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Dresden
Dresden is a vibrant and beautiful city. The Altstadt and Neustadt, on opposite sides of the river are beautiful examples of Baroque architecture and offer plenty of lovely restaurants, shops and picturesque streets to wander.
| The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) is Germany’s most important Protestant church. It
dominates the Dresden skyline with its incredible baroque architecture. Built after the plans of George Bähr
between 1726-1743 the church was almost totally destroyed on February
15 in 1945. Through donations received from
all over the world the church has been restored true to the original
plans and is a fascinating study in restoration as well as being an
awesome historical site. The Frauenkirche offers a variety of concerts.
Check the programme on www.frauenkirche-dresden.de |  | |
| The impressive Semper Oper (Semper Opera House) is one of Saxony’s landmarks. The architect,
Gottfried Semper, built the original opera house as a court theater in
1841, which burnt down in 1869. In the style of the Italian high
renaissance, this master builder designed the second opera house, which
was dedicated in 1878. The house was completely destroyed in World War
II and reopened in 1985 after extensive reconstruction. The ticket office and a tourist information can be found in the Old
Town Guard house near the Semper Opera House. Named after its architect
the Schinkelwache is reminiscent of a Greek temple. see more |  | |
| The Zwinger (Zwinger Dresden) with its splendid Baroque architecture was created between
1710-32 by by architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and sculptor
Balthasar Permoser. The Zwinger courtyard is very impressive, like a
palace garden with a number of fountains and flower gardens. The
Zwinger houses some brilliant museums such as the Old Masters Picture
Gallery (with the most famous painting Raffael's Sistine Madonna),
Armoury (Rüstkammer), Porcelain Collection, Mathematisch-Physikalischer
Salon and the Zoological Museum. |  | |
| The Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) with its Neorenaissance façade lies in the center of the old city diagonally across from the Semperoper and the Zwinger. It was built in the 16th century, but was expanded and rebuilt several times in various architectural genres. In February 1945, the castle was completely burnt out. The reconstruction as a museum complex for the State Art Collections began in 1985 and is to be completed soon. |  | |
| Next to the the Schlossplatz with the Residenzschloss with its
beautiful view there is the Hofkirche. The Italian architect Gaetano
Chiaveri designed the church in the Romanesque style of the late
baroque period. The foundation stone was laid in 1739 with construction
completed in 1754, whereafter the church became the coronation and
burial place for generations of Saxon kings. The interior contains the
last organ built by master craftsman Silbermann as well as an altar and
pieta made of Meißner porcelain. |  | |
| Fürstenzug (Procession of Dukes) - Dresden’ famous porcelain
mural is made of 24,000 tiles of Meißen china. The frieze is 102
metres long and 7 metres high, making it the largest porcelain picture
in the world. It was first painted in 1876, then transferred onto
25,000 pieces of Meißen porcelain in 1904-1907. Designed as a memorial
to the Wettiner royal family, the mural depicts all the Saxon rulers
between 1123-1904. Only the last Saxon king is missing; Friedrich
August III. |  | |
| The Kreuzkirche, built in the late Baroque and early classicistic style
between 1764 ans 1800 is the home of the Kreuzchor. The Kreuzchor is
one of the oldest and most renowned boys’ choir in the world. Its
tradition reaches back more than 700 years. For concerts see more here. | ||
| Once the private garden of the Count of Brühl, this large open plaza offers the city's best view of the River Elbe. Under the terrace are trenches, battlements and other remnants of the city's original fortifications. The ensemble of the Brühlsche Terasse includes the Albertinum, the Ständehaus and the Secundogenitur (home of the second son of the electors and kings). |  | |
| Between Albertinum and Carola Bridge a new synagogue has been built to
replace the old one destroyed in the night of progroms of 1938. The
architecture is based on the form of the first Israelite temples. The
gradual twisting of the building serves to turn the direction for
prayer to the East. |  | |
| The gold-plated statue of the Goldener Reiter (Golden Rider – August the Great) is found just across the Augustusbridge, on the new town side of the river. On the way to the Äußere Neustadt, the lively pub and nightlife district of Dresden you pass the new Kunsthandwerker (Arts and Crafts) Passage in Hauptstrasse with some very old town houses, beautifully restored. It it worth taking a look down the neighboring streets with lots of small shops, galleries and delicious restaurants. |  | |
| In the Gläserne Fabrik - a transparent manufactory - customers can see how the different parts of the premium class car “Phaeton” will be assembled (only on working days). The whole car is completed in precise and exclusively manual assembly work there. |  |