Dresden is the capital and largest city in the State of Saxony in the Federal Republic of Germany. The city is one of Germany’s major cities and is a must see tourist attraction. It is located on the banks of the River Elbe, approximately 200 kilometres south of Berlin and just 40 kilometres from the border with the Czech Republic. It is an historic city, having recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, and today remains the cultural, political, and economic centre of the state. Historically it was once known as the ‘Florence on the Elbe’ due to its high number of architectural wonders and mass of art treasures which, after the bombing of World War II, much seemed to be lost. However after continued restoration it is home once more to many major attractions such as the Dresden Zwinger with its collections of ‘Old Masters’ and Armoury Museum, the almost completely re-built Baroque Church of Our Lady the Frauenkirche which dominates the city skyline, the magnificent Semperoper or Opera House and the Royal Palace, or Residenzschloss that houses the famous ‘Green Vault’, or Grunes Gewolbe in which Europe’s largest collection of treasures can be found, making Dresden once more a showcase of Saxony’s cultural heritage!! The city stands within the Dresden Elbe Valley, a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site, which is an 18 kilometre long stretch of the river that retains its unique 18th and 19th century cultural landscape. The site extends from the Ubigau Palace and the Ostragehege fields in the north-west to the Pillnitz Palace and the Elbe River Island in the south-east.
At the heart of Dresden is the historic ‘Old Town’, or Altstadt which is located on the southern bank of the River Elbe, it is here that the city’s major landmarks stand. Around the Theaterplatz can be found the 18th century Zwinger Palace which contains the ‘Old Masters Gallery’ or Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, the Museum of Maths and Physics or Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, and the Armoury Museum or Rustkammer – the adjacent State Opera - the 18th century Rococo styled Katholische Hofkirche with its pillared tower - and the vast Royal Palace which is comprised of several wings and contains the famous ‘Green Vault’. The Royal Palace is also well known as the site of the Furstenzug, the incredible 102 metre long and 7 metre high porcelain mural which was designed as a memorial to the Wettiner Royal Family. The mural represents Saxon rulers between 1123 and 1904. Moving along the Bruhl Terrace, the promenade that runs alongside the River Elbe, can be seen the former state parliament building or Standehaus, the Secundogenitur, the Royal Art Academy and then the Albertinum, which is one of Germany’s great galleries and houses three different museums, the Gemaldegalerie, the Sculpture and the Coin Collections. Behind these buildings is located the Neumatkt Platz where the hugely popular 18th century Baroque Frauenkirche, an architectural masterpiece with its 96 metre high dome can be found. Further south and within the Altmarkt, which is Dresden oldest landmark, stands the 15th century Kreuzkirche with its 92 metre high tower. The Kreuzkirche is one of the largest churches in the country and it is possible to climb the steeple with its 256 steps which provides fantastic views over the Altmarkt and the Altstadt.
Also of note in the city are the Dresden State Art Collections which is one of the world’s most important groups of museums and collections. Consisting of eleven museums, of which those of the Zwinger and Royal Palace complexes are part, are the museums housed in the Japanese Palace, the Landesmuseum fur Vorgeschichte or the State Museum of Prehistory and the Museum fur Volkerkunde Dresden or the Museum of Ethnology. There are also the Verkehrsmuseum, or Transport Museum, the Universitatssammlung Kunst and Technik or the Collection of Art and Technology of the Dresden University of Technology, and the Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlugen Dresden or the State Collection of Natural History. For the museum enthusiasts there are more museums to see but perhaps one of the most popular is the Military Historical Museum of the Bundeswehr which displays over 6,000 exhibits including planes, tanks and displays of uniforms and guns. Or for something a little different why not look at the Museum Festung which is located under the Bruhl Terrace and is formed by the earlier constructions of the old city walls. Beneath the streets lie a series of ancient tunnels, walkways and cobblestoned streets which are part of the original 16th century underground fortress and contain store houses, barracks, canons and one of Dresden’s original city gates!!
Dresden is home to a mass of attractions such as the Blaues Wunder, or Blue Wonder the cantilever bridge over the Elbe which, when built in 1893, was a wonder of technology - or the Yenidze, a former cigarette factory which was built to look like a mosque and thereby hide the necessary chimneys which at the time were not allowed – the new Dresden Synagogue which replaced an original Gottfried Semper designed building that was destroyed on Kristallnacht by the Nazi in 1938 – the Stadtmuseum or City Museum of Dresden which is located in an 18th century country house and displays over 1,000 exhibits covering different aspects of the city’s history – and located on the outskirts of the city is the Briesnitzer Kirche which is one of the oldest churches in Saxony.
If you are staying in Dresden for a few days and fancy a short trip out of the city, none would be better than a tour of Festung Konigstein. It is a famous historic hilltop fortress which overlooks the River Elbe, just 30 kilometres from Dresden. Considered to be one of Saxony’s major tourist attractions and Germany’s biggest fortress, the castle dates from the 13th century and covers 9.5 hectares and includes Europe’s biggest open-air military museum which tells the story of the development of warfare and the history of the fortress. The complex has been used continuously since it was built and remains complete and well cared for. The fortress is located in the beautiful Elbsandsteingebirge, Elbe Sandstone Mountains which are part of the scenic Saxon Switzerland area of the Elbe Valley.
To reach the fortress it is possible to travel by car, train or via paddle-steamer that passes Pillnitz Palace and through the old town of Pirna which is the gateway to the Saxon Switzerland.
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