Florence on the Elbe

 13. März 2011

Bright and early Wednesday morning, Michelle and I were on a train rocketing east at a furious pace while we still struggled in vain to maintain even a semi-conscious state after only a few hours sleep and a 4:30 A.M. wakeup call. But by the time we got to Dresden and checked into our hostel, we were ready to start exploring. We would spend the next few days discovering what a cultural treasure Dresden is.

After days on the go, it’s hard to be poetic, so a descriptive list of suggested sites and restaurants will have to do for now.



Der Zwinger back view

 1. The Zwinger – We didn’t actually go there on this trip, but I’ve been there previously. If art from the Middle Ages through the 18th c. or so is your thing, GO! There is a good selection of famous works by artists like Rafael, Titian, Rembrandt and Canaletto, and the way the large galleries are hung floor to ceiling as they would have been in art exhibitions through history is a worthwhile experience in itself.

 

Die Frauenkirche

 2. The Frauenkirche – The majority of Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs in WWII, including the Frauenkirche (The Church of Our Lady). Since then the city has been restored incredibly accurately and historical monuments such as this one have been painstakingly reconstructed using original materials wherever possible. Today the Frauenkirche boasts a spectacular pastel and gold-leafed Rococo-style interior well up the three balconies and into the dome. The ascent up the dome itself is long and full of stairs, but you get an intimate understanding of the church’s construction as you are taken through the many subparts as you ascend the dome. The 360° panoramic view of the city isn’t bad either, but hold onto your hats! The wind at the top actually made walking a challenge.

View from Frauenkirche Dom

3. The Albertinum – This art museum was an excellent choice for Michelle and I because I hadn’t been there before and this is exactly the kind of art (late 1800s, 1900s and contemporary) that she enjoys the most. The top floor had German Realism, German and French Impressionism (including a fantastic Degas pastel piece and a famous Gauguin depicting two Tahitian women, which used to grace the wall of my dorm room). The middle floor was mix of stimulating Contemporary Art and storage display cases full to the seams with statues. The exhibits were set up as a ring, so starting and ending with sculpture was an interesting, but oddly satisfying bookend to the Contemporary section. On the ground floor was the Sculpture Hall. One of the Degas “Little Dancer” sculptures was there too – fantastic!

4. The Dresden Zoo – Yes, the zoo with animals. We were asked incredulously if that’s what we meant several times while trying to get directions at the hostel. Honestly I wouldn’t have thought to go to the zoo, but props to Michelle because it was a great idea! Even though it wasn’t super warm, we still got to see most of the animals including a snow leopard, a lynx, ring-tailed cats, red pandas and a sloth with a baby on its belly. Aside from the sloths and lynx, all these animals had fantastically fluffy tails. I don’t know why, but I am really a sucker for awesome tails…so cute! What a fun way to spend he afternoon, especially since the weather warmed up to the 50s this week.

  



Der Semperoper



 5. The Semperoper – The opera house is well worth the visit. Especially if you can get 10€ student tickets for the ninth row 30 minutes before the show! We went to see the Magic Flute (an opera that is actually in German and whose libretto I’ve studied intensively). Honestly, I wasn’t such a fan of the modern adaptation of the show, but the singing and orchestra themselves were unbelievable beyond words! We couldn’t believe we were sitting amongst ladies in elegant dresses and well-suited gentlemen in an ornate opera house with four stories of wall-ringing tiered seats extending far above the main floor to the Rococoesque ceiling. Sadly I made the mistake of bringing only jeans on the trip and I also wore my hiking boots that day. Thankfully, as at other German theatre events I’ve attended, people dress up only as much or as little as they feel like, so I really wasn’t too out of place.



Traditional "Blue Onion" Pattern


6. Meißen Porcelain Factory – We spent our third day on the trip in Meißen, a small but quaint town to the Northwest of Dresen. As the first ones to arrive at the porcelain factory, we got a private tour! There were four (live!) demonstration stations showing how porcelain is made, shaped and created, along with an audio explanation. I couldn’t believe how quickly the artists worked on the wheel or created parts, like individual flowers, out of thin air. I’d love to be skilled enough to do that kind of work. The museum of all the old porcelain patterns (all of which are still produced or still can be ordered today!) was interesting and full of beautiful artworks – utile and decorative – from the whole history of the production of porcelain. Meißen was the first location in Europe where someone figured out how to make white porcelain, which up until that point had only been available as an import from the Far East. It was fascinating how deeply the tradition rooted itself there and remains important today. I bought a small piece in the traditional blue onion pattern – handmade and hand painted in the factory. Can you believe it?



Eine Mietzekatze!



7. The rest of Meißen – We took a walk into downtown Meißen, where the friendly lady in the tourist office gave us suggestions on where to go. The Frauenkirche there has a set of porcelain bells (everything here is centered around porcelain, even today), which we were lucky enough to visit at the right time to hear. I really should start taking my voice recorder with my when I travel! Then we climbed up the stairs which wrapped along the side of the hill. At the top we visited the church as well as the castle where the porcelain was originally produced. The inside was lavishly painted; I can’t imagine actually living somewhere like that!



"Spicy Cauliflower Curry"



Those are the main sightseeing attractions I can recommend, so now let’s talk about food! It’s pretty exciting

to visit a new city and actually have recommendations to give. One day we ate lunch at “Cafe áha” – a little place over a Free Trade Shop (also worth a visit, but don’t be surprised if your wallet ends up significantly lighter afterwards) that offers many organic and vegetarian options. The food was excellent. I had “Spicy Cauliflower Curry”. You could also order half-portions. I did. We visited “Leonardo”  for dinner. They are a bit more off the beaten path in a restaurant area often frequented by locals. They feature a small fixed menu, but most of the main dishes change daily and can be read from a chalkboard. Michelle and I shared a “Topf” (best translation: foods baked together in a cast-iron pan in the oven…could be casserole-ish) of scalloped potatoes with tomatoes, mushrooms and basil and then splurged and each got apple strudel with ice cream for dessert. Yum. The other two nights we went to a fantastic little Italian place  in the square where the Frauenkirche is. I ate there with my former German host Mom, so I already knew it would be good. I can definitely recommend the “Spinach and Gorgonzola Pizza”, but I’m pretty sure you can’t really go wrong there. We definitely enjoyed a variety of good food available in Dresden for a decent price!



Meißner Fummel

 And while we're on the topic of food...I forgot to mention the Meißen specialty...Meißner Fummel!  Fummel are made from increidbly thin noodle dough and they are like a dough balloon once baked.  They were invented because the couriers carrying the porcelain from Meißen were breaking their cargo far too often, as they were indulging in Meißner wine.  In order to test if they were careful enough, they were required to transport the Fummel with them and present them whole at the destination.  Of course, we had to try one.  It was chewier than I expected...kind of like a sweet, tough cracker, but it tasted good.  And of course, it was full of air, haha.

Through really old glass...

Overall I highly recommend Dresden as a short trip destination. It certainly lives up to the name it was christened with in its heyday – “Florence on the Elbe”. The city itself is beautiful, there’s lots to do, many places are easily walkable (we ended up walked about 26 miles in the day we were there…not because we had to, but because we like to walk…a lot) and if that’s not so your thing, the public transportation appeared well-connected, and overall the city seemed very safe. And of course, I was lucky enough to have the BEST travel buddy!

Deine,

N*