We visited the wonderful city of Dresden from Munich on 9th October using the Schones Wochenende Ticket (30 Euros for weekend day travel anywhere in Germany for 5 persons).
Dresden, formerly in East Germany, the capital city of Saxony, is very quickly reassuming its position as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and is competing with cities like Prague and Florence.
It had always been a leader in culture and architecture, hence the name ’’Elbflorenz’’ (Florence at the Elbe river). All this had come to a fiery end in February, 1945, when British bombers bombed and destroyed Dresden which killed 25, 000 of it’s citizens, mostly women and children, and destroyed almost all of Dresden’s historical and architectural monuments.
A lot of the city has since been rebuilt and restoration activity has been hectic since German Reunification in the year 1989.
The wonders that the city has to offer are best seen on foot with the help of a map available at the Information counter outside the station or by using the 2 hour City Sightseeing bus - 14 Euros (also has commentary in English on specific trips).
A List of the Wonders which are a must see:
(1) The ’’Fürstenzug’’ (procession of the dukes) which is situated in the Langer Gang (Long walk), a long building erected in 1586-1591, which connects the Residential Castle with the Johanneum Museum. The elegant façade facing the courtyard is decorated with ’’sgraffito’’ and has shady arcades supported by slim columns. The wall facing the street features the so-called Fürstenzug, a vast 102m long frieze depicting the procession of many Saxon rulers. Originally created by Wilhelm Walther in 1872-1876, using the ’’sgraffito’’ technique, it was replaced in 1907 by 24.000 Meissen porcelain tiles.
(2) The ’’Semperoper’’, the State Opera of Saxony. The opera is one of Saxony’s landmarks. It was named after its creator, the the famous architect Gottfried Semper who designed it twice: the first building, erected in 1338-1841 burned down in 1869, the second one was completed in 1878. It reopened for performances in 1985 and has regained its reputation as the opera house in which great operas are premiered.
(3) The ’’Zwinger’’, a beautiful Baroque structure. The name means ’’intermural’’. It was built in the space between the former town fortifications. Commissioned by August the Strong, it was constructed in 1709-1739 according to a design by Matthäus Poppelmann. The spacious courtyard, which once used to stage tournaments, festivals and firework displays, is completely surrounded by galleries into which are set pavilions and gates. Today it houses several museums.
(4) The ’’Hofkirche’’ which is a monumental Baroque royal church, built between 1738-1751. The large tower is visible from afar. It was the Catholic Cathedral of the Dresden-Meissen Diocese since 1780. The church was commissioned by August the Strong and designed by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri. Rebuilt after the Second World War, it features a magnificent Rococo pulpit by Balthasar Permoser.
(5) The ’’Residenzschloss’’ (Residential Castle) was the former residence of the Wettin family. It was built in stages from the late 15th to the 17th centuries. The most recent extensions were added in 1889 and 1901. A vast, irregular, multi-wing complex of buildings, the castle is not yet fully restored. The wings which have been completed are now used for temporary exhibitions. The Hausmannsturm, a tall tower, affords a great view of Dresden.
(6) The ’’Frauenkirche’’ (Our Lady’s Church) which has been restored from the heap of rubble left by a direct hit and subsequent fire during the bombing at the end of World War II. This symbol of the war’s destructiveness sat untouched for 50 years until, after Reunification, the decision was made to restore it. The Frauenkirche had been for more than 200 years the most visible symbol of Dresden, with its huge bell-shaped tower reaching 95 meters above the Dresden plains. Almost 30% of the completed restored structure is composed of these original materials. This has resulted in a checkered pattern of blackened salvaged stone and new yellow sandstone, quaried from the Saxon Schweiz, as were the original. The finished edifice is in every aspect a replica of the original. Visiting the Frauenkirche is the highlight of the Dresden trip.
A trip to Dresden is a must on the itinery of all those who visit Germany – seeing is believing.