The city of Dresden has long been considered the capital and cultural center of Saxony. Today it is one of the most interesting cities in Germany for tourists. Dresden is an amazingly calm, harmonious and graceful city located in the Elbe river valley. It has a huge number of attractions, skillfully restored after the Second World War. Expositions presented in numerous local museums allow tourists from all over the world to feel the history of ancient Saxony and the culture of modern Germany.
It's easy to lose your head over the beautiful views in this city. But what is difficult is to get around the sights of Dresden in one day. The route of the walk should be designed in such a way that it is as full of interesting places as possible. Otherwise, a month is not enough to get to know the city. Today we will consider the main attractions of Dresden, which are worth a visit in order to get more or less complete information about the city.submission.
Zwinger
Zwinger is a palace and park complex built in the 18th century, when the Saxon elector Augustus the Strong, being strongly impressed by the beauties of the French Versailles, wanted to build a similar residence in his kingdom. On the territory of this complex there is a picturesque landscape park, as well as several popular museums. During the bombing of 1945, it was badly damaged - most of the buildings had to be restored literally from ruins.
Albertinum Art Museum
Until the end of the 19th century, this building housed an arsenal. Later, the city archive and several museum collections were located in it, which eventually grew into a full-fledged gallery. The museum got its name in honor of King Albert, who was known as a true admirer and connoisseur of art. In the Albertinum you can find the works of masters who worked in the style of romanticism, realism and impressionism. In addition to paintings, the museum has a rich exposition of sculptures.
Gallery of old masters
This museum is located in one of the Zwinger buildings. It contains unique paintings by artists from the Renaissance period. The formation of the collection began in the first half of the eighteenth century with the assistance of Augustus II and Augustus III. Due to the fact that the paintings were taken out of the Zwinger before the bombing began, they were saved intact. Until 1965, the collection was located on the territory of the Soviet Union.
Castle-residence
The official residence of the rulers of Saxony, the first building of which, according to historical documents, dates back to the end of the 13th century. Over time, the structure grew and acquired an increasingly solemn look. Its decoration has changed along with the architectural traditions of successive eras. In the middle of the 16th century, the palace became a residence and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. By the 19th century, the facade received baroque elements and the appearance in which it is to this day.
Brühl's Terrace
It is a picturesque section of the Elbe embankment, about half a kilometer long. Back in the 19th century, the European nobility liked to walk here, who came to Dresden to admire the views of the city and the river. It was during this period that Brühl's Terrace was nicknamed the "balcony of Europe". And three centuries earlier, the promenade was part of the complex of military fortifications of the city, but over time it lost its defensive significance.
Church of Our Lady
The cathedral called Frauenkirche was built in the 18th century in the monumental baroque style by the talented architect G. Baer. In 1945, the building was practically destroyed, and until the reunification of Germany, it remained in this state. As a result of the painstaking work of the restorers, in 2005 the church was reopened to visitors. The original appearance of the building has been completely recreated, therefore, despite its novelty, it is considered one of the historical sights of Dresden.
Catholic Court Church
Hofkirche is the cathedral church of the Dresden diocese of Catholics. The building was erected in the Baroque style in the middle of the 18th century, according to the project of G. Chiaveri. Initially, the Hofkirche was the court church of the family of Frederick August II. Inside it is the family crypt of the Wettin dynasty - the rulers of Saxony. The complete restoration of the church after the hostilities was completed in 1962.
Church of the Holy Cross
One of the largest and oldest churches in Saxony and the main Protestant church in the city is called the Kreuzkirche. This place has been considered holy since the 12th century, when the Basilica of St. Nicholas was built here. Several times the building was destroyed, burned and rebuilt, until by the end of the 18th century it received its modern look. During the Second World War, the facade of the church managed to survive. Fame among ordinary tourists, far from religious prejudices, the temple received not only due to its architecture, but also thanks to the choir of boys who, with their virtuoso singing, have been accompanying divine services for more than a century.
Church of the Three Wise Men
The first mention of a temple called Dreikönigskirche dates back to the 15th century, but the structure of those times has not survived to this day. In 1739 a new baroque building was erected in its place. The chief architect of the project was M. D. Peppelman. Inside the temple, you can get acquainted with the decorative composition (frieze) "Dresden Dance of Death", which was created under Augustus the Strong in order to denounce the perniciousness of the Church Reformation.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of churches in the city, despite the fact that not all of them survived the 1945 bombings. So, for example, the Church of St. Sophia in Dresden was so badly damaged that it was decided not to restore it.
Semper Opera
The Dresden Opera House also has a rich history. Here you can enjoy the work of one of the oldest European orchestras. Under the Saxon rulers, the Dresden Opera was considered royal. Once upon a time, the premieres of the famous composer I. Strauss sounded from her stage. In 1985, the last, at the moment, restoration of the building took place. In order to accurately recreate the historical appearance of the theater, the restorers had to find its original design, which was very difficult.
German Hygiene Museum
It is an anatomical museum where visitors can get acquainted with the work of the human body. It was founded by K. A. Lingner, an industrialist and inventor of a hygienic mouthwash, in the first half of the 20th century. The most revolutionary exhibit at that time was a transparent human figure, through the glass shell of which one could see all the organs and systems of the body. To date, the museum has a huge number of visual exhibits that give a rich idea of the structure of the human body.
Military History Museum
Answering the question of what to see in Dresden, one cannot ignore the large military museumBundeswehr, which since 2013 has been located in the Residence Castle. It was first discovered back in 1877. In addition to accommodating expositions, the museum premises were also used as an Arsenal and were leased to entrepreneurs. In 1945, according to the peace treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union, most of the exhibits were taken to the territory of the latter. Since 1972, the GDR Army Museum has been operating in the building. After the unification of the country, the institution started working again as the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces. Another name for the establishment is the Dresden Armory.
Procession of Princes
This is the name of a panel made of porcelain slabs and decorating the wall of the stable yard of the city castle-residence. The panel depicts Saxon rulers - representatives of the Wettin dynasty. The composition is made up of 25,000 tiles. Due to the fact that during the bombing of 1945, the attraction completely survived, modern tourists can enjoy its original appearance.
Pilnitz Palace-Castle
This is the summer residence of the Saxon rulers, located on the banks of the Elbe River. At the dawn of the 18th century, Augustus the Strong ordered the construction of two palaces: the Water Palace and the Nagorny Palace. The development of the project was entrusted to Z. Longlyun and M. Peppelman. A little later, another palace appeared, which was called the New. Today the complex welcomes its guests with a beautiful English-style landscape park and invites them to visit two museums: the Castle Museum and the Museum of Appliedart.
Elbe castles
On the right bank of the Elbe there are three small castles built in the middle of the 19th century: Lingner, Ekberg and Albrechtsberg. These structures were never used for defensive purposes and were created for the Prussian Prince Albrecht. Since the twentieth century, the premises of the castles have been used as hotels, exhibition halls, restaurants and offices. Picturesque parks located in the surrounding areas are open to guests all year round.
Dresden cable car
One of the city's most interesting technical attractions is the cable car. It is located in the picturesque area of Loschwitz, which attracts tourists with a large number of old houses and narrow stone streets. This attraction is also famous for having the world's oldest suspension monorail. The Dresden cable car was built in 1900 and opened in May 1901. At that time, the funicular, located next to it, had been operating for six years. The author of the project was Eugen Lanen.
Moritzburg Castle
Interesting places in Dresden are found everywhere, but outside the city there is something to see. So, 14 kilometers from Dresden, in the town of Moritzburg, there is a majestic castle of the same name, which was once one of the residences of the Wettin dynasty. In the middle of the 16th century, this place was a hunting estate. During the reign of Augustus the Strong, the building and the surrounding landscape underwent a large-scale redevelopment and reconstruction. ATThe result is a beautiful baroque "water palace" that has become one of Dresden's landmarks.
Elbe River
When talking about what a tourist should see in Dresden, one cannot ignore the very river on which this city stands. The bed of the Elbe stretches for 1165 kilometers through Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland. Before the construction of the Waldschleschen Bridge, the Dresden river valley (to which, among other things, the old city center belongs), due to its special beauty, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the valley you can admire water meadows and natural terraces, as well as take a walk in the nature reserve.
Blue Miracle
The bridge, better known as Loshvitsky, has such an intriguing name. The construction, which is 280 meters long, connects the districts of Blasewitz and Loschwitz. The construction was built at the end of the 19th century according to the innovative and innovative for those times project of B. Kruger. Before the bridge began to fulfill its functions, it was subjected to numerous strength tests. Today, the Blue Wonder is in good condition and in active use.
Bastei Bridge
Among the engineering sights of Dresden, it is also worth highlighting the Bastei Bridge, which was laid in the second half of the 19th century between the coastal cliffs. The architecture of this building has similar features with ancient Roman aqueducts and early Romanesque buildings. The bridge is surrounded by picturesque views of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. The height of the bridge above the Elbe is 195 meters.
Conclusion
Today we have learned what you can see in Dresden and what objects should be included in your walking itinerary. In one day, you can get acquainted with the sights of Dresden only superficially, which is confirmed by the number of interesting places discussed above. Therefore, it is recommended to come here for at least a week. Fortunately, today you can find a huge number of the most convenient tours to Dresden and other European cities.
