PalenQ - LOVE modern socialist architecture, so thank you.

Swandav (and others) - We're not 30-somethings, but not quite up for retirement yet either. I'm a former dancer and my husband is an audio engineer who has worked in top jazz clubs here in NYC. So we're pretty used to music clubs, a "younger" vibe, etc. So I definitely want to get to the Neustadt.

As for sitting in a plazas, in Feb I'm pretty sure we won't be able to just sit there for any length of time without freezing our little tushes off! Too bad.

Finally we know some things you like!

There's plenty of modern socialist architecture in Dresden. Prager Straße is an excellent example of 1960s/70s planning/building (with some additions from the 1990s in the northern part), Altmarkt buildings were erected in the 1950s, except for the Kulturpalast, which is also late 1960s (undergoing reconstruction at the moment.) Gorbitz and Prohlis are two of those infamous apartment districts from the 1970s/80s - mostly nicely restored in the recent years.

As a former dancer you might be interested in the Palucca school for Dance - they have a performance in a theatre (Neustadt district) on Sunday, 9 Feb - see this link:
http://www.palucca.eu/en/current_events/calendar.html
Too bad you'll miss the ballet in the Semperoper by a few days.

Projekttheater right in the Neustadt has a ballet performance (company from Berlin) on 7 and 8 Feb
http://www.projekttheater.de/index.p...menu/ubersicht

As for music clubs - many of those are a bit outside the Neustadt district. Some examples:
- Tante Ju - Eric Gales (USA) 7 Feb 8 (9) pm
http://www.liveclub-dresden.de/eric-gales.html
A bit north of the Neustadt, trams 7 or 8 or train S2 (airport) to "Industriegelände"
http://www.liveclub-dresden.de/clubi...-tante-ju.html

- Blue Note - Live Music Club and Bar, right in the Neustadt nightlife district, http://www.jazzdepartment.com/

- Ostpol - live music, bar, with a touch of the socialist past, also in the Neustadt district
http://www.ost-pol.de/

- Bärenzwinger - student club, but for all ages, often live music, in the old town, next to Synagogue. baerenzwinger.de

- Jazz Club Alte Tonne, in the Neustadt, Königstraße 15. http://www.jazzclubtonne.de/

- Scheune, in the Neustadt's centre, the 'birthplace' of the nightlife district, so to speak - with very good Indian restaurant. www.scheune.org

- m5, a dance bar in the Hilton/entrance Münzgasse. http://www.m5-nightlife.de/

Check the info in the journal "Dresdner" as well, free in the tourist info, hotels etc.

I second Weisser Tee's recommendation of Coselpalais - fanastic fancy cakes etc.

Another idea: Radebeul, neighbour town of Dresden. State Winery Schloss Wackerbarth offers guided tours, wine or champagne (Sekt). www.schloss-wackerbarth.de
Schloss Hoflössnitz is also worth seeing (from the 16th century) and they are an organic winery - you can try (and buy) their wines there, too. www.hofloessnitz.de
A narrow-gauge steam train runs from Radebeul-Ost to Moritzburg - fun. Schloss Moritzburg, a Baroque hunting lodge, is beautifully located on an island in a small lake. In winter they have a special exhibit on the German-Czech movie "3 Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel", a Cinderella legend. Very interesting, but you cannot see most of the Baroque rooms in winter. www.schloss-moritzburg.de

An excellent place for tasting and buying the regional wines is behind the Frauenkirche, btw. http://www.saechsische-vinothek.de/

Another excellent wine shop is in Meißen, right on the Markt square. http://www.weinhaus-schuh.de/index.p...nothek-meissen

Ingo - You are a wealth of information! I will surely look into these places. I am sorry t hat we will miss the ballet performance at the opera.

You mention "The Blue Note" as one of the jazz clubs. My husband worked in the original one here in NYC for a number of years. Wonder if he'll want to go to the Dresden one.

Best way to get from our hotel to the Neustadt? We're staying at the qf Frauenkirche Hotel at Neumarkt 1. (I see that one of your recommendations for buying wine is right near our hotel.)

BTW - It's been 5-10 degrees here in NYC (that's Fahrenheit) for the past 2 days.

BTW - It's been 5-10 degrees here in NYC (that's Fahrenheit) for the past 2 days.>

BTW we saw 0 F for the first time in three days today was -16 F this morning and about all day yesterday high was - 6 F.

6-10 F would be balmy!

PalenQ - You're in Northern Michigan right? I was in Wisconsin one Jan-Feb. Every day it was -20. Interesting when your nose hairs freeze.

We are still having 50 F today, but according to the forecast winter is coming next week with freezing temps and snome snow. Nothing dramatic, though. In the last days we *did* enjoy sitting outside on Neumarkt gazing at Frauenkirche (and elsewhere), btw

Take a tram to Neustadt. Either walk to Theaterplatz where a tram stop is right by the catholic cathedral and take #8 (direction Hellerau) to Albertplatz or walk to Synagogue or Pirnaischer Platz, from where you take either tram #3 (direction Wilder Mann) or #7 (direction Weixdorf) to Albertplatz. From there turn half right, Alaunstrasse takes you right into the nightlife district.

Dresden is one of the most interesting cities in Germany I would say and has heaps of interesting and beautiful things to see and do. For three days I would recommend visiting the "Frauenkirche" right in the center. The socalled "Brühls terraces" are just around the corner as well as the famous restaurant "Sophienkeller" which is definately worth a visit. Opposite the "Frauenkirche" is the "Semperoper" with a beautiful park-like walkway. Even if you don't go inside, its nice to walk around a bit.It's alos nice to just walk along the river and maybe have a coffee break at one of the many cafes right at the riverside.
The "Grüne Gewölbe" is another Must-See in Dresden, although it's a little hard to get in. You would have to book the tickets in advance online.
For the kids it might be interesting to visit the zoo, which can be found in the middle of a big park. There is a little steam-train going through the park, which also stops at the zoo.

Well, lots of info about being in Dresden. DW and I were on an Elbe River cruise a year ago. I pretty much agree that Dresden itself is worthwhile with Zwinger Palace and the lovely Green Vault at Grunes Gewolbe. A couple of relaxing days for sure.

But I also can see going to Meissen and perhaps Saxony with Bastei rock formations. Might be a stretch to try Berlin which has so much to see.
www.germanplaces.com/pictures/dresden.html
www.aviewoncities.com/dresden.html
www.skd.museum
www.galenfrysinger.com/meissen.htm
www.antique-marks.com/meissen.html

I would recommend reading "Dresden" by Frederick Taylor regarding the WW II firebombing. Also you might enjoy "Goodbye Lenin" about the Berlin wall period.

I'm afraid I don't have that much to add to the helpful comments and recommendations in this thread, especially those of Ingo. However, we did take a bunch of pictures if you're interested...

http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p765431593

mr_go - Your pictures are gorgeous! I remember reading your travelogue about the Dolomites and knowing we were going there the next year. We seem to be following you.

Ozarksbill - It's funny you mentioned "Dresden" by Frederick Taylor. I was just reading a book review of "The Downfall of Money" by the same author, in the NY Times, and saw that he wrote a book on Dresden. I was thinking about getting it. I will be reading "The Trial" by Kafka as we are going to Prague right after Dresden and have never read Kafka.

Ingo - Do you run a information booth in Dresden? You should! Much obliged for all your information.

LOL - no, I don't. It's just what we locals know about our city

Yes, I think it is a good idea to read about places and also authors. Certainly read Kafka...have paused twice at the Prague cafe which he once frequented. Also stood beside his grave. Read Kundera, Havel also. And "My Crazy Century" by Ivan Klima about life in East Germany (he was just in the Boston area promoting this memoir).

As for the Taylor book, I do believe he has presented a balanced view about the fire bombing. Dresden did in fact have war related industry contrary to what some have said. And one must go back to earlier firebombing by Germans of Coventry, etc, in the ferocious air attacks on Britain. War was terrible on all sides. I say this to counter some Vonnegut notions promoting guilt. Taylor also wrote "The Berlin Wall." Did not know about his recent book.

Ingo - We think we will walk to the Inner Neustadt, but to get to the Outer Neustadt do you think we should take a tram or just keep walking? If taking a tram, which one? Can you pay on the tram or do you have to get tickets beforehand?

When walking to the Inner Neustadt, along Hauptstraße or Königstraße, you'll end up at Albertplatz, which is where the Outer Neustadt starts. I'd walk on from there, just take a tram back - tram 7 or 8 from stops Louisenstraße or Bischofsweg (along Königsbrücker Straße, get off at the first stop after crossing the river), or tram 11 from somewhere along Bautzner Straße (get off at Postplatz).

You can buy tickets on the trams from a machine, they are already validated - but make sure you have coins (not necessarily the exact fare, they give back coins.) A single trip is 2.20 Euro per person, valid for one hour, changing trams/bus possible.

One of my regrets about my time in Dresden (aside from the bad weather) is that I didn't spend enough time in the Frauenkirche. It's the most beautiful Protestant church I've ever seen, but I just dipped into it, took a couple of pictures and left.

If I had it to do over again, I'd spend some time there. Wonderful church!

There's plenty to do and see in Dresden. Wonderful buildings! Also, I'd love to revisit the paintings by Caspar David Friedrich in the Zwinger. I'd also like to see the rock formations of Saxon Switzerland close up. I saw them on a boat trip, where they were at a distance.

I didn't realize there was a Stasi museum in Dresden. I'd have visited it, had it known. The Stasi museum in Leipzig was fascinating.

I totally forgot: 8 February is Semperoper ball. Sure, tickets are sold out and you probably wouldn't be interested anyway, but part of it is an "open-air" ball right in front of the opera house at Theaterplatz square. I estimate about 10,000 people will be at the square to dance, listen, see the beautiful fireworks for the opening.

http://www.semperopernball.de/ with a short video and info in German.

Yikes, sorry - of course it's on Friday, 7 Feb. And the website is in English, too.

kenav - Ingo has given you so many things to do in Dresden, you'll need a month not 3 nights. Sadly we only had one, but we stayed in the Neustadt [thanks to Ingo] and really liked it so it was going to be my suggestion that you should spend some time there, if he hadn't got in first.

also that you should go to the city museum, which was both fascinating and deserted when we went there.

finally, for a book to read, Erik Kästner's "Als ich ein kleiner Junge war" gives a very good idea of what it was like to live in pre-war Dresden.

Thanks all. Will definitely look into being around the Semperopera on Feb 7th. We're staying at the qf Frauenkirche Hotel on Neumarkt 1.

Ingo (and anyone elee) Do you know what time the open air celebration starts? I don't think I'll be taking my ball gown with me (ha!).