Perhaps because of Dresden's destruction in the final days of World War II, there's an emphasis here on collecting the high-quality antiques that remain. You'll find many antiques dealers in the city. Most of the inventory has been culled from homes and estate sales in the relatively unscathed surrounding hamlets. The most interesting shops in Dresden, and many of the most glamorous ones, line either side of the Königstrasse. Here, look for a roster of handcrafted goods and gift items. An especially convenient antiques gallery is Antikitäten, on the lobby level of the Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais, Am Taschenberg (tel. 0351/49120).
The oldest manufacturer of porcelain in Dresden is Wehsener Porzellan, 5km (3 miles) southeast of the center at Dohnaerstrasse 72 (tel. 0351/4707340; bus: 72 or 76 from the main railway station). Its hand-painted objects are the most charming and interesting in Dresden. Anything you buy can be shipped.
And don't overlook the city's role as a purveyor of modern painting and sculpture. The best of the art galleries is Galerie am Blauen Wunder, Pillnitzer Landstrasse 2 (tel. 0351/2684020).
Weihnachtsland am Zwinger, Kleine Brüdergasse 5 (tel. 0351/8621230), is the best-stocked and most interesting gift shop in Dresden, with a year-round emphasis on Christmas, New Year's, and Easter ornaments that are handmade in the nearby Erzgebirge region. Look for pieces of delicate Plauener Spitze lace that's designed to hang on hooks affixed by suction cups to the glass of your windows -- it's easy to transport, and some pieces can be acquired for less than 6€ ($9.60). There are also elaborately detailed Easter eggs, carved wooden figurines in the shapes of either soldiers or angels, and framed still lifes and landscapes made from assemblages of dried flowers.
Other shops line Prager Strasse with its department stores, Altmarkt, and Wilsdruffer Strasse. Tony shops and boutiques are found along Hauptstrasse.
Count yourself lucky if you're in Dresden for the celebrated Weihnachtsmarkt, the oldest Christmas market in Germany, a tradition since 1434. Handmade regional crafts, delicious homemade foods such as cakes and cookies, and dozens of other goodies are featured in the Altmarkt. The blown-glass tree decorations from Lauscha are particularly stunning and virtual heirlooms since they never go out of style.
