Popular attractions of Dresden: list, description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Dresden is a very beautiful city with excellent infrastructure and many old cathedrals and other architectural structures that have undergone massive restoration after the Second World War. Thanks to this, Dresden was returned to its historical greatness, because it was so famous for it in the pre-war years. In the article we will look at the sights of Dresden - with names, descriptions and photos.

City Status

Dresden is the capital of Saxony, an incredibly picturesque German land. According to historical data, this region was densely populated by Slavs in the 10th century. After a certain period of time, these people were Germanized, so they feel very comfortable in this territory.

Most famous sights

The capital of Saxony abounds in many unusual sights that are worth a visit. Here is a list of the best attractions in Dresden:

1. Picture gallery.
2. Palace residence.
3. St. Mary's Church.
4. Zwinger.
5. Roy altreasury.
6. Semper Opera.
7. Military History Museum.
8. Transport Museum.
9. Royal Porcelain Collection.
10. Museum of Scientific Instruments.

Each of these sights of Dresden is interesting in its own way and is an unsurpassed masterpiece of high art. And to enjoy the greatness and beauty of the German cultural heritage, all this must be seen with your own eyes! But it is impossible to see the sights of Dresden in one day. This will take at least 3-4 days.

Dresden Art Gallery

It's hard to imagine anything more remarkable than the world famous gallery of paintings presented in Dresden. It was founded in the 16th century, when the collection of dens on display was still very small, and therefore fit in the palace and the Zwinger. However, over time, the collection was replenished with works by famous artists, so the question arose regarding the subsequent placement of paintings. Therefore, the Dresden Art Gallery was built, according to the project of the architect Samper. It presents 1800 paintings, long recognized as true masterpieces, which were presented to society by such famous artists in the past as Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canaletto.

One of the main attractions of Dresden has 2 wings, as well as a central arch. At the same time, the entrance through the arch is located from Theater Square.

Residence Palace

Sights of Dresden inThe surrounding area attracts many tourists. The residence palace is an ancient building, on the site of which the St. George Gates were erected back in 1400, as well as a wall with a city portal. And in 1548, the first palace was built here, which was completed over time by different architects. The oldest tower, which is located on the territory of this historical complex, is Hausmannsturm, whose height is 100 meters. It has an observation deck decorated with golden clocks and balloons.

Also, there are several museums inside the residence palace. The most famous of them is the Treasury of the Saxon Kings. It contains 4000 unusual decorations of those eras. Among them are jewelry made of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. All of them are stored in anti-reflective showcases.

Church of Saint Mary

The history of this landmark of Dresden (in German its name is Frauenkirche) began in the 11th century, when a monastery appeared here. However, the old church was built a little later - in 1142. It was built in Romanesque style.

The new Protestant church of St. Mary was already built in 1743. Moreover, the process of its arrangement took as much as 17 years and was very painstaking.

Due to its rounded dome, which is completely made of natural stone, the Church of St. Mary looks very graceful and unusual in appearance! The height of this structure is 91 meters.

The interior walls of the church are marbled in yellow and green tones. Heightthe inner dome of the temple is 26 meters and forms a kind of vault. And he, in turn, is decorated with gold. Presented here are also 8 paintings, which flaunt the faces of St. Matthew, John, Luke, as well as the virtues of Faith, Hope, Love and Mercy.

Altar is also the decoration of the temple, in the center of which is a sculpture of Christ on the Mount of Olives. Just above it is a golden organ.

Zwinger

This complex is formed by 4 interconnected buildings. Each of them has a museum. In its design, the Zwinger will give odds to many similar cultural institutions. There is an area of unusual beauty with clubs and many unusual fountains. Also around are original sculptures made during the Middle Ages.

Royal Treasury in Dresden

The historic "Green Vaults" are Dresden's most significant royal treasury. Here are a variety of jewelry from the collection of Augustus the Strong, which are rightfully considered the most precious jewelry accessories on our planet. The ceilings of the museum are made in emerald color, and the walls of the complex are richly decorated with mirrors.

Semper Opera

This landmark of Dresden (in Russian - Semper Opera House, in German - Semperoper) is considered the most famous opera house in Germany. It was built in the 19th century and is the highlight of the Theatersquare.

The very building of this theater is located in the central part of Dresden, on the banks of the Elbe River. The first building in these places was erected in 1841. It was the royal court theater but it was completely destroyed in a fire in 1869.

On the site of the burnt building, thanks to Semper's drawings, a new theater was erected, which was named after him. However, during the bombardment of the city in 1945, the Semperoper was destroyed again. Only 40 years later, this cultural monument was restored again. She also had to endure hard times in 2002 during the floods. During this period, the water level on the Elbe rose by 9 meters above the permissible level, which could not but affect the work of the theater.

On the very facade of the building there are figures of the gods of Ancient Greece, as well as sculptures by Schiller, Goethe, Moliere and Sophocles. And on the dome of the theater there is a bronze quadriga with Ariadne and Dionysus.

All performances at the Semperoper are exclusively in German. Here you can hear the music of such popular composers as Wagner, Strauss and Weber. But this does not prevent the theater from gaining worldwide fame and being considered the main attraction of Germany.

Dresden Military History Museum

The territory of this attraction of Dresden is simply huge - it covers an area of 13,000 meters. More than 10,000 different exhibits of various eras are presented here - from 1300 to the present.

Here you can see various modifications of weapons, equipment, get information about famous historical commanders who became famous during the battles, view paintings and photographs of ships, aircraft, tanks, howitzers and other equipment. Photos from the fronts are also exhibited for visitors. The exposition conveys the essence of what once happened on the front lines.

All rooms in this museum have a thematic focus. For example, in the hall, which is dedicated to the Second World War, you can even feel the specific smell that once reigned in the German trenches.

Also, any thematic collection is very organically complemented by a specialized exhibition. It can showcase technology used in battles, soldier uniforms, fashions of the day, and even music that was popular at a certain time.

The military museum itself is located in a building built in 1887. Its radical reconstruction was carried out in 2011 according to the project of the architect Libeskind. A giant wedge made of metal is installed in the central part of the structure. Thanks to him, the building is being cut into 2 main components.

Transport Museum

This attraction in the city of Dresden is housed in a dilapidated Renaissance building called the Johanneum. It was erected in 1589, but was originally intended to equip a horse barn.

In 1747, an art gallery was located on the second floor of the Johanneum. And in 1866 next to the building wasbuilt the most ancient Dresden fountain.

The last restructuring of the museum took place in 1876, and was led by King Johann of Saxony.

At the entrance to the complex, tourists are greeted by a racing car that was popular in the GDR, as well as greetings in many languages. A nice addition is the fact that photography is allowed here.

Royal Porcelain Collection in Dresden

All royal porcelain can be viewed in one of the pavilions located in the Zwinger palace complex. This collection is considered the richest in the world, here are various products brought here from Japan, China, as well as from Meissen factories.

In 1715, the Royal Porcelain Collection was founded. Initially, it was located on the other side of the Elbe, but as it replenished, August the Strong decided to equip special halls and entire galleries to store his copies.

Since 1962, porcelain accessories have migrated to the southeast pavilion of the Zwinger. However, in 2006 this pavilion was reconstructed. The architect of the United States Mariino actively engaged in the transformation of its interior. He is a great admirer of porcelain and everything connected with it.

Porcelain tableware exhibited in the museum in such a way that it clearly reflects the style of the country that produced it.

Physics and Mathematics Salon

This museum is also part of the Zwinger complex, and it was founded in 16century. Here on display are the rarest optical, astronomical and geodetic instruments that were very popular in the 16th-18th centuries.

Those who visited the Physics and Mathematics Salon could see with their own eyes various tools for drawing, measuring temperature, pressure, length and mass.

There is also a specialized exhibition of the German experimental mathematician von Tschirnhaus in this complex. It contains incendiary glasses, as well as other unusual devices.

The museum is also famous for its collection of both terrestrial and celestial globes. The oldest of them was invented in the 13th century. It happened on the territory of modern Iran. And the most original exhibit should be considered the ancient counting machine, which was made by Pascal back in 1650.

Of course, the sights of Dresden get extremely laudatory reviews. Tourists note that excursions around the city and its environs lead them to an unprecedented delight. In addition, travelers say that there are quite a few high-class groups that provide their services in the field of excursions. Therefore, they will present all the most important information for tourists in a very accessible and interesting way. Many people recommend visiting this beautiful city at least once in their lives!