Europe 2018: Dresden

Europe 2018 Trip

Amsterdam --> Berlin --> Dresden -->  Prague --> Munich --> Nuremberg --> Brussels --> Liege --> Bruges --> Amsterdam

Tayler's thoughts are in blue, Rebecca's thoughts in black.

DRESDEN

• Dresden was one of our favorite cities during this trip. It felt like there was so much to see and enjoy, but it was also not overly crowded. We had a lot of fun wandering around the town. Coming into Dresden the first night was really great. We got off a train and were walking on quiet bridge over a river that runs over the Elbe River. The city is cut in half by the Elbe River, with most of historic Dresden on the south side. We noticed a big crowd enjoying a movie on a big outdoor projector screen in on the riverfront next to a big government building and wandered over there to see what was going on. After some loitering, we saw it was an Avengers movie, but we couldn't tell if it was an exclusive event or open to the public. But as we turned and walked back across the bridge to find our apartment, the historic district was lit up beautifully, with a number of close-packed cathedral spires against the dark sky. 
• We were a little confused because it seemed like Dresden was almost a popular spot for empty-nester type tourists. Our hotel room had a bunch of safety handles and stuff in the shower and bathroom, but most telling was that they had one of those yardstick-length shoe horns that older people like to use. 
• Our hotel room was right next to the Frauenkirche, a reconstructed protestant church and one of the most popular tourist spots. It was fun to have a hotel right in in the heart of the city. Directly below our windows there were a bunch of restaurants with outdoor seating, and we heard people enjoying their time outside. It felt fun to be going to bed in the heart of the city, unlike so many other places where we stay further away. I think mostly fun just to see something different, as we also enjoy staying in residential-area Airbnbs. Or maybe we just tell ourselves that to feel better about being cheap?!
• There were some really destructive fires in Dresden from firebombing during World War II. Pictures from after the bombings and fires show the city was demolished. But all of the historic buildings were reconstructed, many with lighter colored stone. Some of the original stone, I think, was also used, so there is a beautiful mix in the buildings like the Frauenkirche with light yellow-tan stone mixed with some dark, charred-looking stone. 
• Most of the sightseeing in Dresden was really close, so we didn't venture far from the city center. We enjoyed the Zwinger, a courtyard and museum with beautiful, quiet gardens. If we had known in advance, we might have checked prices and splurged to see an opera at the Semperoper--a really pretty opera house--also rebuilt. 
• When researching Dresden online before going, I kept seeing that it was called the “hidden gem” of Germany. Sadie, Jane’s sister, recommended it, and we are SO glad we went. It was remarkable. A lot of Dresden was destroyed in a fire, but a lot had been rebuilt or repaired. We got into Dresden late one night and walking into the center of town where there’s a river and beautiful buildings lining it, we heard some music and saw lights on one of the buildings across the river and wondered what was going on. We walked over and there was a huge move screen set up against the edge of the river and they were watching the new Avengers movie! We tried to see if we could go in, but there were ushers or something.
• Our hotel in Dresden was amazing. A lot of old people were in Dresden--it seems like the place retired people go to enjoy themselves. So our hotel was made for older people with handles in the shower, a long shoe-horn, etc. But it was a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen/living area with tvs and in the best location! Right off the river and in the old town of Dresden, so you walk outside and you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There were also a bunch of restaurant/bistros outside our apartment, and people stayed out to eat and wine/dine unto the late hours. Dresden was just lovely. Beautiful old churches and you could walk around and every corner you turn there’s something absolutely amazing.
• My favorite part of Dresden was the Zwinger, a grand building with Gardens and galleries.We were just walking around exploring and saw people walking up the stairs on a building, so we went up and found that we were on the top of this grand building, basically a rectangle shape with a few other bends and curves, encasing this grand european garden with fountains. It was the best surprise! We walked back down because it was SO hot and I needed some shade, and went into the garden area to enjoy the shade and the beautiful sight. Definitely a hidden gem.

• We had a little extra time to explore Dresden and knew there was a castle in the middle of what is now a park, about a mile away from where we were staying. Though tired of walking during the trip, we decided to go for it and walk the whole way out as a lot of the walking was within a park that we couldn’t ride to in order to see the castle. The castle was very beautiful and had a big pond behind it and gardens (the park) around. We did catch the bus back, because we decided we were dead tired after the long walk.