Dresden is a very beautiful city with excellent infrastructure and many ancient cathedrals and other architectural structures that underwent a massive restoration after the Second World War. Thanks to this, Dresden returned its historical greatness, because he was so famous for it in the pre-war years. In the article we will consider 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 information, in the X century, this region was densely populated by Slavs. After a certain period of time, these people were Germanized, therefore they feel very comfortable in this territory.
The most famous sights
The capital of Saxony is replete with many unusual sights that are worth a visit. We present to your attention a list of the best sights of Dresden:
- Picture gallery.
- Palace residence.
- Church of St. Mary.
- Zwinger.
- The royal treasury.
- Semper Opera.
- Military History Museum.
- Museum of transport.
- Royal Porcelain Collection.
- 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 grandeur and beauty of the German cultural heritage, you need to see all this with your own eyes! Only here it is impossible to see the sights of Dresden in one day. This will require at least 3-4 days.
Dresden Art Gallery
It is difficult 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 dense on display was still very small, and therefore housed in the palace and Zwinger. However, over time, the collection was replenished with the works of famous artists, so the question regarding the subsequent placement of paintings was raised quite reasonably. Therefore, the Dresden Art Gallery was built, according to the project of the architect Zamper. It presents 1800 paintings that have long been recognized as true masterpieces that have been presented to society by such well-known artists in the past as Rafael, Rubens, Rembrante, Canaletto.
One of the main attractions of Dresden has 2 wings, as well as a central arch. The entrance through the arch is located from Theater Square.
Residence palace
The sights of Dresden in the vicinity attract many tourists. The residence palace is an old building, on the site of which the St. George Gate was erected as early as 1400, as well as a wall with a city portal. And in 1548, the first palace was built here, which over time was completed by various architects. The oldest tower located on the territory of this historic complex is Hausmannsturm, which is 100 meters high. It has an observation deck, decorated with a golden clock and balls.
There are also several museums inside the residence palace. The most famous of them is the Treasury of the Saxon kings. It has 4000 unusual jewelry of those eras. Among them are jewelry made from diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. All of them are stored in anti-glare windows.
Church of St. Mary
The history of this attraction of Dresden (in German its name is Frauenkirche) began in the XI century, when a monastery appeared here. However, the old church was erected a little later - in 1142. It was built in the Romanesque style.
The new Protestant church of St. Mary was already built in 1743. Moreover, the process of its arrangement took as long as 17 years and was very painstaking.
Thanks to its rounded dome, which is completely made of natural stone, the church of St. Mary looks very graceful and unusual! The height of this structure is 91 meters.
The inner walls of the church are painted in marble in yellow-green tones. The height of the inner dome of the temple is 26 meters and forms a kind of arch. And he, in turn, is decorated with gold. There are also 8 paintings on which the faces of St. Matthew, John, Luke, as well as the virtues of Faith, Hope, Love and Charity flaunt.
The temple is also decorated with an altar, in the center of which is a sculpture of Christ on Mount of Olives. A little higher is visible her golden organ.
Zwinger
This complex is formed by 4 buildings interconnected. Each of them has a museum. By design, 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 Arches are Dresden's most significant royal treasury. Here are a variety of jewelry from the collection of Augustus the Strong, which are considered to be 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 attraction of Dresden (in Russian - Semper Opera House, in German - Semperoper) is considered the most famous German opera house. It was built in the 19th century and is the highlight of Theater Square.
The 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 a royal court theater, but it was completely destroyed during a fire in 1869.
Due to the drawings of Semper, a new theater was erected on the site of the burned-out building, which was named in his honor. However, during the bombing of the city in 1945, the Semper Opera was repeatedly destroyed. Only 40 years later, this cultural memorial was again restored. Also, she had to go through difficult times in 2002 during the floods. During this period, the water level on the Elbe rose above permissible by 9 meters, which could not but affect the work of the theater.
On the very facade of the building are the figures of the gods of Ancient Greece, as well as sculptures by Schiller, Goethe, Moliere and Sophocles. And on the dome of the theater flaunts a bronze quadriga with Ariadne and Dionysus.
All productions at the Semper Opera are exclusively in German. Here you can hear the musical works of such popular composers as Wagner, Strauss and Weber. But this does not prevent the theater from gaining world fame and be 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 from different 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, consider paintings and photographs of ships, planes, tanks, howitzers and other equipment. Also for visitors are exhibited photographs from the fronts. The exposition conveys the essence of what was once happening at the forefront.
All halls in this museum have a thematic focus. For example, in the hall devoted to World War II, 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 may feature technologies used in battles, uniforms of soldiers, then fashion and even music, popular at a certain time.
The military museum itself is located in a building dating back to 1887. Its radical reconstruction was carried out in 2011 according to the project of architect Libeskind. A giant wedge made of metal is installed in the central part of the structure. Thanks to him, there is a dissection of the building into 2 main components.
Museum of Transport
This landmark in the city of Dresden is located in the dilapidated Johanneum building, which dates back to the Renaissance. It was erected in 1589, but was originally intended for equipping horse barn.
In 1747, an art gallery was located on the second floor of Johanneum. And in 1866, the most ancient Dresden fountain was built next to the building.
The last restructuring of the museum took place in 1876, and was directed by the King of Saxony Johann.
At the entrance to the complex of tourists there is a racing car that was popular in the GDR, as well as a greeting in many languages. A nice addition is the fact that photography is allowed here.
Royal Porcelain Collection in Dresden
All royal porcelain can be seen in one of the pavilions located in the Zwinger palace complex. This collection is considered the richest in the world, it presents various products brought here from Japan, China, as well as from Meissen factories.
In 1715, the royal collection of porcelain was founded. Initially, it was located on the other side of the Elbe, but as it was replenished, Augustus the Strong decided to equip special halls and entire galleries to store his copies.
Since 1962, porcelain supplies migrated to the southeast pavilion of Zwinger. However, in 2006, this pavilion underwent reconstruction. The transformation of its interior was actively engaged by US architect Marino. He is a great admirer of porcelain and all that is connected with it.
Porcelain ware is displayed 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 the 16th century. Here you can see the rarest optical, astronomical and geodetic instruments, which enjoyed considerable popularity in the 16-18 centuries.
Those who visited the Physics and Mathematics Salon were able to personally see various tools for drawing, measuring temperature, pressure, length and mass.
There is also a specialized exhibition of the German mathematician-experimenter von Chirnhaus in this complex. It presents incendiary glasses, as well as other unusual devices.
The museum is also famous for its collection of both earthly and heavenly 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 an ancient calculating machine, which Pascal made back in 1650.
Of course, the sights of Dresden reviews get exclusively laudatory. Tourists note that excursions around the city and its environs lead them into unprecedented delight. In addition, travelers say that there are many satisfied high-class groups that provide their services in the field of excursions. Therefore, they will present all the most important information for tourists very accessible and in an interesting way. Many people recommend visiting this beautiful city at least once in their life!