Meissen

Meissen takes 1 day to see: Albrechtsburg Castle, on a hill overlooking the Elbe river, and the Meissen porcelain factory, running since 1710 and considered the birthplace of European porcelain, on the same day. April-October is best. It's mid-priced by German standards. It was the first place in Europe where the secret of Chinese porcelain-making was cracked, kept confidential for decades, and its mark -two crossed swords- remains one of the world's most recognized porcelain brands.