Photos: Stephan Hoppe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Stephan Hoppe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Yenidze: the cigarette factory built like a mosque
Your local guide
Oliver Fuchs
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Highlights
- A factory disguised as a palace
- Minarets that hid chimneys, not prayer
- Built in 1909 to dodge height rules
- One of Dresden's strangest buildings
- A glass dome with an odd history
About this tour
This session looks at Yenidze from the outside, a domed and minaret-topped building that began life as a cigarette factory. You see how the design got around local building height rules by disguising a factory as an Oriental-style palace. The session finishes beneath the glass dome, once topped by minarets hiding chimneys and a lift shaft.
We start with a short sound check across the street, since the building sits on a busy road. I move around the exterior slowly and take questions about the building's odd history throughout. Afterwards I send a short note on what the building is used for today.
This suits anyone who enjoys unusual architecture and local stories away from the main sights. It also works well as a quick add-on to a longer Altstadt session.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Dresden before heading out.
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Yenidze exterior 15 min
The camera takes in the domed, minaret-topped building, and I explain how it was built in 1909 as a cigarette factory disguised as an Oriental palace to get around building height rules.
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The glass dome 15 min
We look up at the dome itself, and I point out how the minarets originally hid chimneys and a lift shaft rather than serving any religious purpose.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Dresden: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Sächsischer Sauerbraten and Altstadt, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Berlin time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 7 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Dresden, showing you Yenidze exterior and The glass dome live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Dresden live with my phone.
Times shown in Berlin time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Wed 28 Oct · 7 seats left From 18,00 €
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