Towing Service Dresden

The state capital in the Elbe valley

Most of the inhabited city area lies in the Elbe valley. For a breakdown, that has a practical consequence: the city is split by the Elbe, and a vehicle on the wrong side isn't just a few metres away. Always tell us whether you're on the left or right bank of the Elbe.

Boroughs and localities

Day to day, Dresden residents identify more with district names like Neustadt, Blasewitz or Cotta than with a borough number. The Äußere Neustadt is densely built, so expect narrow streets and many parked vehicles there.

The A4 across the north

Coming from the west, the A17 branches south-east at the Dresden-West triangle. At the Brabschützer Berg, the A4 descends into the Elbe valley basin, crosses the Elbe, and runs north-east through the northern districts. After climbing back out of the valley basin, the A13 joins from the north at the Dresden-Nord triangle. Dresden Airport lies right next to it. If you break down in the valley basin, tell us whether you're heading down or climbing, so a driver picks the right approach. The A4 connects Dresden via Chemnitz, Jena and Erfurt to Bad Hersfeld, and runs east to the Polish border near Görlitz.

The A17: tunnels, bridges, the Bohemian gateway

The A17 runs south from Dresden to the Czech border and is fully open to traffic. It crosses the eastern Ore Mountains at over 600 metres elevation and also serves as a regional link along the southern edge of the Elbe valley basin. Because of that, it's shaped by numerous tunnels and bridges even close to Dresden, with several bridges over 100 metres long crossing river valleys carved by streams from the eastern Ore Mountains. On the Czech side it continues as the D8 to Prague. For a breakdown in a tunnel, see our guide Breakdown in a tunnel.

A13: the connection to Berlin

The A13 connects Berlin and Dresden. It begins at the Schönefeld interchange on the southern Berlin ring (A10) and ends at the Dresden-Nord triangle on the A4. Important exits include Bestensee, Mittenwalde, Teupitz, Lübbenau/Spreewald, Freienhufen, Ruhland, Ortrand and Radeburg. At the Spreewald triangle, the A15 branches off towards Cottbus. If you break down on the A13 towards Dresden, tell us the last exit.

The Elbe bridges and the Waldschlößchenbrücke

Dresden has several bridges over the Elbe. The best known is the "Blaues Wunder" (Blue Wonder), the Loschwitz bridge, about eight kilometres upstream from the city centre. The Waldschlößchenbrücke completes a route bypassing the city centre to the east, connected in the north via several tunnels. After the Carola bridge collapsed in 2024, load has increased on other bridges such as the Albert bridge, which is undergoing repairs at times. For your location: tell us the bridge and your direction of travel. Current closures can change, and we make no statements about them.

Waiting safely in Dresden

On the A4, A13 or A17: hazard lights on, everyone behind the crash barrier, set up a warning triangle if it's safe to do so. In an A17 tunnel or at the Waldschlößchenbrücke: don't turn around or reverse, drive to the next emergency bay if you can, otherwise hazard lights on and raise the alarm via the emergency equipment or 112. On an Elbe bridge: hazard lights on, move well to the side if you can, since bridges often have no wide hard shoulder.

Where it often happens in Dresden

In the Elbe valley basin, traffic often brakes before the descent on the A4 at the Brabschützer Berg. On the A17, the many tunnels and bridges in the eastern Ore Mountains cause changing road conditions. Since the loss of the Carola bridge increased loads elsewhere, traffic on the remaining Elbe bridges is denser than before.

How to describe your location in Dresden

• District and street, plus which bank of the Elbe (left or right).
• On the A4, A13 or A17: number, direction, exit, triangle or tunnel.
• On bridges: name, direction, and whether you're before or past it.
• In the Neustadt: street, house number, and a note about narrow access.

Other major cities in Saxony and the east: Leipzig and Berlin. All cities: Towing service in your city (German). General steps: Breaking down on the motorway.