Dresden – City of Magnificent Architecture

Dresden – City of Magnificent Architecture
Saxon State Ministry of Finance from Brühl's Terrace

Dresden was founded as a town about 900 years ago. Over the centuries, it’s been a center of artistic achievement in porcelain, painting, classical music, literature and particularly architecture. The historic city has been dubbed Florence on the Elbe and is known for its Baroque buildings.

Much of Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945. After WWII, Dresden was in East Germany and construction was dominated by huge, blocky, Soviet-style buildings. Many of the famous ones, such as the symbolic Frauenkirche, were left in ruins. After the fall of Communism in 1989, the city has steadily recreated the historic area, a process which continues to this day.

It’s a treat for everyone, from those who don’t know or care about the difference between Ionic and Corinthian columns, to students of architectural history, to walk through and admire the impressive buildings, bridges and gardens. This post provides an efficient way of seeing the architectural gems.

Notes on Architectural Styles

Dresden is known as the Baroque City, a style which is theatrical and grandiose with domelike ceilings, rows of pillars and splashy frescoes and statues. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church to keep adherents from joining Protestant churches and was especially popular in the 17th and 18th centuries

Dresden also has several other styles represented, including Romanesque (massive stonework, round arches, and large towers; principally from 6th to 11th centuries), Renaissance (inspired by classical antiquity and emphasizing symmetry, proportion and geometry; notably 14th to 17th century), Rococo (excessive and lighthearted decorations with a light color palette, prevalent in the 18th century especially in France), Neoclassical (revival of Greek and Roman architecture; heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries), and even Modernism (designs based on 20th century technologies of construction with glass, steel, and reinforced concrete). 

Interestingly, while there I didn’t see any Gothic building (cavernous spaces, exaggerated arches, elongated and pointed windows and sometimes flying buttresses; dominant from the 12th to 16th centuries) nor found a significant one while researching online, although there have been buildings with this style that no longer exist.

Why We Went to Dresden

In August and September 2021, my wife Khadija and I went on a  five-week drive through Eastern Europe and visited many of the great cities of the region. We weren’t planning on stopping in Dresden, but saw it’s on the way to Berlin from Prague. Folks we met at a wedding in Munich said we shouldn’t miss it, so we squeezed in almost two full days.

We were there on a Sunday and Monday morning and the museums were either closed or certain exhibitions needed reservations. So we were confined to walking the streets and inadvertently it turned into an architectural tour.

Is Dresden Safe?

Dresden is a very safe city, especially in the historic section we were in. Here, as everywhere you travel, employ basic safety precautions and use common sense to avoid problems.

Is Dresden Expensive?

Germany in general and Dresden in particular are not expensive when compared to popular destinations in Western Europe. We had dinners between US$20 and US$30/person in tourist restaurants. We booked our hotel last minute in the heart of the historic area and paid about $250/night, which is quite high for us. However, if we researched the options more carefully and booked earlier, we could’ve saved money.

Where to Eat in Dresden

We were there only two nights and ate on the pedestrian Weiße Gasse (gasse is alley and the letter ß, called eszett, is sometimes transliterated as “ss” in English). You recognize it by the Fountain of the Goose Thief.

Weisse Gasse - Goose Thief Fountain

It has both ethnic and traditional restaurants. We dined at Kinh-Do, a Vietnamese restaurant with fast service and low prices, and Förster’s specializing in regional dishes and wines. 

For one breakfast, we ate healthy dishes at Johanna’s Cafe where we watched entertainers and wandering tourists on Neumarkt (New Market Square).

Neumarkt Square

How to Get Around in Dresden

We confined ourselves to the historic area where everything is within easy walking distance. Here’s a map of some of the architectural sites we saw.

In Europe, we usually take free walking tours where you compensate the guide by tips. While we were there, none were available in English. So, we purchased Dresden in One Day – A City Tour from the very helpful Tourist Office and self-guided. Though the book thoroughly met our needs, it was sometimes a challenge to match English locations to the German names on the map. This post highlights most of the main attractions and places that caught my eye.

Altmarkt Square

We started and ended at Altmarkt, the main square in the historic city. It has many open-air markets including the Christmas Market, which has been in existence since 1434. Here’s a view from the nearby tower of Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross).

The square and much of the historic city were destroyed by 1,249 British and U.S. bombers in February,1945. Many victims were cremated by fire; thus the attack became known as the “fire bombings”. Historians estimated the death toll between 20,000 and 25,000. It was a horrific event and many wondered why it was done to such a cultural center. Dresden had few war-related facilities, while major industrial areas in the suburbs were not targeted. 

The American author, Kurt Vonnegut, was a prisoner in Dresden in a slaughterhouse during the bombings. Ironically, he was protected there. When he escaped in the chaos after the bombings, he was startled by an eerie lunar landscape with buildings flattened and human remains everywhere, intact, in pieces and in ashes. He wrote “Slaughterhouse 5” with the main character, Billy Pilgrim, enduring a similar experience. 

Inconspicuously in the cobblestone, there’s a memorial with this inscription: “After the air attack on Dresden on February 13–14 1945, the corpses of 6,865 people were burned on this spot.”

Since 2010, thousands have gathered every year on February 13th to form a human chain around the old town, to symbolically protect it.

Kreuzkirche – Church of the Holy Cross

On the corner of Altmarkt is Dresden’s main Protestant church, rebuilt in 1955 in a mostly Romanesque style.

Church of the Holy Cross

It has a simple interior and rooms used for exhibits, such as the Allied bombing. It’s known for its excellent acoustics and the performances of the famous Boys’ Choir. It has a tower, which for €5 you can climb the stairs to the top for a panoramic view of the historic area.

Julius Otto Memorial

Fittingly, next to Kreuzkirche, there’s a monument for beloved, 18th century chorus composer and music teacher, Julius Otto.

Dresden - Julius Otto Memorial

The four young boys, representing the Boys Choir, surround a column dedicated to Otto. Later, a more modern fifth boy was added.

Neues Rathaus – New City Hall

It took five years to build the New City Hall, from 1905-1910. The monumental, Renaissance building is clad with sandstone and features an octagonal tower. It was only partially destroyed during the Allied bombing. Outside the Ratskeller Restaurant, is a bronze statue of Bacchus riding a drunk donkey.

Dresden New City Hall – Bacchus on Drunk Donkey Statue

Bacchus’ left toe is polished from being rubbed frequently; allegedly it brings luck.

Polizedirektion – Police Department

This may be the most impressive police station I’ve ever seen.

Dresden - Police Department Building

The Baroque building was finished in 1900 after five years of construction.

New Synagogue

This synagogue was finished in 2001, replacing one that lasted 60 years. Unlike its nearby neighbors, it’s a Modernist style of two cubed buildings with sandstone-like masonry and few windows

Dresden - New Synagogue

When I returned home, I realized I inadvertently didn’t take a photo of it. Above is an image from our walking guide.

Albertinum Museum

This world-class museum was named after King Albert of Saxony (the German state Dresden is in) and originally an armory. In the 19th century, it was redesigned into a Renaissance style and converted to a museum.

Dresden - Albertium

If we had another day, we would have spent a few hours here marveling at their Italian Renaissance and Dutch Masters paintings and the Porcelain Collection (Dresden was the first European city to master the manufacturing process which originated in China over 1,400 years ago).

Brühl's Terrace

If you need a rest, Brühl’s Terrace is just the place.

Dresden - Brühl's Terrace

There’s a great view of the Elbe River and the other side of the city, as well as a landing area for small cruise boats and barges. A prominent feature is the Dolphin Water Fountain.

HfBK - Academy of Fine Arts

I loved this gold statue of Fama (Fame) on the glass dome (locally nicknamed “the lemon squeezer”) of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Dresden - Statue of Fama on Dome of Academy of Fine

The official name of the three-building school is Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden.

Cosel Palace

This is a magnificent Rococo building and an example of where the nobility lived.

Dresden - Cosel Palace

It was yet another casualty of the Allied bombings and rebuilt in 1977 and 2000.

Frauenkirche - Lutheran Church of our Lady

This is perhaps Dresden’s most famous landmark and considered the most important Protestant Baroque church in Germany.

During the Allied bombing, flying sparks caused the building to burn from the inside and two days later it collapsed. The East German government left it a ruin as a warning against war. In 1991, the Synod of the Lutheran Church of Saxony voted to rebuild it. In 2005, after €180 million in cost, it was completed and consecrated. The interior is an exact copy of the original. The new cross on the spire was financed entirely by British donations and fabricated by Alan Smith, whose father had flown one of the planes which bombed the city. In New Market Square, by the church, is a statue of Martin Luther.

Johanneum - Transport Museum

Johanneum is an excellent example of a symmetrical, Renaissance building.

Dresden - Johanneum

For over a hundred years, this has been the home of the Transport Museum which displays the history of public transportation in Saxony.

Furstenzug – Procession of the Princes

For me, this was the most jaw-dropping thing I saw in Dresden, as I can’t think of anything like it anywhere else. This is the ancestral gallery of the Saxony House of Wettin, one of the oldest in Europe, from Conrad the Great (1127) to King George (1904).

Dresden Procession of Princes

There are 94 figures. Besides kings, there are queens, nobles, scientists, artists, soldiers, children, farmers, horses and two greyhounds. It’s about 100 meters / 325 feet long and painted on porcelain tiles.

Kurfürstlicher Reissiger Stall – Stable Yard

The Stable Yard connects the Johanneum to the George Building of the Royal Palace and is the inner wall of the Procession of Princes.

It was completed in 1591 and used to host jousting matches, thus the two 6-meter / 20-foot jousting poles in the middle. The most prominent feature is the open hallway with mounted deer and ram heads in-between arches.

Providentiae Memor (Keep Providence in Mind) Passageway

The Georgenbau is the Dresden historic city exit to the bridge over the Elbe River. It’s located between the Royal Palace and the Stable Yards. It’s a Renaissance building completed in 1535.

On the face of the building, there’s the inscription “Providentiae Memor” meaning “Keep Providence in Mind.”  This was the national slogan of Saxony.

In the passageway, there’s “Per Invidiam Diaboli Mors Intravit In Orbs” meaning “through the devil’s envy, death entered into the world.” This passageway was destroyed by the Allied bombing and rebuilt in the 1960’s.

Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis - Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

Augustus II, known as Augustus the Strong, was the Elector of Saxony (one of seven who selected the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire) from 1694 to his death in 1733. Most of that time, he was also the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania when he converted to Catholicism. His successor had this Baroque church built as one of the largest in Germany. In the interior, there’s a marble altar, paintings, candelabras, crucifix and organ – common features but in unusual splendor.

Traces of destruction from the Allied air raids are visible in the stonework of the nave. In 1980, the church was elevated to a cathedral.

Semperoper – Semper Opera House

In 1985, one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world was opened after a long rebuilding effort. This third incarnation follows the designs of Gottfried Semper, who built the first opera house in 1841 and guided its reconstruction after a fire in 1869.

Dresden Opera House and Equestrian Statue of King Johann

In front is the statue of King Johann, who ruled from 1854 to 1873, and translated Dante’s “Divine Comedy” into German.

Zwinger

Zwinger is a sprawling Baroque palace with beautifully landscaped grounds and ongoing reconstruction.

Dresden - Zwinger Inner Yard

The name is an archaic term for an area between two defensive walls of a fortress. However, the palace was not built as a fortress but where one had existed.

Dresden Zwinger

The theatrics of Baroque are definitely expressed here, as with this corner, domed building with statues everywhere.

I particularly liked this fountain with satyrs.

Residenzschloss –Royal Palace

From 1547 to 1918, the Royal Palace was the seat of the Wettin rulers and the kings of Saxony. Now a museum, it’s an amalgamation of many architectural styles. Almost completely burnt out in the bombing of Dresden, it was only finally completed in 2015. The most conspicuous feature from afar is the Hausmann Tower, with a spire, a weather vane and a golden clock; open to climb the 327 steps between April and October. Our best overview of it was from a model in the palace’s courtyard.

Dresden - Royal Palace from the Zwinger

Those who enjoy museums could spend a day here with permanent exhibits of numismatic items(currencies), armory, oriental collection, drawings and photographs. The gem of the complex is the Green Vault of jewelry (pardon the pun) and objets d’art (you need to reserve ahead of time to enter). Alas, as we had limited time in Dresden, we didn’t go inside.

I liked this view from the Zwinger of the Royal Palace, presented in black and white.

Dresden - Palace of Culture Mural

Kulturpalast - Culture Palace

Across the street from Altmarkt, is the Culture Palace, built by the Communist government in 1966 to 1969. The highlights are the Soviet-stylized murals of workers on this rectangular, steel frame construction.

Other Attractions

Dresden is not only about architecture, there’s a lively bar scene and a concentration of clubs and cafes in the Neustadt, easily accessible by public transportation. A twenty minute drive from Dresden’s Neustadt train station is the floating castle of Moritzburg. About an hour drive from Dresden is the Sächsische Schweiz, a national park with around 1,000 climbing peaks, medieval stone bridges, a variety of caves, numerous hikes and fantastic views from sandstone formations.

Final Thoughts

Dresden has so many architectural treasures, it would take days to see all the masterpieces. However, when wandering, there are charming features everywhere to appreciate, such as this relief of a husband and wife looking suspiciously at each other.

Dresden - Husband and Wife Relief

No matter how much time you have in Dresden, join a walking tour or pick up a map and discover this amazing place.

Dresden Horse Carriage

It will be an unforgettable experience!

Ed Hotchkiss
Ed Hotchkiss

My goal is to travel to all the United Nations list of 193 countries of the world. For the rest of my life, I want to see and experience as much of the world as possible, while documenting it in photographs and observations.

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