Dresden a must

Old Aug 4th, 2006, 11:14 AM
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Dresden a must

Travelled all across Germany in early june. Have to say that Dresden is truly amazing. It has to be one of my favorite places in all of Europe. and i have been to 9 europe countries. Great mix of history, you have the zwinger, opera house, and churches. Yet the place has all these new cafes and stores which give it a great blend of old vs new all within a 5 minute walk. The historical centre is easy to walk around in and we spent 5 days here and still wish we had more. Also the cruise down the river is great. You get to see many castles. You can also rent a bike and ride along the edge of town. I will never forget our last night having dinner in a restaurant overlooking the opera house. All the historical buildings are lit up at night in different colors. AS for our hotel. If you can splurge please stay at the Radisson. IT is truly amazing and the most intimate hotel i have stayed at. The have only 60 rooms and have a open solarium in the middle of the hotel. Plus the location is amazing in the heart of it all. Behind the hotel are very new
restaurants, and cafes, plus great shopping. I absolutely loved this place and cant wait to return.
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Old Aug 4th, 2006, 02:41 PM
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Huh, I already replied to your other post on Germany in general. But this one blows me away. I cannot say HOW glad I am you liked Dresden so much. And of course I totally agree with you (since I live in Dresden I am biased, hahaha).

Did you do some day trips to the surroundings? Please let me know more! Can you imagine the square in front of the opera house in winter, when snow makes it yet more romantic?

Ingo
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Old Aug 9th, 2006, 01:03 PM
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montrealvic: Thanks for sharing your experience in Dresden. I am beginning to plan for an upcoming vacation (next spring) trip to Saxony, and Dresden is obviously included. Did not mean to hijack your thread, may I ask Ingo and all Fodorites whether it is necessary to book concerts & opera in advance. I have checked the web site. What other local villages worth visiting other than Meissen. We will be driving.

We plan 4 days and nights in Saxony and do day trips to cover Chemnitz, Leipzig Dresden and surrounding villages. Which city should we base? I would prefer to stay in a Marriott property (unfortunately that preclude Dresden). Thank you for your help.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 09:15 AM
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I am glad you plan to visit Saxony. Your preference for Marriott leaves only Leipzig as a base as far as I know. Not bad, but I think there any hotel in Dresden were better for exploring.

Any special reason why to include Chemnitz? It's not a "must see" so to speak, but of course has its special attractions.

With 4 nights you should include a visit of Saxon Switzerland, the National Park south of Dresden. Do a steamboat trip from Pirna to Königstein, visit the fortress up on the hill there. Maybe stop in the picturesque village Rathen and hike up to Bastei, which is famous for its panoramic views.

Another option - really not to miss! - is to explore the region east of Dresden, called Oberlausitz. Görlitz and Bautzen are fantastic old towns, well preserved. South of Bautzen and closer to Zittau there are other charming villages like Obercunnersdorf, Jonsdorf, Waltersdorf, Oybin to see. I doubt, however, that you'll have time for those. Pretty far from Leipzig.

IMO it doesn't make sense to visit opera/concert in Dresden if you stay in Leipzig. Too bad! Yes, in general you need to book in advance, but it depends on which you are interested. Leipzig has its own opera and the Gewandhaus concert hall and also the St. Thomas church where Bach's music is often performed.

Ingo
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 09:28 AM
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Ingo - while you're here i'd appreciate your input on the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche (? may not have the name right) - was there any controversy in rebuilding it instead of leaving it like the Kaise Wilhelm Church (? again name could be off) in Berlin - left as a poignant ruin in name of horrors of war. Personally i think the Dresden church now looks like an ordinary enough church but was special in its hulking state. Yet i realize Dresdeners may have a different take and wish their town and church to be like it was.
thanks.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 11:13 AM
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PalQ - yes, there was a controversy about the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche (you got that spelling right!). There are some differences to other ruins which were not exactly rebuilt (like the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in Berlin).

First and probably the major fact is that the Frauenkirche has always been considered the "crown" of the silhouette of Dresden. A unique architecture, the shape of the dome like a bell, unlike any other dome of a church as far as I know. Without the Frauenkirche the silhouette of Dresden's old town, seen from the other side of the river would be incomplete.

Second, the Frauenkirche was (is) probably the most beautiful protestant church in Germany, its architecture is the perfect example of the protestant ideas (central hall, focus on the spoken word with pulpit in the centre, with altar and organ behind and above). And it was the leading protestant church in Saxony, the birthplace of reformation.

All that would not have been enough for the original reconstruction. Luckily the church had been restored a few years before the destruction - detailed plans were available. Many original pieces/sandstones could be saved and even put back at their original place in the church. So the structure nowadays is more than 40% original.

Finally it was the idea of reconcilation which broke the ice. People from all over the world supported the reconstruction (and still do), especially Brits, Americans, French, but also many Swiss.

I.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 11:18 AM
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That's interesting. Years ago I went on a choir tour and we spent several LONG days in Leipzig (we were giving a concert at St. Thomas church). We did not even stop at Dresden, because the (German) tour operator said that there was "nothing to see" in Dresden. So sorry I missed it.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 11:21 AM
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Thanks Ingo - now i understand why it was imperative to rebuild this extraordinarily important church for Dresdeners!
I've been to Dresden several times, from just after the wall fell when the city was still, to me, very derelict from (senseless it seems) war destruction. And have visited a few times since and an amazed at how it's all being pieced back together - the Florence on the Elbe shines again.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 11:30 AM
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missypie - sorry you missed Dresden. But it's still going to be there in a few years ;-) Maybe you get another chance! That German tour operator obviously did a VERY bad job.

PalQ - I am glad you visited a couple of times. Hope you notify me next time that we can have a glass of beer or wine together!

The city centre is still under reconstruction, but a lot has been done so far. What most tourists miss are the charming residential areas along the river and in the east of Dresden. The beautiful villas, gardens, vineyards ... still preserved timber-framed houses like in old villages, now part of the city. And this is where the locals spend their time, not so much the old town.

I.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 12:21 PM
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sfosjcoak: There is a Renaissance in Dresden which is part of the Marriott chain now. That said, I think the Marriott in Leipzig is better than the Renaissance in Dresden.
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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 02:18 PM
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I visited drab Dresden 15 years ago and again this year. The difference is amazing. It has the best tram system I've seen in Europe. The city is still in reconstruction, but it seems that every city in Germany has been in reconstruction for decades. They are always coming up with changes. Small inconveniences.

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Old Aug 10th, 2006, 05:15 PM
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I second and third Ingo's sentiments and suggestions re visiting the Dresden - Saxon-Switzerland area.

Harzer
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Old Aug 11th, 2006, 06:10 AM
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I fourth Ingo's recommendation - after taking a quick look at Saxon Switzerland i feel this is one of the great undiscovered parts of Germany by Americans - beautiful and weird gorges with tall pinnacles, fortresses, neat river towns - fantastic place - boats are a nice way to discover the area and the train line Dresden-Prague runs right along the river the whole way!
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Old Aug 11th, 2006, 06:28 AM
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DAX, which Renaissance hotel in Dresden are you referring to? I did not find one listed.

PalQ - yes, Saxon Switzerland is one of Germany's natural wonder's and (yet) undiscovered by Americans. Maybe we should keep it our secret? ;-)

I.
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Old Aug 11th, 2006, 07:49 AM
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shshshsh!
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Old Aug 11th, 2006, 02:40 PM
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Ingo,
sorry for staying off this board for a couple of days. Read all of your insightful suggestions to me directly and to many others. Will consider some local attractions that you mentioned. The steam boat ride sounds interesting, it would be a nice break from having to drive to places.
As to why consider Chemnitz? A good question that I asked myself also. Its primarily trying to use the Renaissence Hotel as our base (which is part of Marriott). Its location could be ideal for day-tripping to Leipzig and Dresden. Other post had mentioned that there might be a Ren at Dresden. I wish there was, but I don't think so.
I will continue to read this thread as it develops. Meantime, thank you Ingo.
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Old Aug 11th, 2006, 02:53 PM
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DAX,
I did a web search for Ren in Dresden in vain. Both Marriott and Ren sites yield empty. If possible, can you mention the source. It could be a recent acquisition that it has not appeared on the web page yet. Thanks.
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Old Aug 12th, 2006, 07:55 AM
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My mistake, I got the hotel chains mixed up. I was mistakenly thinking of the Westin Dresden to be a Renaissance. I get special/negotiated rates from both chains Marriott/Renaissance & Sheraton/Westin, that's how I made the mistake. If you by any chance receive a special rate from the Marriott chain, you may want to call Sheraton/Westin to find out if they extend a similar special rate. Both chains compete heavily within the same category market.

As I have alluded before, the Westin hotel in Dresden is a lesser quality Westin. I think the Leipzig Marriott is the best choice if you have to stay within the Marriott chain. I actually have a tentative/unfinalized plan to stay at the Leipzig Marriott in October as the special rate I get is 99 eur including breakfast for two ( I don't necessarily need to go to Dresden on this trip). You can buy a 30 euro weekend train pass/regional train pass to get to Meissen, Dresden.
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Old Aug 12th, 2006, 08:50 AM
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I recommend a little-known museum, the Dresden City Museum (Stadtmuseum). It covers the history from the days of the King-Electors through the Nazi times and Hitler’s war to the German Democratic Republic, and sets out to give a fair view of the pros and cons of such things as the Anglo-American fire bombing and the Communist government. It is in the Landhaus at Wildsruffer Strasse 2, open 10 to 6, Fridays 12 to 8, closed on Mondays, entry 3 euros. If you can take along a reader of German you will gain more, but it is anyway worth while.

If I may add my mite, I am glad they rebuilt the church, and that the Queen went to the rededication. The rebuilding of the street to the main station, too, is good, as the street from the forties and fifties was ugly.

Ben Haines, London
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Old Aug 14th, 2006, 07:16 PM
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"The rebuiling of the street to the main train station is good"

I hope it won't spread northward and erase the entire pre-unification showcase architecture which to me has its own nostalgic/distinctive charm representing an era of the city. I hate to see another shopping mile of modern glass buildings like those buildings around the station. They could have preserved more elements from the past instead of bulldozing it completely.
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