CityGuide Dresden

Dresden – home of the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger, the Elbsandsteingebirge, the Semperoper, the State Theatre, the Grüne Gewölbe and of the Hygiene Museum. The provincial capital of Saxony has this and much more to offer culture vultures. The Saxon State Opera descends from the opera company of the former electors and Kings of Saxony in the Semperoper. After being completely destroyed during the bombing of Dresden during the Second World War, it was rebuilt by the German Democratic Republic. The royal buildings are among the most impressive in Dresden. The Castle of Dresden was once the home of the princely royal household since 1485. The wings of the building have been renewed, built upon and restored many times, the castle thus being made up of elements of the Renaisssance, Baroque and Classicist styles. Dresden is also a city made to simply wander around in. The beauty of the historic district is best admired on foot. Indeed, Heinrich von Kleist described Dresden in particularly glowing terms to his sister, praising the picturesque city nestled in the Elbe Valley.