Dresden was the stop we almost didn’t make.
Dresden was our favorite location of the entire four-city trip.
A city nestled between Berlin and Prague, the HH and I made a 24-hour stop in Dresden as we traveled between Berlin and Prague, mainly because I had read that it was a must see as the home of Saxony. If I had to do it again, I would have taken one of the days spent in Munich and allocated that time for Dresden.
Historically, Dresden, which is located on the Elbe River in the heart of Europe, was the central city of ancient Saxony. In the 15th century, Saxon monarch’s, or electors, made Dresden their central residence. It was not until around 1918 that Saxony joined the current country of Germany. During WW II, Dresden was bombed heavily during a two or three day period late in the war – just three or four months before the end of the war in Europe. The result was that 85% of the city was destroyed, but the artistic and cultural treasures had been safely concealed and survived.
The city has been beautifully re-established, and even historically significant buildings, such as Zwinger Palace, were carefully rebuilt. As we walked the steps of Zwinger, my husband and I discussed the fact that visitors can see where the broken pieces of the steps had been gathered from the rubble, pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, and used to rebuild, losing none of the splendor. Unfortunately, we lost one of our SD cards, and it was this card that held the pictures of Berlin and Dresden; the pictures from Dresden would have been the most beautiful record of our trip. Only eight pictures from that day survived, but these were made near the rail line and do not give a true view of the beauty of the city. Here are a three of them.
Grossmarkthalle, Dresden, Germany
Art under rail/tram line in Dresden, Germany
More art under rail/tram line in Dresden, Germany
Today, the city is breathtaking, and like most of the places we saw, construction continues. Food in Dresden is delicious, and the people are delightful. While we were there, every single person with whom we talked was gracious and friendly. In fact, when HH and I spent the morning walking the city and making pictures as we explored and saw the sites, I had no less than five people stop us to ask if I was not cold. Folks were worried that I did not have a jacket. Their concern was kind, but you see, I am a hot-natured. Still, in three hours of exploring the city, I was the only person we saw who did not have on a jacket, including my husband. LOL
If you ever have a chance to visit the city of Dresden, Germany, do it! You will not regret it.
Have a blessed and happy day!
livingandlovinglifeafter50 