Historic Green Vault

Overview

The Historic Green Vault (Historisches Grünes Gewölbe) is Europe's largest and most splendid baroque treasure chamber. Located in the reconstructed vaulted rooms of the Royal Palace, it displays approximately 3,000 masterpieces of goldsmithing, jewelry, and precious objects without glass barriers.

Highlights

• Court of Delhi: Johann Melchior Dinglinger's 1708 jeweled tableau with 137 enameled gold figures and 5,223 diamonds.
• Cherry Stone Carving: A single cherry pit carved with 185 faces, visible only under magnification.
• Amber Room: A cabinet decorated entirely with panels of polished amber.

History

Augustus the Strong created the vault between 1723 and 1729 as both a treasury and a public display of Saxon wealth and power. The rooms were painted green (hence the name). The vaults survived the 1945 bombing relatively intact; the treasures had been evacuated to Königstein Fortress. In November 2019, a spectacular heist resulted in the theft of several pieces, most of which were recovered in 2022.

Visitor Tips

• Timed entry only — book online weeks in advance. Maximum 100 visitors per hour.
• No bags, no photos allowed inside the historic rooms.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.