Dresden – Saxony’s Glimmering Capital on the Elbe

As I child I remember seeing a photograph of Dresden in ruins. Taken from above, one could take in the breathtaking devastation imposed on the city, debris filled streets lined with crumbling walls were all that remained of once lively homes, as if they were unburied carcasses in a pilfered cemetery. On a nearby building, a lone stone statue surveilled, the ruins of what had one been one of the great baroque cities in Europe, a place filled with palaces and grand churches reduced to rubble. Today, the city has partially recovered from the shock but it seems that not all tourists have taken note. While staying in Prague I was told by many foreign tourists that Dresden was not worth the time to explore and that it was “boring”. Never mind that these small minded dolts had never visited, they freely felt the need to repeat this lie. Dresden is nothing of the such, and I hope this post will assure you as to why it is worth your time!

Table of Contents

• Geography
• A Brief History
  • Sorbian Settlement and Early German Rule from Meissen
  • Saxony, Frederick Augustus I and a Golden Age
  • Religious Turmoil and the Ravages of War
  • Industrialization, German Empire and the World Wars
  • Soviet East Germany and the Modern Era
  • Fun Fact
• Transportation
• What to do in Dresden
  • Altstadt (Old Town)
    • Semperoper Hall and Theaterplatz
    • Zwinger Palace
    • Cholerabrunnen
    • Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, Dresden Castle and the Georgentor
    • Brühlsche Terrasse and the Baroque Waterfront (“The Balcony of Europe”)
    • Platz Neumarkt, Martin Luther Statue and the Frauenkirche
    • Altmarkt, Rathaus and the Holy Cross Church
    • Prager Street
  • Neustadt (New Town)
    • Neustädter Markthalle, Golden Rider Hauptstraße
    • Albertplatz
    • Äußere Neustadt
  • Elbe River Valley and the Augustus Bridge
  • Western Altstadt (Dresden Panometer, Großer Garten and the German Hygiene Museum)
• Nightlife
• Day Trips
  • Prague
  • Bohemian Switzerland
  • Saxon Switzerland and the Bastei Bridge
  • Königstein
  • Meissen
  • Leipzig
  • Chemnitz
  • Wrocław
• Conclusion

Geography

Dresden is built on the curved banks of the Elbe river, downstream from the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland. This mighty river, one of the longest rivers in Europe, starts in the Krkonoše Mountains (Giant Mountains) of the Czech Republic and spills its guts out into the North Sea near Hamburg.

The city is considered to be one of the greenest in Europe, with 62% of the city covered in either parks of forests.

A Brief History

Despite being better known today from its Second World War firebombing, Dresden has a long and complex history that is overshadowed and worth examining. This is what drew me to Dresden originally and upon visiting the region I was not disappointed.

The fair city on the Elbe has many secrets, like Gdansk, another war ravaged city in Poland, it has a story to tell in every building!

Sorbian Settlement and Early German Rule from Meissen

What we call eastern Saxony today was populated by the Lusatian Sorbs in the 12th century. These were a West Slavic tribe more akin to Czechs then Germans, now unfortunately relegated to the history books and their city was called Drežďany, a reference to forests.

In the following centuries the city was exchanged between the nearby German margraviate of Meissen and Brandenburg.

Saxony, Frederick Augustus I and a Golden Age

In 1485 it became the seat of the Dukes of Saxony and eventually the home of electors for the Holy Roman Empire. The city would truly see its rise with the elevation of the ruler of Saxony, King Augustus II the Strong, to the throne of Poland in 1697. Under his rule, and that pf his two successors, Dresden became a city of Baroque palaces and his court was filled with some of the best artists and musicians in Europe.

Religious Turmoil and the Ravages of War

The protestant reformation brought about new and unforeseen changes to the city and its religious makeup. In 1726 a protestant clergyman was killed and a riot started. This event shows the long reverberations of Thirty-Years War that devastated both the neighbouring Czech lands and Germany.

The Treaty of Dresden that ended Second Silesian War was signed in the city in 1745. The city would not escape the destruction of the Seven Years’ War, where it fell to the Prussians, retaken and then besieged again. Napoleon made the city a base of his operation, fighting a battle nearby and establishing a puppet Kingdom of Saxony. After the war in was incorporated into the German Confederation.

The city became a hub for Polish refugees including one Frédéric Chopin after their country suffered from invasions, partitions and uprisings in the 19th century. The city also saw itself engulfed in flames as it joined the liberal Revolutions of 1848, during the May Uprising of 1849.

Industrialization, German Empire and the World Wars

Dresden was one of the largest cities in the German Empire during the late 19th century and the city soon became an important center for the military of the German state. Motor car production soon followed as well as food production, medical equipment, the camera industry but most importantly cigarettes – a product the city was renowned for.

The First World War did not see any material change to the city but that was certainly not true of the Second World War. Of 6000 Jews that once live here only 41 survived the Holocaust. The city’s status as a communication and logistics hub as well as a manufacturing center made it a target of allied bombing campaigns. Its military district the Albertstadt was also a target. In 1945, the city was firebombed destroying much of its heritage. Dresden was now little more then piles of masonry and stone.

Soviet East Germany and the Modern Era

After the war the city was occupied by the Soviet Union and was incorporated in its puppet East Germany. The occupiers made no effort to rebuild the city and even went as far as to raze what was left of many churches and municipal buildings, rebuilding the city in their shitty socialist style. Art was looted by the soviets and it would take decades to return to Saxony. It would not be until 1977 that the debris from the bombing would be completely cleared and a railway was constructed to do so!

The KGB had an active presence in the city during this time and from 1985 to 1990, international Russian supervillain Vladimir Putin was stationed here.

The city became a hub for anti-communist resistance in 1989 during the Battle of Dresden, with acts of civil disobedience being staged and spreading through Germany. In the post Communist era the city suffered from a devastating flood but has also been substantially rebuilt. Unfortunately, the city lost its fight against losing its UNESCO designation over a highway bridge in a ludicrous decision, but hey UNESCO is a joke!

Fun Fact

 Friedrich Schiller completed the Anthem Ode to Joy in the city!

Transportation

There are two large train stations in Dresden, one in the Altstadt (Old Town) and a second one in the Neustadt (New Town). Beyond that there are many regional stations. For convenience sake, I prefer the one in the old town, that even features a grocery store and a glass roof that allows light in! It is from here that you will catch many international trains, buses and local routes heading up the Elbe Valley.

The new towns station may be a little more bare bones but both busses and trains heading from here will connect to local routes heading west and north.

What to do in Dresden

Although the old town is compact, Dreden is city that is more akin to an onion and the more time you spend here the more interesting it become. Hidden by time and war are untold stories and secrets that can be learned by paying attention. In many ways this city reminds me of Warsaw, a city that offered more to me the more I got to know it.

Altstadt (Old Town)

The beating heart of the city, the Alstadt had to be reconstructed from near scratch. Although still a work in progress it has come a long was since the 1990’s, when the Iron Curtain was lifted. Although a tad anti-septic it is still worth spending some time here during the day and heading over the bridge at night.

Semperoper Hall and Theaterplatz

On the north side of the old town, near the riverbank you will find the Theaterplatz a massive public space backing out on the Zwiger palace and Semperoper Hall.

At its front is an imposing neoclassical building now used as a ticket office.

In front of the theater you will find a statue of King John of Saxony on horseback. Behind it is the 1861 symphony hall, one of the most distinguished buildings along the riverfront.

You can find it to the right in this picture, the buildings that looks like a neoclassical temple.

Zwinger Palace

The most famous of attractions in Dresden, this famed palace is located just north of the Theaterplatz. The structure was designed by the German architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, a man largely responsible for the rebuilding of Dresden after the fire of 1685. The palace was built in 1709 for Augustus the Strong (Augustus II), to show off his wealth and power. It was meant to serve as a forecourt to an even bigger palace but that plan was abandoned. In the 19th century the structure became in part an important museum complex.

The oval shaped building was completely rebuilt after its wartime destruction and features a famous orange greenhouse (orangerie), a pond surrounding its north western extents and a series of fountains and gardens at its center. Do not miss the stunning Nymphenbad, a Greek styled structure that looks like an old school nymphaeum, Inside you can find a mathematics hall, an art gallery and a porcelain collection. Crossing the bond is a bridge that connects to the Kronentor, a crowned entryway to the complex.

Cholerabrunnen

Just outside of the Zwinger Palace you will find the Cholerabrunnen, a fountain dedicated to the fact that the city was spared from a 1841-1842 Chlolera epidemic.

Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, Dresden Castle and the Georgentor

On the north side of the downtown you will find an iconic trio of buildings including the Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, Georgentor and the Dresden Castle.

The cathedral was not so for much of its history as it was only ushering into that position in the 19th century. For most of its history this gorgeous 18th century baroque building was the leading catholic church in the city.

These buildings are an iconic part of the Dresden shoreline.

Beside this building you will find the Dresden Castle and the Georgentor, a medieval house.

This building is connected to the Fürstenzug, a wall with a porcelain mural of Saxon rulers, part of the Stallhof or stable of the Eastern courtyard of the Dresden Castle.

As for the Dresden castle it was home to the Saxon rulers and served as their palace for 400 years, dating back to the 15th century. It is home to the Green Vault, the largest collection of treasures on the continent. Destroyed during the war, along with three compartments of the green room the buildings reconstruction has been a long time coming. Luckily the priceless art and treasures were moved to at Königstein Fortress on the Elbe early in the war.

Today visitors can visit a glass ceilinged courtyard, a coin museum, the historic and new green vaults, an armory, a photography exhibit and the royal apartments. For those interested in crime stories, the famed Green Room saw a high stakes 2019 burglary. As of 2022, most of the items have been recovered but the story is fascinating.

Brühlsche Terrasse and the Baroque Waterfront (“The Balcony of Europe”)

To the south of the Cathedral, by the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Saxony you will find the “The Balcony of Europe”. This elevated terrace high above the Elbe, just north of the Neumarkt (where you will find a secondary acess). The area is known for its beautiful baroque buildings and palaces. 

The project was the idea of Count Heinrich von Brühl, a Minister Frederick Augustus II. Today the access stairs at the cathedral side (west side) are named after him.

At the top of the stairs you will find a statue dedicated to Ernst Rietschel Denkmal, a German sculptor. He was known to have constructed a massive statue of Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony which brought him fame.

This terrace offers some of the best views of the city.

My favorite building at this location is the Kunstakademie, an education institution for the arts and exhibition space. The late 20th century building is home to a lavish garden on its eastern approach.

Platz Neumarkt, Martin Luther Statue and the Frauenkirche

Once the heart of the old town, the Platz Neumarkt is starting the shape up again. Busy during the day, it still has some way to go at night but is improving. One of the oldest settled parts of the city it was not added into the walled area until 1530, so that the old town now contained two market squares. 

The square was a desolate wasteland after the war, with almost nothing standing, and its center jewel, the baroque Frauenkirche in ruins among a among a sea of distant soviets boulevards and modernist socialist realist monstrosities, with only the statue of Martin Luther left intact. The charred hull of a haunted past, remained a ghastly reminder of the firebombing until the structure was deconsecrated in 2005, followed with the square in 2008.

The Frauenkirche is the most important building in the city and has a wider significance to the protestant movement more generally. Originally built by Augustus II the Strong, and rebuilt later, it showed the will of the citizens to remain protestant even after their ruler had converted back to Catholicism to become King of Poland (it should be known that Augustus II supported the construction of the church as a gesture of good will that he would not force his religion on the citizens of the city). The building is considered to be a formidable example Protestant sacred architecture and features one of the biggest domes in Europe, its mass towering above the city. The reconstruction of the building and the square itself has seen modernist architects howl in displeasure… but fuck them! It is nice to see the city coming back to life.

Among the attraction in the square are the Transport Museum, housed in a renaissance building and the ever lovely Peace Fountain.

Near the church but to the north, closest to the river, you will the Kunstakademie, a baroque academy and exhibition with an iconic dome that is among my favorites in the city. It was mentioned earlier in this post.

Altmarkt, Rathaus and the Holy Cross Church

Just south of the most rebuilt section at the heart of the old town, you will find Altmarkt square, an area that us starting to feel more like a real city after years of rebuilding (but is still stale and dead at night). This square was one of two market squares inside the old walls of Dresden.

Among the older buildings you will find the old the Rathaus of Dresden, the latter day town hall.

You will also find a Lutheran church from the 18th century sporting a viewing platform up on its tower. This is the Kreuzkirche, or Holy Cross Church and is perhaps the most remarkable building in the district.

Prager Street

This modern pedestrian street south of the old town serves as a busy shopping area. Its architecturally and artistically irredeemable but at least its pedestrian friendly nature makes it palatable.

Neustadt (New Town)

Dresden’s hip new town is where all the action happens. As day turns into night a slow trickle of young people turns into a torrent of them, filling the streets as the young bohemians just drink outside on the street and socialize. This is the beating heart of post soviet Dresden, with its beautiful 19th and early 20th century architecture now filled with pubs, clubs and eateries.

Neustädter Markthalle, Golden Rider Hauptstraße

Nearest to the river in the new town you will find that the bombs had their greatest impact. Much of the city blocks have been replaced by modern buildings but the street layout remains the same. This part of the city is orientated around the tree lined pedestrian boulevard, the Hauptstraße. At its southern end stands a golden statue of King Augustus I, a symbol of the city.

Although little is left of the old city, you will still find some attempts at reconstruction, including this fountain.

The most significant historic buildings are the old Markthalle and the reconstructed Dreikönigskirche church.

Albertplatz

At the northern end of the Hauptstraße, you will find a busy roundabout with major tramway connections. At its center is a superb old fountain that looks its best under uplighting!

In its immediate surroundings you will find some beautiful old buildings, including this bank.

Äußere Neustadt

The area north of the Albertplatz is relatively untouched by the bombs and is the center of the city’s nightlife (Scroll down for more info!).

In this district you will find an assorted collection of residential and commercial heritage buildings from the early 20th century industrial boom.

My favorite is the Kirchspiel, a Lutheran building with a fountain where people gather to hang out on the weekends.

Elbe River Valley and the Augustus Bridge

Despite the dispute with UNESCO over a distant highway bridge, i would surmise that Dresden’s river valley looks as good as ever! Once called “Elbflorenz” (Florence on the Elbe), this massive green space is open to all and extend far beyond the busy downtown.

In the summer months the downtown portion of the river on the new town side is used for large outdoor events such as movie screenings. It is also host to a nice beer garden.

Linking both the old town and new towns is the sandstone arched Augustus Bridge (Augustusbrücke). A symbol of the city, its dark colored stone marches that of the Baroque palaces of the old town.

Speaking of witch the best views of the old town can be found on the new town’s flood plain.

Similarly to the old town the new town is lined by massive sandstone buildings.

Western Altstadt (Dresden Panometer, Großer Garten and the German Hygiene Museum)

Cut off from the old town by Roadway 170, this part of the city is home if too often ignored by tourists, including myself at first. Home to a massive park called Großer Garten (Grand Garden of Dresden), the baroque park was originally built outside of the city walls, hence why it feels like it is far from the city center despite its proximity. The complex is home to a beautiful stone palace fronted by a long fountain, the Dresden Zoo, the Dresden Botanical Garden, a miniature railway and the Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory, a museum to the famed vehicular manufacturer. Unfortunately, the buildings that surround it were rebuilt in a dreadful architectural style after the war.

Among the other attractions you will find are the German Hygiene Museum and the Dresden Panometer. The later is one of the most interesting things to do in the city and something I knew nothing about. Housed in an hold industrial buildings, a cylindrical gasometer, is a 360 display of the city as it once stood in 1756. Add this attraction to your list it is underrated!

Nightlife

Most of the most pleasant nightlife can be found in Neustadt, as the reconstructed old town feels quite sterile and commercial. As previously mentioned, you will usually find most young people out on the streets having drinks in this district and many hipster bars inhabit the graffiti clad 20th century buildings. This place gives me the bohemian vibes, the kind one would have had before Berlin turned into a tourist trap. Classics include the outdoor terrace at Katy’s or the Pub at Little Creatures. Alternatively, you could hit the hardcore nightclub scene in the south-west – specifically Gisela. I do warn you this place goes all night but extremely popular so show up early or you wont get in. The line up goes far outside the club otherwise.

Day Trips

Dresden is ideally located for day trips or weekend trips to the Czech Republic or Poland as well as many German cities.

Prague

The Czech capital is only a short train ride from the Saxon Capital. Known for its cultural scene and historic sites, Prague is surely the heart of Europe. For more information click here.

Bohemian Switzerland

Located on the Czech side of the border of the Elbe Valley, this park is known for its soaring sandstone rock formations including a large arch.

Saxon Switzerland and the Bastei Bridge

Located on the German side of the border of the Elbe Valley, this park is a match for its Czech counterpart and can be done along the Bastei Bridge and Königstein, Saxony. The former is a bridge built in to the stunning rock landscape that includes large pillars of stone more akin to castles in the sky then natural formations. For more information click here.

Königstein

Located on the German side of the border of the Elbe Valley not far from Bastei, this castle carved on a rocky plateau is one of the most impressive sights along the river. For more information click here!

Meissen

Once the overlord of Dresden, the pristine medieval town is now a shadow of the big city of Dresden, yet it has also allowed it to keep much of its charm. For more info click here.

Leipzig

The second city of Saxony, it is actually bigger then Dresden population wise. This is a place that I did not add to my original list of places to visit but had to add after hearing so many good things about it from other travelers. A former center of trade during the Holy Roman empire it became an industrial powerhouse during the years of the German Empire. Today its industrial legacy has been turned into hipster charm and the city is beloved by many. For more info click here.

Chemnitz

The third largest city in Saxony, this industrial center holds a lot of charm, despite its soviet past.

Wrocław

This polish university town was once one of the great cities of both Poland and later the German Empire. The industrial heartland of Silesia, this city is a great place to take in Polish culture. For more information click here.

Conclusion

I hope that you found Dresden to be just as compelling as I did. Despite the destruction endured by the city, it still holds a lot of charm. Despite some of the Altstadt (Old Town) feeling a little bland at night, the Neustadt (New Town) holds an incomparable bohemian charm that should be the envy of tourists everywhere. Dresden is a new favorite of mine!