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Germany
Travel Guide
Dresden Travel Information
Dresden
is the capital of the German federal state of Saxony (Sachsen).
Located on the Elbe River, it
is an industrial, governmental, and cultural center, known worldwide for
the Bruehl's Terrace and its historic landmarks in the old town.
Dresden
was first mentioned as a city in 1206 and the 800th birthday celebrations
therefore took place in 2006. The city has come a long way since then.
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It was home to many Saxon
princes and kings, the most famous of them being August der Starke
(August the Strong), whose kingdom included Poland as well. They
apertained to the family of the Wettiner and were closely related to many
other European royal families. Many buildings date from their reign and
especially the rich art collections are testimony of their extreme
wealth. The "Madonna Sixtina" was for instance bought by the son
of August the Strong. The last Saxon king abdicated in 1918.
The
historical center of Dresden was completely destroyed in a terrible
bombing on 13/14 February 1945 by allied forces. The date is deeply
marked in the history of the city and is still remembered each year in
processions and ceremonies. The destruction of the priceless art
treasures that made the city world famous was and is felt as a wound to
the soul of the people. More than 30,000 people died in the bombing - the
exact number is unknown, as the city was full of refugees and many burnt
completely in the firestorm (unofficial sources give numbers of up to
150,000 dead). The ruin of the now rebuilt Frauenkirche acted as a call
for peace among the different nations of the world.
The
historical center is nowadays largely restored to its former glory, some
parts are still under reconstruction, however . The city nevertheless is
a great place to experience!
Dresden
has about ten million tourists a year, most of them from Germany. The
Zwinger was rebuilt in 1964, the Semper Opera house in 1985 and in 2005
the now most famous landmark of Dresden, the Frauenkirche. When asked
what they like most about their city, Dresden citizens will reply Old
Town (which is not very big, even though it has a lot of well-known
attractions and museums of worldwide meaning), Dresden-Neustadt (an
alternative central quarter) and the surroundings like the wine town
Radebeul or the climbing area Saxon Switzerland, or a lot of castles, and
maybe most of all the city landscape of about 80 quarters. It's essential
to know that the last thing is really a core competence of Dresden which
helped the city to survive when the innercity was totally destroyed after
Second World War. The number of international tourists is growing,
especially regarding the US and China, Dresden is a stop between Prague
and Berlin, that´s why just one city quarter can be recommended to get
the whole idea. Blasewitz is in the architectural perspective probably
the most interesting living quarter, despite there are truly many in the
hilly city landscape.
Attractions
and things to do:
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Dresden is a very beautiful,
lightspirited city, especially in summer, when you can appreciate the
serene setting of the historic center. Be aware that while it has only
a little more than 500.000 inhabitants, Dresden is larger than Munich
when measured by area. Your sightseeing tour should among others
include:
- Zwinger Palace - The baroque palace
features a nympheum, many sculptures of Permoser, a bell pavillon
and famous art collections. Do not miss the "Alte
Meister" - you'll find the famous Madonna Sistina of Rafael
there including the well known angels. There is also a very nice
museum on the arms of Saxon kings, the
"Rüstkammer".
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- Semperoper - The building is well worth visiting, as it is
one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. The acoustics and
the orchestra - the Staatskapelle, are marvellous. Its history saw
many operas of Wagner and Strauss having their first night there.
Nowadays productions are of lower quality and follow the German
"Regietheater" fashion. Make sure to inquire about the production
in advance, you might have unpleasant surprises. - Make also sure to
book tickets in advance. Some last-minute tickets are available from
the box office shortly before the performance starts. Seats which do
not have a good view are very cheap, and you can sit on benches
behind the seats, right at the top of the auditorium, for free. When
there is no rehearsal or performance, the opera offers an
interesting tour behind the scenes.
- Frauenkirche - The reconstructed Church of Our Lady was
completely destroyed during WWII, and has now been reopened. The
City of Coventry, which was raided by the Luftwaffe in WWII, donated
the golden cross for the dome of the church. Do not miss the tower
visit and bring good shoes to climb in (otherwise you will not be
admitted in!).
- Fürstenzug - This biggest porcellain painting of the world
shows (almost) all Saxon princess and kings on their horses and
splendid parade uniforms. It leads to the "Stallhof" - the
last preserved tournament place contained in a European castle. This
place is in winter the location of a very romantic chrsitmas marked
with a big fireplace.
- Albertinum Museum - The collections of "Neue Meister"
feature a wonderful collection ranging from romantic painters (Caspar
David Friedrich etc.) up to Rotloff and Van Gogh.
- Gläserne Manufaktur - The transparent factory is the site where
Volkswagen builds its luxury sedan Phaeton. There is a free tour
(English language) offered by Volkswagen.
- Schloss und Grünes Gewölbe [13]. The Green Vault is Europe's most splendid
treasure chamber museum. You may see the biggest green diamond, the
court of Aurengzeb and precious crown juwels. It is not yet
completely restored and will be completely re-opened from end of
2006 on.
- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen
- Kassematten under the Brühlsche Terrasse (the terrace at the
Elbe river) are the remains of the old fort. Gives you an insight
view of what a fort in a medieval European town was.
- Schwebebahn Dresden - a unique aerial tramway
- Museum of Mineralogy - One of Dresden's most important museums.
- Dresden History Museum
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