Trixie Navarre

Gastronomy – Travel – Culture

Visiting Dresden – ‘The Jewel Box’ | Discovering Germany

Dresden came as a surprise to me when I first visited the city in 2015. I have since returned, and with each visit I have grown to love this city even more. Dresden is one of the nicest cities to visit in eastern Germany- the restaurants are excellent, the architecture is stunning, and the art scene is first rate.

Personally, it was Dresden’s history during and post WWII that interested me the most; as well as the painstaking reconstruction stories of this bombed out city.

Dresden, the capital of Saxony, had a long history of being the royal residence of the Saxon Kings, who furnished this city with art and culture. It was once referred to as the “Jewel Box”, due to its magnificent Baroque and Rococo City Center.

Today, the beautiful buildings of Dresden are reconstructions of the original Rococo and Baroque city center. The entire city center was destroyed after a controversial bombing attack towards the end of World War II. The American and British bombing of Dresden killed approximately 25,000 individuals, whom many were civilians. The high explosive bombs used that targeted the rail yards and city center, damaged buildings exposing their wooden structures, which were then ignited.

During the first years after WWII, tens of thousands of volunteer helpers cleared the city of huge amounts of rubble. It was not until the 1950s when reconstruction began, starting with the representative and residential buildings in the city center. The rebuilding of Dresden had selected important architectural monuments to be the first in line for completion- The Zwinger was completed in 1964.

For more Information on the Zwinger – The Zwinger & Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister | Discovering Dresden, Germany

The reconstruction of Dresden was a balancing act of the many important buildings being restored, such as the Court Church, Johanneum, Albertinum, the Royal Mews, and in 1985 the Semper Opera House. Although at the same time many valuable monuments were demolished.

Today, after the German reunification of 1990 Dresden has once again become an important cultural, educational, and political center in Germany. It is one of the country’s most visited cities with 4.7 million overnight stays per year.

There are also incredible restaurants in Dresden, and I have eaten my share of delicious traditional German food in the city center.

For my German food blogs and recommendations:

What I ate in GERMANY – Part 1 – A Food Journal

What I ate in GERMANY – Part 2 – A Food Journal

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There are several significant cultural landmarks in Dresden including the Zwinger, Old Masters Museum, Dresden Castle, and the beloved Old Town. Enjoy!

For tourist information, please visit – Dresden City

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