Dresden is the most beautiful city in Germany. By a mile. And after my hometown of Cologne, it’s probably my favourite. Going for the first time and seeing the skyline along the river was a serious wow moment that I’ve remembered ever since. I wanted to help recreate that feeling for you here, so please enjoy these snapshots of my visit to Dresden back in September 2015.
The capital of Saxony, Dresden is known as the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ for its beautiful architecture and iconic skyline. But there’s much more to the city than just good looks…
Check out my top 10 reasons to visit Saxonyย here.
Prepare to fall in love with Germany’s best city.
Ok, so let’s start with the obvious: Dresden’s Altstadt (Old Town). Pretty nice, right?
In fact, pretty nice from any angle, really.
Any angle at all.
But hang on – what’s that church-y thing in the distance?
Oh this? This is just the Frauenkirche.
Not bad, right?ย Of course, this church was entirely destroyed during the bombing of Dresden inย World War II (along with 90+% of the city centre) and reconstruction was only completed in 2005.
In fact, in 1990, the Frauenkirche looked like this.
Come to think of it, most of Dresden’s old town has been entirely rebuilt since 1945. The city was actually the most badly-bombed city during the entire war. Below is the Residenzschloss, a former castle.
In 1990, the Residenzschloss looked like this.
The Zwinger, a former palace for the Saxon court, was also rebuilt. Today it looks like this. (The Zwinger also had a brief cameo in The Grand Budapest Hotel, when Jeff Goldblum was being chased/stalked)
But luckily, it’s not hard to imagine what the city looked like back in its heyday…
So is there more to Dresden than just history?ย Definitely.
Over in the Neustadt (‘New Town’, though it’s actually now older than the old town), you can find the city’s alternative side.
Check out, for instance, the Kunsthofpassage, aย small artistic area filled with murals and public art.
…or the incredibly bohemian Alaunstrasse, the heart of Dresden’s hipster district.
On this street you’ll find Katy’s Garage, one of Dresden’s coolest outdoor bars.
The Neustadt has its own annual festival: the Bunte Republik Neustadt(‘the colourful Republic of Neustadt’) to commemorate its tongue-in-cheek declaration of independence during the German reunification.
This is the country’s flag.
But of course, Dresden’sย miraculous recovery isn’t over yet. The city is still a work in progress and a little rough around the edges…
…but that’s part of what makes it so great.
Like Dresden? Don’t forget to check out Saxony’s other draw:ย Leipzig.
Well now I want to go, it’s so pretty! It reminds me of a lot of cities that I love, so of course I want to visit Dresden now. Thanks a lot! ๐
You can just adding it to your growing list of German cities to visit…
Looks amazing!
It really is a beautiful city – I would definitely recommend a trip there ๐
The biggest mistake I made when living in Germany: I didn’t travel around enough! Ok, half a year is fairly short time and I was on low money… Excuses, huh!? ๐ Love your pics. Hugs to all trivago peeps!
But Germany is such a big country with so much to see! Don’t feel too bad – all the more reason to come back and see us all!
Rough around the ages with some stunning gems to surprise – reminds me of Moscow!
But what’s up with the Marys who lost their little lambs???
Haha, they have a few of those “Marys” walking around charging for some photos in historic dress – just like Moscow! Dresden gets a lot of Russian visitors actually.
Looks gorgeous โ hadn’t been to Germany for 20 years until last Feb in Berlin but I have a lot of catching up to do it seems!
Definitely! That’s a lot to see outside of the main tourist destinations like Munich, Berlin or Hamburg. East Germany also has an extra layer of history, which I really like.
I often amazed by how the Germans reconstructed the whole country after the WWII. Amazing, really.
I had no idea that Dresden’s Frauenkirche was completely distroyed only a few years ago, unbelievable.
Love your photos! I still haven’t been to Dresden, but I gotta change that soon!
The reconstruction is impressive, isn’t it? Dresden is somewhere I would really recommend.
Lovely photos, John! Dresden looks like such a beautiful city ๐
Thanks Maria! Dresden really is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.