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 a surprisingly calm, harmonious and elegant city located in the Elbe Valley. It contains 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 immerse themselves in the history of ancient Saxony and the culture of modern Germany.
Losing your head from the beautiful views in this city is easy. But what’s difficult is to get around the sights of Dresden in one day. The route of the walk should be made in such a way that it is as saturated as possible with interesting places. Otherwise, even a month is not enough to get to know the city. Today we will consider the main attractions of Dresden that are worth visiting in order to get a more or less complete picture of the city.
Zwinger
Zwinger - a palace and park complex, built in the XVIII century, when the Saxon elector Augustus Strong, being very impressed by the beauties of French Versailles, wanted to build such a residence in his kingdom. On the territory of this complex is located a picturesque landscape park, as well as several popular museums. During the bombing of 1945, he 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, it housed the city archive and several museum collections, 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 Albertinum you can find the work of masters who worked in the style of romanticism, realism and impressionism. In addition to paintings, the museum has a rich exhibition of sculptures.
Gallery of Old Masters
This museum is located in one of the buildings of Zwinger. It contains unique paintings by artists since the Renaissance. The formation of the collection began in the first half of the eighteenth century with the assistance of Augustus the Second and Augustus the Third. Due to the fact that the paintings were exported from Zwinger before the bombing, they were able to keep 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 from the end of the XIII century. Over time, the structure grew and became more and more solemn. Its decoration changed along with the architectural traditions of successive eras. In the middle of the XVI century, the palace became a residence and was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. By the XIX century, the facade received baroque elements and the look in which it is to this day.
Terrace Bruehl
It is a picturesque section of the embankment of Elba, with a length of about half a kilometer. Back in the 19th century, the European noble loved to walk here, who came to Dresden to admire the views of the city and the river. It was at that time that Bruhl's Terrace was nicknamed the "balcony of Europe." And three centuries earlier the promenade was a part of the complex of military fortifications of the city, but over time it lost its defensive significance.
Church of the Virgin
The cathedral called Frauenkirche was built in the XVIII century in the style of monumental baroque, designed by the talented architect G. Baer. In 1945, the building was almost destroyed, and until the unification of Germany, it remained in this condition. As a result of the painstaking work of the restorers, in 2005 the church reopened for visitors. The original appearance of the building was completely recreated, therefore, despite its novelty, it is considered one of the historical sights of Dresden.
Catholic court church
Hofkirche - the cathedral of the Dresden diocese of Catholics. The building was erected in the Baroque style in the middle of the XVIII century, designed by G. Chiaveri. Initially, Hofkirche was the court church of the family of Frederick Augustus II. Inside it is the family crypt of the Vettin dynasty - the rulers of Saxony. The full restoration of the church after hostilities ended in 1962.
Church of the Holy Cross
One of the largest and oldest churches in Saxony and the main Protestant church of the city is called Kreuzkirche. This place is considered holy since the XII century, when the Basilica of St. Nicholas was built here. Several times, the building was destroyed, burned and rebuilt, until the end of the XVIII century did not get its modern look. During the Second World War, the facade of the church managed to survive. The temple gained fame among ordinary tourists, far from religious prejudices, not only because of its architecture, but also thanks to the choir of boys who have been accompanying services with their virtuoso singing for more than a century.
Church of the Three Magi
The first mention of a temple called Drykenigskirche dates back to the 15th century, but the structure of those times could not survive to this day. In 1739, in its place, a new building was erected in the Baroque style. The main architect of the project was M. D. Peppelman. Inside the church you can get acquainted with the decorative composition (frieze) “Dresden Dance of Death”, which was created under Augustus the Strong in order to expose the destructiveness of the church Reformation.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of churches in the city, and this despite the fact that not all of them successfully survived the 1945 bombing. So, for example, the Church of St. Sophia in Dresden received so severe destruction that they decided not to restore it.
Semper Opera
The opera house in Dresden also has a rich history. In it 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. For the most accurate recreation of the historical appearance of the theater, the restorers had to find its original project, which was very difficult.
German Museum of Hygiene
It is an anatomical museum in which 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 mouth rinse, in the first half of the 20th century. The most revolutionary exhibit at that time was a transparent human figure, through the glass cover of which it was possible to examine 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 museum of the Bundeswehr, which has been located in the Residence Castle since 2013. It was first discovered back in 1877. In addition to exhibiting, the museum was also used as an arsenal, and was leased to entrepreneurs. In 1945, according to a peace treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union, most of the exhibits were exported to the latter. Since 1972, the Museum of the Army of the GDR operated in the building . After the unification of the country, the institution again began working as a military-historical museum of the German armed forces. Another name for the institution is the Dresden Armory.
"Procession of Princes"
This name bears a panel made of porcelain plates and adorning the wall of the stable yard of the city castle-residence. The panel depicts Saxon rulers - representatives of the Vettin dynasty. The composition is laid out of 25 thousand tiles. Due to the fact that during the bombing period of 1945 the attraction was completely preserved, modern tourists can enjoy its original appearance.
Palace Castle Pilnitz
It is a summer residence of Saxon rulers, located on the banks of the Elbe River. At the dawn of the XVIII century, Augustus the Strong ordered to build two palaces: Water and Nagorny. The development of the project was entrusted to Z. Longlyun and M. Peppelman. A little later, another palace appeared, which was called New. Today, the complex welcomes its guests with a beautiful landscape park, made in the English style, and invites you to visit two museums: the Castle Museum and the Museum of Applied Art.
Elbe Castles
On the right bank of the Elbe 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 castles began to be used for hotels, exhibition halls, restaurants and offices. Picturesque parks located in the surrounding areas are open to guests all year round.
Dresden cableway
One of the most interesting technical attractions of the city is the cableway. It is located in the picturesque Loshvits district, which attracts tourists with a large number of old houses and narrow stone streets. This attraction is also famous for the fact that it has the world's oldest suspended monorail. The Dresden cableway was built in 1900, and opened in May 1901. At that time, the funicular next to it had been working 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 magnificent castle of the same name, which was once one of the residences of the Vettin dynasty. In the middle of the XVI century a hunting estate was located on this place. During the reign of Augustus the Strong, the building and the surrounding landscape underwent large-scale redevelopment and reconstruction. The result was a beautiful baroque “palace on the water”, which became one of the sights of Dresden.
Elba River
Talking about what to see in Dresden for a tourist, one cannot ignore the very river on which this city stands. The channel of the Elbe stretches for 1165 kilometers through Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland. Prior to the construction of the Waldschleschen bridge, the Dresden river valley (which, among other things, includes the old city center), thanks to its special beauty, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the valley you can admire flood meadows and natural terraces, as well as take a walk in the reserve.
"Blue Miracle"
Such an intriguing name has the bridge, better known as Loshvitsky. The construction, which is 280 meters long, connects the Blasewitz and Loshwits districts. The building was built at the end of the 19th century according to the innovative and pioneering project of B. Krueger for those times. Before the bridge began to perform its functions, it was subjected to numerous strength tests. Today, the “Blue Miracle” is in good condition and is actively used.
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 the ancient Roman aqueducts and early Romanesque buildings. The bridge is surrounded by scenic views of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. The height of the bridge above the level of the Elbe is 195 meters.
Conclusion
Today we learned what you can see in Dresden and what objects should be included in your itinerary. In one day, you can get acquainted with the sights of Dresden only superficially, as evidenced by the number of interesting places discussed above. Therefore, it is recommended to come here at least for a week. Fortunately, today you can find a huge number of the most convenient tours to Dresden and other European cities.