The more than 1000 years old residence Meissen is situated at the Elbe river about 25 km northwest of Dresden. The townscape is dominated by the gorgeous ensemble of the Albrechtsburg and the adjacent cathedral on the castle hill, which presents a picturesque sight, especially when approaching from the river side. This charming city is known, above all, for the manufacture of the famous Meissen porcelain,, the cradle of which was the Albrechtsburg., where it was produced for more than 150 years, before the manufacture moved to its newMeissen Castle hill - cathedral square home in downtown.In 1710 King Augustust the Strong established the first European hard-paste porcelain factory at Castle Albrechtsburg, after the mathematician und physicist Ehrenfried Walther Graf von Tschirnhaus and the alchemist Johann Friedrich Boettger in 1708 had succeeded in manufacturing the first white European porcelain . The invention of the "White Gold" was of great significance, in particular with regard to the Chinese monopoly in this market.