The Moritzburg scavenger hunt, reviewed
4.8 from 12 ratings, which is the deepest rating base on this site and is still only twelve people. Two facts decide whether this is for you, and the listing states both: it is in German only, and it arrives as a box in the post rather than as a booking for a date. It does not include castle admission and does not claim to.
Coming out from Dresden?The castle sells its own admission at its own counter, so what is worth booking ahead is the ride: a guided day that carries the ticket for you, or a car from Prague. Every one of them cancels free up to 24 hours before, and one of the six is Moritzburg and nothing else.
See the ways out thereWhat the listing itself says
Included, as the listing writes it
- A posted box of eleven sealed envelopes of riddles
- Directions, background and facts at each station
- An emergency envelope holding every solution
Not included, as the listing writes it
- Any admission fee
- Food and drink
- Getting to Moritzburg
Eleven sealed envelopes of riddles, directions and background, plus an emergency envelope with every answer in it for the moment somebody is standing in the rain refusing to give up. There is no guide, no meeting time and no date: you buy the box, it comes, and you use it when you are in Moritzburg. Getting there is not included either. Bus 477 and the steam railway.
What the twelve ratings say
Three of the twelve wrote something, and all three wrote in German from Germany, which is what a German-only product produces.
- Jennifer, Germany — “A lovely scavenger hunt. We had a great deal of fun even though it rained a little.”
- Ulrike, Germany — “A varied, informative way of making the walk to the castle interesting.”
- Doreen, Germany — “The hunt was very well put together. The information at each station was good too.”
The three notes agree on the same thing from three directions: the walk to the castle becomes the point rather than the bit before the point. Doreen, Germany says the stations are put together well and the information at each is good. Ulrike, Germany calls it a varied and informative way of making that walk interesting. Jennifer, Germany reports having fun in the rain, which is the most useful line of the three, because it tells you the thing works when the weather does not.
That is a consistent picture and it is twelve people. It is enough to believe the product is well made. It is not enough to tell you how it lands with a group of teenagers, or in August, or with somebody whose German runs out after the first envelope.
Order it a fortnight before you travel, not the night before. The box goes through the post and takes about four working days to arrive, which is fine if it is going to your home address and useless if you are already in a hotel in Dresden. It has no fixed date attached, so early is free.
Verdict
Buy it if your group reads German and you were going to walk up to the castle anyway. It costs a fraction of everything else on this site, it is priced per group rather than per head, it is the only listing here that is about Moritzburg and nothing else, and the ratings behind it are the best evidence on the site. Skip it if nobody in the party reads German. There is no English version, and eleven envelopes of riddles are not something you translate as you go. Moritzburg with children has the alternatives that do not need the language.
Who it suits
- German-reading families and groups, up to ten of you
- Anybody making a half-day of the village and the park rather than the rooms
- Anybody who wants to set off when they like, with no meeting point
- Anybody who has already decided to buy castle admission at the counter
Who it does not suit
- Anybody whose party does not read German
- Anybody booking from a hotel: the box arrives by post, not by e-mail
- Anybody who wants a guided explanation of the rooms inside
- Anybody who wants transport out from Dresden included
What to do with the rest of the day
The hunt ends at the castle and does not go in, so the counter and the park are still ahead of you. The park, the lake and the causeway are free to walk, and the admission is the castle’s own.
Castle ticket includedCastle admissionFrom Dresden: Trip to Meißen and Moritzburg
Thirty minutes, outsideDresden: Meißen, Wackerbarth and Moritzburg by Van
Frequently asked questions
Is the Moritzburg scavenger hunt in English?
No. It is in German only, and this page is not going to soften that: eleven sealed envelopes of riddles in a language nobody in the group reads is not a half-good afternoon, it is a wasted one. Other ways to keep children interested do not need the language.
Does the scavenger hunt include castle entry?
No. It is a walking hunt through the village up to the castle, and it stops at the gate. Admission is bought at the castle’s own counter, at the castle’s own rates. The published rates.
How far ahead do I need to order it?
About a fortnight, to be comfortable. The box of envelopes is posted and takes roughly four working days to arrive, and it carries no date of its own, so ordering early costs nothing. Getting out to Moritzburg is the other thing to sort in advance.
How long does it take?
About four hours across eleven stations, at whatever pace you set, and you can stop and finish it on another day. How long the castle itself takes is a separate hour or two on top.