Dresden

DRESDEN 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 (Altstadt). Dresden became a city in 1206 and recently celebrated its 800th birthday in 2006. It was home to many Saxon princes and kings, the most famous of them being //August der Starke// (Augustus 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 75% destroyed in a terrible bombing on February 13 and 14, 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. 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, however some parts are still under reconstruction.

See
Dresden is a very beautiful, lightspirited city, especially in summer, when you can appreciate the serene setting of the historic center. Although Dresden is larger than Munich when measured by area, the historic center is quite compact and walkable. Be sure to check out these places while in Dresden. Semper Opera stage
 * **Zwinger Palace** [[image:http://wikitravel.org/upload/en/thumb/d/d6/Dresden_Zwinger.jpeg/180px-Dresden_Zwinger.jpeg width="180" height="135" align="right" caption="Zwinger" link="http://wikitravel.org/en/Image:Dresden_Zwinger.jpeg"]][[image:http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png width="15" height="11" link="http://wikitravel.org/en/Image:Dresden_Zwinger.jpeg"]]Zwinger The baroque palace features a nympheum, many sculptures of Permoser, a bell pavilion 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". Entry is free to the palace but some collections like the porcelain exhibition have an entry fee.
 * **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 marvelous. Its history saw many operas of Wagner and Strauss having their first nights there. Nowadays productions are of lower quality and follow the German "Regietheater" fashion. Make sure to inquire about the production in advance, or you might have unpleasant surprises. Make sure to also 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 (7 euro, €3.50 reduced and a €2 photography pass, but they don't check if you have it).
 * **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. Check out some ruins in the basement. Do not miss the tower visit and bring good shoes to climb in (otherwise you will not be admitted in!).
 * **Fürstenzug** This biggest porcelain painting of the world shows (almost) all Saxon princesses and kings on their horses and splendid parade uniforms. It leads to the "Stallhof" - the last preserved tournament place contained in a European castle. In Winter, Fürstenzug is the location of a very romantic Christmas market 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** Lennestr. 1, 01069 Dresden, Mon-Sun 8AM-8PM, tel. 018-05-89-6268, infoservice@glaesernemanufaktur.de. The transparent factory is the site where Volkswagen builds its luxury sedan Phaeton. There is a tour (English language) offered by Volkswagen (4 euro, €2 reduced).
 * **Schloss und Grünes Gewölbe** . The Green Vault is Europe's most splendid treasure chamber museum. You can see the biggest green diamond and the court of Aurengzeb and its precious crown jewels.
 * **Staatliche Kunstsammlungen** This website provides a comprehensive overview of all important museums in Dresden: [|[16]]
 * **Kassematten** under the **Brühlsche Terrasse** (the terrace at the Elbe river) are the remains of the old fort. Gives you a glimse of what a fort in a medieval European town was like.
 * **Schwebebahn Dresden** - a unique aerial tramway

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