Since it is the first time for me to visit Dresden, I used the day to get a first overview and impression. And I must say – I fell in love with it! For the short time that I stayed there, I focused on 2 areas – the old town (Altstadt) and the new town (Neustadt).
In the old town, you’ll find all the must see sights like Semperoper, Zwinger, Frauenkirche and the Royal Palace. The buildings are super impressive and I was particularly surprised by the Zwinger due to the extended outside park. Unfortunately, the entire area is being rebuilt and there are construction sites in front of all the buildings which takes a bit of the charm. Around the Frauenkirche, streets have been reconstructed based on their origin in Baroque style. While it’s beautiful and reminded me of Vienna, I found it nearly to perfect and flawless.
The new town, however, blew me away. It’s very left wing, alternative with graffiti on the walls, funky boutiques and quirky cafes. There was an incredible atmosphere, especially during the mild summer evening with many young people sitting outside bars or kiosks, on the pavement or other free spaces. There’s definitely a lively night scene and this was just during the week. What impressed me as well was how children played a big part in society. This showed in the normal gardens but also in an extended adventure playgrounds with various animals and a ‘parent-free’ zone.
What adds also to the flair of Dresden is the fact that the river Elbe runs right through it and is being heavily used for leisure time. The cycling path is very famous and goes up to Hamburg. There, you’ll find hundreds of cyclists of all age groups, in-line skaters and a few rare pedestrians. The city as such is in general dominated by cyclists.
Overall, it has been a beautiful day in Dresden, it was great fun to cycle through the city and along the Elbe and it will for sure not be the only time for me to visit this place!
Accommodation: https://www.louise20.de/en/
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