart of Germany promotes in the UK.

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On behalf of Cultural Heart of Germany (Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia)

barbara@bconnects.net, phone 07983 242 195