I've been wanting to go to Dresden since I was about fifteen. Ever since I read a National Geographic spread in 1995 on the famous fallen German city of the second world war and saw the photographs of the rubble strewn obliteration glossed out on 8.5 by 11 inch pages side by side, I'd wanted to see the war zone in the flesh. However, war zone no more since the heavy remodeling that lasted decades and just finished up in 2005 with the complete rebuilding of the Frauenkirche, we witnessed a city after heavy reconstructive surgery and ready for its close-up. The blackened sandstone remnants that checker the city remind us of the hardships and onslaught it endured while the shiny white sandstone pieces patching up what was lost give us a glimpse into the pre-war past, harkening back to Dresden's showstopping heydays. Outliving its post war notoriety with a fresh new face, Dresden can once again reclaim its glamorous name of the 'Jewel Box' of Saxony. Admirers, commence flocking.
 |
| The famous Frauenkirche was reconstructed after the war using computer technology that was able to place all the salvaged sandstone bricks in their original locations on the edifice. You can tell which ones are old because they're darker. |
 |
| The decidedly more Catholic than Lutheran looking inside. |
 |
| The Fürstenzug, a mural of the rulers of Saxony that was immortalized on Meissen porcelain tiles in the early 1900's. |
 |
| The Sächsische Ständehaus at the Schloßplatz in Dresden. |
 |
| Back view of the tower of the Dresden Castle. |
 |
| Dresden Hofkirche and the backside of the Dresden Castle in the middle. |
 |
| Pretty horsies in the Schloßplatz, or palace square, in Dresden. |
 |
| Truffles enjoying the Semperoper, Dresden's famous opera house. |
 |
| Riding towards the Hofkirche. |
 |
| Rococo facade sculptures of the Zwinger. |
 |
| The Zwinger palace grounds on a fairly less-touristy day. |
 |
| Top of one outer wing of the Zwinger. |
 |
| Lunch and escape from the drizzly weather! Perfectly toasted baguette with garlic scampis and a generous salad was perfection at the Kurfürstenhof restaurant near the Frauenkirche. |
 |
| The others order more traditional German fare. Everything was really delicious. |
 |
| Phenomenal eggnog liqueur chocolate ice cream sundae aboard the Elbe river cruise. |
 |
| View from the cruise and a peek at the Blue Wonder bridge. |
 |
| There was a law passed that no two villas were allowed to look alike which makes for a great tour of architectural style along the Elbe. |
 |
| One of the many villas lining the shores of the Elbe. Some of them even have their own vineyards. |
 |
| The sun finally rolls out of bed to make a grand appearance in the afternoon. |
 |
| Great for a midday stroll! |
 |
| Sunbathing. |
 |
| Dresden's skyline from across the Elbe starting with the lovely city hall dome of blue to the left. |
 |
| Happy wanderers off the beaten path. |
 |
| The famous golden statue of Augustus the Strong, former elector of Saxony. |
 |
| The royal tree lined promenade in front of the golden statue. |
 |
| The great little manicured neighborhood known as the Neustädter Markt. |
 |
| We happen upon some open doors to a courtyard that was pretty cool looking and walked inside. |
 |
| Floating puppy! |
 |
| Still in that courtyard, we couldn't help noticing the crazy window schemes and architecture. |
 |
| Pit stop at CAMONDAS chocolate shop with hand-made chocolate ice cream bars dusted with cocoa powder. Raphaela had a scoop of decadent rosemary chocolate ice cream that was even better. |
 |
| From left to right: A coriander and sour cherry truffle chocolate bar, an Italian chocolate bar with bergamot, and a lassi white chocolate with cardamom and sour lemony crystals throughout. |
 |
| One last look at the Frauenkirche in the afternoon light before we head back to Berggießhübel. |
 |
| We explore the area around our hotel in Berggießhübel before dinner and find a little church at the top of the hill just standing open at dusk with nobody around. |
 |
| Idyllic and quiet Berggießhübel with the Gottleuba river running through. We encountered a surprising number of hair salons for so tiny a city! |
 |
| Got coffee? Back at our hotel, the Sächsiches Haus, we try out the restaurant. |
 |
| Turned out the food was great! Pan fried trout is a must in this area since it's so fresh and the Sächsiches Haus's restaurant kitchen cook it up perfectly. |
 |
| And of course, as soon as it's asparagus season the Germans go nuts for them all over again. I borrow a little hollandaise sauce for my potatoes. :) |
 |
| A secret passageway near the entrance of the Fortress Königstein that let defending soldiers make a stealthy attack from behind. |
 |
| Medusa keeps watch over the main entryway. |
 |
| Two cool cats in front of the building that houses the second deepest ground well in Europe. |
 |
| Just another beautiful day on top of an ancient fortress. Lilienstein rises in the distance. |
 |
| You can book your wedding on top of the world and dine with guests in this cute little cupola called the Friedrichsburg. |
 |
| This view is not a bad appetizer for your guests. |
 |
| Steps up to the Friedrichsburg. |
 |
| The Königsnase or 'nose' of the Königstein Fortress facing the Elbe. |
 |
| Varying architecture inside. |
 |
| My first Kasslerpfanne, or ham stew, at the top of the Königstein fortress. |
 |
| On our way out of the massive fortress. |
 |
| Weekend warriors taking a small break. |
 |
| But wait! The day's not over yet, Mario! |
 |
| The weekend warriors hike to the top of the Pfaffenstein sandstone mountain as our last activity of the day. |
 |
| Too pooped to pop at this point, Truffles hits the 'Easy Button' and gets a free ride to the top. |
 |
| Just the beginning, the Pfaffenstein is an epic ascent filled with cavernous nooks and crannies such as this... |
 |
| ...and this! |
 |
| View from the top of the Pfaffenstein at dusk. |
 |
| Truffles wishes you were here. |
 |
| Saxon Switzerland on our last day. |
 |
| Sun dappled view of the Elbe carving its way among the green. |
 |
| Precarious looking bridges connecting the dots that are the outcroppings of stone on the Bastei. |
 |
| Bastei bridge in Saxon Switzerland looks like a scene out of Indiana Jones. |
 |
| A lasting impression, brought to you by Water Erosion™. |
