Getting tired with sightseeing in Berlin, we rented a car and drove 2.5 hours south to Dresden. I read about it being restored to its pre-war beauty, after being badly destroyed in the bombing of 1945. I'm not sure what were we expecting, but Dresden amazed us and surprised us with its quiet beauty. It's being called the "Florence on the Elbe," and rightfully so. Wherever we turned in downtown, there was a picture. So we just oohed and aahed around, enjoying it.
Dresden was the seat of the kings of Saxony, one of the many kingdoms which will be united under Prussian rule in 19th century. Saxon kings ruled since 12th century, when their palaces and churches were built, then added to and expanded throughout history, until 19th century. The town's heavily decorated baroque facades are fascinating.
We took this picture at Theaterplatz, looking at the Residenzschloss Palace to the right, and Hofkirche church to the left.
From the square, Theaterplatz, we walked into Zwinger, once a venue for court festivities, today a museum and a gallery of paintings.
Of course, the most famous site is the Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, which was completely destroyed in the allied bombing, left in rubble by the Soviets and Communist East-German authorities, to be completely rebuilt after the reunion of 1990. It's equally impressive during the day...
...or at night.
Equally stunning is a night shot of Hofkirche, a royal chapel and a burial ground for the generations of Saxon royals.
The nighttime view of Old Town Dresden from across the Elbe river needs no description.
A painted porcelain mural, on the outside wall of Residenzschloss royal palace, is the largest porcelain mural in the world, 102 meters long and 7 meters high. It depicts all the Saxon rulers from 12th century onward, in a procession on horses.
Of course, all that sightseeing is a tiring business, so there are cafes and restaurants on every corner, lining almost every street, to rest in the shadow of magnificent buildings.
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