The best way to get acquainted with Dresden is this 2-hour walk through the iconic squares of the city's historic centre with a local guide!
You will learn about the many layers of Dresden's history through medieval, Renaissance and baroque times, its fate during WW2, and the story of the rebuilding through the East German GDR times till today. Human stories, architecture, and iconography are all covered in this tour: the Saxon State Opera House, The Dresden Zwinger, the Royal Palace, the Procession of Princes, The Frauenkirche, and the Catholic Cathedral.
Though the tour doesn't go inside any of these buildings, the information shared by your guide will help you decide what you'd like to cover on your own later.