Travel and Adventure Abroad

Dresden is the seat of the Saxon empire. Once home to the Saxon kings, Dresden was and is a cultural center for the former East Germany. I spent about a month in Dresden in 2000, my hotel right in the old city, or Altstadt. I’ve returned several times and the city has grown tremendously in just this short time.

Dresden may sound familiar to some and notorious to others. A review of your modern history books from high school will remind you of Dresden’s recent dark years. The allied incendiary (fire) bombs of WWII flattened this beautiful city and killed far more people than one likes to think about. This devastation is still visible today, although less noticeable. The last major city structure to be rebuilt was the Frauenkirche. Once the jewel of the city, the church took direct hits during the bombing campaign and was left as nothing more than a pile of rubble. When I visited in 2000, there was still a small pile of rubble where this church once stood. At that time, pieces were being lifted from the ruin and cataloged on industrial shelving 100’ long in several rows in the adjacent park area. Today, the Frauenkirch is fully open and sitting atop the spire is a gift from the Queen of England, a gesture of apology, a recreation of the original golden orb that once adorned the original church.

Dresden was the center or Baroque era arts. The Semper Opera is world renowned and is now refurbished to spectacular glory. The Zwinger is part of the royal palaces, now a museum of art, gems, and armor. A vast central park also boasts a summer palace for the Saxon kings, a zoo, an outdoor theater, and runs near the newly built Volkswagen factory, covered entirely of glass.

Summertime is best in this city. At dusk, one can dine on the bank of the Elbe and watch hot air balloons take flight. On some nights, one can enjoy outdoor movies projected on a giant screen on the north bank of the river. A short drive will take you to the Sächsische Schweiz. Translated, it means the Saxon Switzerland. There is a national park there called the Bastei. This rocky outcropping features absolutely jaw dropping views over the Elbe river valley looking south toward the Czech Republic. In fact, the Euro-rail line that services Prague from Dresden runs along the bank of the river some hundreds of feet below the cliffs witch segue to the next section.

Day trips from Dresden are endless as in most European cities. There are so many quaint towns and villages in Europe; it’s hard to choose where to go. From Dresden, I can recommend a few that I have tried. The first might be a surprise, or maybe just a product of my prejudice of the city. Berlin is about 2 hours drive from Dresden. I recommend this as a day trip because I did not find the city to have much of a draw for my taste. There are certainly the famous gates of the Berlin Wall and the few pieces of the wall that are left standing (now inscribed with Drew Carey’s autograph) to see. But the city is very, very modern and sprawling, not the kind of unique environment that draws me to Europe.

Another great day trip is only minutes north along the Elbe. Meissen was once the European center for ceramics. Once a technology closely guarded by the east, ceramics took many years to develop in the west. Artisans in Meissen are credited with uncovering the secret ingredients and process to make this fine “china” as it is still called today in respect to its inventors. Meissen is built along the banks of the Elbe river (a trait that I find marking most of the destination spots in Europe for good reason). Also of note for Meissen is that it is not only built on a river, but in a mountainous area. The city cathedral is perched high on the mountain top looking down through the town to the river bank below. The cobblestone streets are filled with shops of all kinds, but especially fine china.

Another nearby attraction is the “Hunting Lodge” of Moritzburg Castle. This castle, more palace than fortress, features a great hall adorned with the heads of hundreds of game animals and chandeliers of deer antlers. Outside is a storybook moat and gardens. This is a very short drive and easily visited in a single afternoon.

Where to stay? I recommend staying near the river, particularly near the Altstadt as opposed to the Neustadt (new city). My favorite happens to be the Radisson SAS Gewundhaus. This hotel features brilliant brass work and very comfortable rooms throughout. A very memorable stay for me was one of the suites on the back side of the hotel. Double windows opened out to the alley behind with views of a church tower and sidewalk cafes.

Typically I like to recommend the DK Eye Witness guides. There isn’t one specifically for Dresden yet, but there is one for all of Germany. For Dresden try thisDresden Guide Book
For a more broad guidebook, try the DK Guide to Germany