Last Updated on April 30, 2021
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. Dresden is also called “Florence at the Elbe“, from its excellent examples of Baroque architecture and world-class museums.
These were some of our favourite sights around Dresden:
Zwinger Palace
The Zwinger Palace is a great example Baroque architecture and is famous around the world for it. It was built between 1710 and 1728, and was used for court festivities and tournaments. It was originally an open area surrounded by wooden buildings; the sandstone palace was added starting in 1710. There are many amazing sculptures that are along the gallery walls. Today, complex contains first-class museums, including the Old Masters Gallery that displays the famous Madonna Sistina of Rafael.
The Procession of Princes (Fürstenzug)
The Procession of Princes (Fürstenzug) is the largest porcelain mural in the world and is extremely impressive when you can see all the detail in front of your very own eyes. It depicts a parade of Saxonian princes and dukes to commemorate the 1000-year long reign of the Wettin dynasty. The mural is 330 feet long and made out of 25,000 tiles from the porcelain manufacturer Meissen, and covers the exterior of the Royal Mews in Auguststrasse. The mural is just as impressive at night when it is illuminated.
The Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche)
The Church of Our Lady is one of the most stunning churches we encountered on our Western Europe backpacking trip. It was stunningly beautiful inside, as you can see by the below photos. Equally as interesting as its beauty is it’s history. In World War II air-raids wiped out the city center, and the church was destroyed into nothing more than a 42 feet high pile of rubble. Until 1994, the church remained in ruins. By 2005the church was reconstructed as you see it today. The original stones that were charred from the fire were combined with new, lighter stones, making the church a mosaic of the past and present. It was reconstructed using the original plans from 1726. The stone placement was determined by where each piece lay in the rubble. The old murals inside the church were re-created using old wedding photographs. Overall, the Church itself is a masterpiece that blends the past and present so well, creating an amazing work of art.
Semper Opera
The Semper Opera was built in 1841. It is located in the Theatre Square. The Opera was also destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945 and was also reconstructed, re-opening back in 1985.
We absolutely loved the Baroque architecture in Dresden. Everywhere we looked we were mesmerized by building after building.
Take a look at more photos from our wanderings around Dresden:
What are some of your favourite sights in Dresden?
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