DRESDEN

In the summer, our weekend program unexpectedly crashed, so on Friday evening, we pondered what to do with the upcoming Saturday. I had been longing for a breath of fresh air outside our country for some time, and since there was neither time nor energy to plan something extra, we decided to drive to Dresden, which is relatively close to Prague.

Until then, we had only been there for shopping, and finally, we had the opportunity to calmly stroll around the city and soak up its holiday atmosphere. We had a great time all day, the city walk was just right, interspersed with pleasant stops for lunch, coffee, and dinner, and with a reasonable travel time back home to Prague.

Parking

A good option is parking at Centrum Galerie Dresden at Prager Strasse 15, which will guide you directly to the garage after entering it into your navigation. This shopping center is ideal as a starting point for a city walk due to its location. The parking fee is 1.5 € per hour (7.5 € for the whole day). If you encounter any problem with this parking, as we did, for example, when a fire started inside the gallery and we were asked to evacuate (nothing dramatic, we didn't even see any smoke), there is one large parking area right next to the exit from the garage on the left, or another entrance to a large outdoor parking lot is on Waisenhausstrasse, which is perpendicular to the entrance to the garage from Prager Strasse.

City Tour

The following places are listed in the order that they flow well together.

Zwinger

This complex of Baroque buildings from the early 18th century, along with its garden, is one of the most famous landmarks in the city, located on the site of the original city fortifications. The area was supposed to be the courtyard of a large palace, but the plans were never realized. In 1945, the buildings were extensively damaged during the bombing of Dresden, and subsequently gradually reconstructed.

The original main entrance to Zwinger was a pavilion with an oval floor plan, which today is the biggest attraction for tourists with its forty bells made of Meissen porcelain. The pavilion and other buildings in the complex now serve as exhibition spaces, where you can find a collection of the aforementioned porcelain, including the works of Johann Friedrich Böttger, who invented European porcelain in 1708. Additionally, the area contains the Old Masters Gallery and a collection of historic physics and astronomical instruments.

Hofkirche

This Baroque cathedral, located near the Zwinger, is the largest church building in Saxony. The structure is adorned with 78 statues by Italian sculptor Lorenzo Mattielli. The statues depict saints, religious figures, and allegories such as Faith, Love, Justice, and Hope. This building was also heavily damaged during bombing, with the ceiling collapsing and one of the walls destroyed. Complete restoration was then completed in 1965.

The building is the tomb of Catholic electors and kings of the Wettin dynasty.

Semper Opera House

Between the Zwinger and the Elbe River stands the opera house of the Saxon State Opera, where the Dresden orchestra performs and is also home to the Semper Ballet. This building also did not escape the attack on the city and had to be repaired for the second time. The first time it was damaged was in 1869 by a fire.

Augustus Bridge

The walk seamlessly continues onto this bridge, which connects the Old and New Towns. During the Middle Ages, it was the largest bridge in Germany, measuring over 500 meters. Elector Augustus the Strong had it rebuilt in the 18th century to accommodate increasing traffic (shortening and widening it by 11 meters). It is still named after him today. In the 19th century, the bridge was blown up by the Napoleonic government, and its current appearance was only achieved in the early 20th century, when it was rebuilt with consideration for river traffic on the Elbe. The surface is covered with sandstone and measures 390 meters in length and 18 meters in width.

On the other end of the bridge stands the golden statue of Augustus II the Strong, known as the Golden Rider.

Kunsthofpassage

This inner courtyard with a parade of houses with playful facades is definitely worth a visit. The most interesting of them is probably the blue house with many gutters shaped like trumpets. I recommend heading down Alaunstrasse, where you will find plenty of opportunities to take a lunch or coffee break. On the way back to the Old Town, you can choose Rothenburger Strasse, where there are souvenir shops. There are also plenty of nice shops in the inner courtyard itself.

Frauenkirche

You can cross the Elbe back to the Old Town via the Carolabrücke bridge, from which you can see the Augustus Bridge from a different perspective. Then you can head to the Frauenkirche, the symbol of the Saxon capital. This Lutheran church is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in Germany, and its most notable feature is the giant dome, known as the stone bell, which is technically and in terms of construction time perhaps comparable only to Michelangelo's dome at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Although the church itself was not hit during the bombing, it was reduced to rubble in 1945 for many years. The sandstone used in its construction could not withstand the high temperatures of the city's fire.

Reconstruction did not begin until 1994. The rubble was sorted, and many materials from the original building were successfully incorporated into the current structure (original parts can be recognized by their darker color).

At the site of the church, you are also in Neumarkt Square, where you can end your trip by sitting down for dinner at sunset.

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