Day 5 of my 2-week road trip
Tropical Islands – Sachsenhausen – Berlin – Dresden – Prague – Vienna – Devin Castle – Sandberg – Bratislava – Lake Balaton – Bokodi – Budapest
After spending a lovely two nights in Berlin, my partner and I packed headed back onto the roads for our next part of our two-week road trip. Our next stop was Prague. However, to break up the four-hour-long car journey we decided to stop off in Dresden for a few hours.
Dresden in a lovely city, located East of Germany, near the Czech Republic border. Dresden is the traditional capital of Saxony and the third-largest city in Eastern Germany. Before World War II, the city was considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Unfortunately, during the war the city was heavily bombed, destroying most of the buildings. Since then, the city has spent money on restoring the old buildings, making it once again, a lovely city to visit.
Even though our visit was short, the beautifully architected buildings took my breath away. A city I highly recommend you visit one day.
Parking
We parked in the Centrum Garlerie Shopping Centre, a 15-minute walk from the centre of Dresden. We paid €1.50 per hour. There is plenty of choice of parking around the city if you are after something a little closer to the centre. This car park is fantastic if you are after doing a bit of shopping.
Food
We had lunch at a lovely cafe called, Cafe Latte Art. The cafe is located down Seestrasse. We found it on our route, walking from the car park to the main square. I enjoyed a lovely Panini and an American while sat outside under the shaded walkway, watching people walk by.
Sights to See
Unfortunately, my partner and I only spent a few hours in Dresden, therefore, we did not have time to walk around everything the city has to offer and nor did we have time to go inside any of the museums, castles, and churches. However, we were still fortunate to see some of the beautifully, architecture buildings. Out of the ones we saw, here are what we recommend you should see on your visit:
Augustus Bridge
The beautiful, sandstone, arched bridge was built in the 20th century over the River Elbe. Unfortunately, when my partner and I visited, a lot of building work was going. This meant getting a good picture of the lovely bridge became very difficult.
Schloßplatz
The Schloßplatz is the city square of Dresden. Schloßplatz translates to Castle Square. Unfortunately, during World War II, in the bombing of Dresden, the square got heavily destroyed, destroying everything around it. After the war, the buildings were rebuilt, restoring it back to how they looked from the 15th century.
Fürstenzug
The Fürstenzug is the Georgentor and the Procession of Princes. It is located in Schloßplatz, opposite side to the beautiful Dresden Cathedral. The beautiful artwork was painted between 1871 and 1876. It represents the rulers of the Saxony family, the 800th anniversary. The painting is known as the largest porcelain artwork in the world. It is 102-metres in length.
Dresden Cathedral
Dresden Cathedral is located in the Schloßplatz. It is the most important Catholic Church of the city and it is one of the burial sites of the House of Wettin.
Semperoper
The Semperoper is an opera house for the Saxon State Opera and the Semperoper Ballet. Originally built in 1841, it was sadly destroyed by a fire in 1869, rebuilt in 1878, then destroyed again in World War II. It was rebuilt for the 3rd time in 1985. It now considered being one of the most important opera houses in Germany.
Frauenkirche
The Dresden Frauenkirche, the Church of our Lady, is located in a very beautiful square full of beautiful buildings and cafes to relax in and enjoy the surroundings. Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church, the capital of the German state of Saxony. Unfortunately, the original church was badly destroyed during World War II. 50 years later, they began to restore the church, using a lot of preserved materials. It wasn’t until 2005 before the church was completed and the doors re-opened to visitors once again. The doors to the church are open to everyone. There is even a viewing platform at the top, in the dome. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go up. However, I have read that the views are meant to be fantastic from the dome. For more information about visiting the church, please see their website: Dresden Frauenkirche.
Here are some photos of the beautiful square that the Frauenkirche is located in:
