The valley, extending for some 20 kilometres (12 mi) and passing through the Dresden Basin, is one of two major cultural landscapes built up over the centuries along the Central European river Elbe, along with the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm downstream.

With respect to its scenic and architectural values, including the Dresden urban area as well as natural river banks and slopes, the Elbe Valley was entered on the World Heritage Site list of UNESCO in 2004.

The cultural landscape comprises the Dresden urban area along the Elbe meanders, stretching from the Loschwitz district in the southeast down to the Ostragehege plains in the northwest.

The forested Elbe slopes of the Lusatian Plateau and the Dresden Heath in the northeast protect the Valley from harsh winds; with an average annual temperature between 9.3 and 10 °C, even viticulture (Saxon wine) is common.

Points of interest include Albrechtsberg Palace on the northern slopes, Pillnitz with its castle and old village, works of engineering such as the 'Blue Wonder' bridge at the Loschwitz Schillerplatz, the nearby Dresden Funicular and Suspension Railway or the Yenidze tobacco factory.