The 2023-24 Bundesliga schedule has been announced, with the season kicking off on Friday, August 18.

After dramatically winning the league on the last day of the 2022-23 campaign, all eyes will be on whether Bayern Munich can secure a 12th consecutive title this time around.

Schalke and Hertha Berlin dropped out of the division last season, meanwhile, to be replaced by FC Heidenheim and Darmstadt, the former becoming the 57th club to compete in the Bundesliga.

We take a look at the key dates to look out for.

Title defence

Bayern will begin the defence of their Bundesliga title away at Werder Bremen on Friday, August 18.

Their first home game of the campaign will be the following Sunday, August 27, when Augsburg visit the Allianz Arena.

Bye Jude

Borussia Dortmund will be attempting to stop Bayern without star man Jude Bellingham, who has been sold to Real Madrid.

Their first league game without the 20-year-old will be at home to FC Cologne.

Der Klassiker

The Bayern-Dortmund rivalry will have added spice next season after the dramatic nature in which the Bavarians pinched the title at the end of last term.

With former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel now in the dugout at the Allianz Arena, the two meetings between the sides are going to be highly anticipated.

The first clash of the new season will see the teams meet at Signal Iduna Park on the first weekend of November.

The reverse fixture will take place on the weekend of March 30-31 and could potentially be a title decider.

The Rhine derby

The traditional Rhine derby, Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke, will not take place this season after the latter were relegated to the second tier.

FC Cologne vs Borussia Monchengladbach is an alternative clash from the same region, though, and the teams will meet in Cologne on the weekend of October 20-22 and for the reverse fixture on March 8-10.

Tuchel returns

Another of Tuchel's former clubs, Mainz, are a perennial mid-table outfit.

Tuchel will take his Bayern side to the MEWA Arena on the weekend of October 20-22 and will host Die Nullfunfer on March 8-10.

Heidenheim's bow

FC Heidenheim are Bundesliga debutants, having won promotion to the top tier of German football for the first time in their history.

Their first ever match at this level will see them take on Wolfsburg away and they will host Hoffenheim in their opening home match the following weekend.

They travel to Dortmund on Matchday 3 and take on Bayern at the Allianz Arena on the weekend of November 10-12.

The reverse fixture against the champions, played on April 5-7, is the biggest date for their supporters' diaries.