The city, set on fire by Allied bombers at the end of World War II, has recovered quite nicely. Despite being one of only two locations ever to have been removed from UNESCO's World Heritage list (thanks to the building of a four-lane bridge near the city center), tourists continue to visit for the stunning architecture, the shopping, and the Christmas market that has the reputation for being among the best in Germany.
Stalls served bratwurst and hot alcoholic drinks, the latter of which included a cup you could keep simply by not coming back to claim your €2.50 deposit. People crammed in narrow pathways to peruse the massive selection of nutcrackers, ornaments, dolls and other figurines. Children rode on merry-go-rounds and small trains. Adults gathered in a small lodge to listen to Christmas stories, and children sang carols on a stage.
Away from the main market, Your Humble Blogger and two co-workers -- the Special Assistant to the Blogger and The Professor -- walked around the historic area. Most striking was the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the majority of which was leveled by the aforementioned bombing. The church ruins remained in place throughout the Communist era (Dresden was in East Germany), but in 2005 the church was finally rebuilt. Thousands of the original pieces were incorporated into the rebuilt church and are easily noticed.
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| The darker stones are from the original structure, most notably on the left in this photo. The statue in front of the church is of Martin Luther. |
The Frauenkirche is such a source of pride that a Lego replica, complete with colors matching the original and new stones, is displayed in the city's Karstadt department store. For photos of that (the replica, not Karstadt), as well as other shots of the amazing buildings Dresden has to offer and the wonderful sights of the Christmas market, you can click here.
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| Semper Opera House |
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| Dresden skyline along the River Elbe |
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