If the first thing you notice about Dresden is its beauty, the second is the lack of tourists. Part of it was the time of year we were there (what self-respecting European takes their August vacation in a city?) but, at the same time, this lovely city seems almost bizarrely unused to dealing with foreigners. We spent three days in the area, staying in the city but also visiting sights outside of Dresden, and not once did we come across a single English-speaking tourist. The only person we spoke in English with during the entire visit was the desk clerk at the hotel, who was delighted to get some practice. German and Czech tourists dominate but, even then, they are surprisingly few. It was a bit eerie and rather sad that such a wonderful area is so empty but it was also fabulously convenient – I hate crowds and there were definitely no line ups with which to contend.
Our first afternoon in Dresden the weather was perfect and as soon as we’d checked into our hotel (right on the Elbe with a view of the Old Town), we were off! We walked for hours around the Old Town, admiring the Semperoper, exploring the Zwinger courtyard and balconies, strolling along Brühl’s Terrace and marvelling at the intricacy of the Procession of Princes mural, which is made up of 25,000 porcelain tiles. We of course visited the Frauenkirche, which looks marvellous as part of the Dresden skyline once more. The exterior is gorgeous but the interior is horrifically tacky, a riot of Baroque pastels done in cheap materials. It was a quick tour of the major sights but, to be frank, it was all we were looking to do. Dresden was our base for this leg of the trip, not a major destination in its own right. It was the perfect place to come back to after long, busy days spent elsewhere when you longed for a good meal and a relaxed environment.
The most appealing thing about the city itself has to be the well-used park and paths that run along the Elbe. Every day and night there were groups of friends, courting couples, and laid back readers sprawled out on the grass. On the nearby paths, bikers, runners and pedestrians moved past at varying speeds and, wherever you were, you had stunning views across the river. And if you got thirsty or hunger, thank goodness there were beer gardens nearby, one on either side of the bridge that leads to the Old Town. It was all rather perfect.
Next up: we visit Cinderella‘s castle!
Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Welcome back – the pictures are gorgeous! Must be wonderful to actually be there in these magical places.
Your photos are so beautiful! That last one especially gets me, the mix of beautiful old architecture with modern folks.
Oh what a stunning city, Claire! I haven’t been to Germany since I was about 14 and I feel terrible about it…looks like Dresden would be a fascinating place to visit. Can’t wait for more photos!