Dresden, Germany - The dark capital

So I was recently able to spend a few hours in Dresden, one of the historic centres of Germany which has enjoyed a lot of power throughout its history. Its importance in the Holy Roman Empire especially led to its prosperity. You can see it in the architecture rebuilt after Dresden’s destruction during World War II.

One such monument is the Zwinger, a baroque palace in Dresden that served as the orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the court in Dresden, who were the Electors of Saxony (chose the Emperor of the HRE). The word Zwinger refers to the area that was traditionally between defensive city/town walls in the Middle Ages. It trapped and killed invading armies. A separate phase of construction enclosed the original structure.

Several galleries and pavilions make up the palace. These ínclude the Kronentor (or Portalpavillon) shown in the picture above. The style of the Palace of Versailles in France influenced most of these buildings heavily. They are built in a square shape; the original construction did not have this enclosed space. A lot of the buildings in Dresden also have a dark colour; many were built in black.

If you are going to visit Dresden, the majority of the historic monuments and buildings are in the Altstadt (old city) along the river Elbe. Make sure to spend at least a day seeing Dresden from the outside. Many of the old buildings and palaces contain exhibits and museums, so if you are into that kind of thing, make sure to plan more time.

More photos from Dresden: