The beautiful city at the Elbe river
belongs through the wealth of its cultural and art treasures
as well as its attractive situation to the prettiest cities of Europe.
Dresden has been the residence of sovereigns and kings already since
1425 At the end of World War II Dresden was almost totally
destroyed within 3 days fire-bombing 13.-15. February 1945 about
30.000 people died! Today the city of Dresden presents itself after
decades of reconstruction in its old splendour again. The
faithful reconstruction of the Frauenkirche (church of our
Lady) is the most recent and most beautiful examples of international
solid arity with the sorely tried city.
The most beautiful buildings of the
baroque old town were created during the regency of August the Strong
(1694 -1733), who was simultaneously also king of Poland. He was
a great sponsor of the arts and enriched the saxon treasury with
numerous precious objects. About 3000 works out of this collection
are issued in the green vault. It is the largest art collection of this
type in Europe. King August the Strong died in Poland, but
its heart is buried in the crypt of the
cathedral of
Dresden (former Hofkirche).
One of the
most famous buildings and a must if you visit Dresden, is the
Zwinger (1711-22 built by Pöppelmann).
In its architecture, the baroque building is modelled on a Roman
amphitheater. The representative festival place was determined
for courtly purposes and is surrounded by Gallerien and charming
pavilions. Today the Zwinger hosts valuable art collections:
one of the most important painting collections of the world in the
building of the Semper Gallery (north
east-wing of the Zwinger, build 1847-1855 by G. Semper), the china
collection of August the Strong, the Rüstkammer with a collection
of historic arms u. a. m.
Another highlight of your stay in Dresden should be a visit
of the Semper Opera House.
The list of the sight is long....
Discover old town on foot and enjoy the Flair and the beauty
of this enchanting city; have a rest in the shadow of
Brühl's Terraces, invigorate yourself
in one of the numerous historic restaurants or enjoy a sail on board
a paddle steamer to the numerous sights
in the closer sourroundings. The
Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt located
at Dresden, operates the largest and oldest fleet of historic paddle
steamers in the world! and provide you with a unique nostalgic experience!
City Views
|