15-24 deg C, a cloudy morning, no rain, clearing to beautiful sunshine about 4pm
Walk G: 12km; total: 291km
Walk W: 7km; total: 264km
Breakfast was had a little later, then Greg went for a walk and Wendy did more route reviewing and hotel bookings while the sun was yet to come out to play. Greg returned to the room at mornos time to brew up. After mornos, we ventured out together to the Historic Green Vault exhibition at Residenzschloss, aka Dresden Castle. Unfortunately, photos were verboten, but Greg got a few off the net. The Historic Green Vault takes its name from the original colour of the walls. The Vault houses a unique combination of sumptuous architecture and 2,500 precious objects presented without showcases (but all behind reflection free glass). August The Strong’s treasure chamber, located in opulent rooms dating from 1730 and now restored to their original glory (they suffered from the bombings in WWII). The only room Wendy was really impressed by was the jewels room! There was the silver room, the ivory room, the gold room, and a bronze room to name a few. In the bronze room they have a sculpture of Mercury in his traditional pose and Wendy recognised it from the Royal Australian Corps of Signals hat badge. By any standard this exhibition is one of the most valuable we have ever seen.
We walked around inside the grounds of the Castle for a bit, which is an enormous complex housing another four or five museums. We saw some great examples of German building paintings (Luftlmalerei) which is very popular in Bavaria. You don’t have to go far in Dresden to find magnificent architecture and that is what we did next. The Semperoper Dresden (Opera House) that was originally built in 1841 and rebuilt by the original architect after a fire in 1869 was about 100m away. Next door to that is the Dresden Zwinger, build in the early 1700s as an orangery and a venue for court festivities. It now houses one of the greatest collections of old masters and a porcelain museum. There are about 1,800 statues (approx as no one knows for sure) on and around this complex. Half of the buildings are currently closed for restoration. Like most of the old buildings in Dresden this one is covered with an unsightly coat of black pollution which really does detract their magnificence. However with normal German efficiency they are slowly but surely being cleaned and returned to their former glory. It’s going to take many, many years. Most other big cities we’ve visited on this trip have cleaned their special buildings and it really does make a difference to the aesthetics.
Greg did a lot of wandering on his own toady as Wendy was preoccupied with trip planning and hotel bookings. We have really enjoyed Dresden, so much to see in such a small old city. The Bruhlscher Terrace was a perfect place for a wander, the river on one side and a whole row of massive old buildings on the other. Talk about a concentration of magnificence!
Dresden Zwinger
Gardens in the process of being restored to their former glory
The Dresden Castle looking over from the Zwinger
Google pic of one of the rooms in the Historic Green Vault
One of the inner courtyards of the Dresden Castle
Another courtyard
And another!
The Georgentor, where the traditional Xmas Market is held each year
Semperoper Dresden = Dresden Opera House
Looks nothing like the Grand Hotel at Howard
Pretty gardens and fountains on the Terrace
The Terrace
Augustus Bridge
Cathedral St. Trinitatis, 18th-century, restored after damage in WWII
Star G Hotel Premium Dresden Altmarkt
Frauenkirche Dresden in much better light
The ‘bubble man’ at Neumarkt this afternoon
Holy Cross Church, a late Baroque style Lutheran place of worship with a 92m high tower with a viewing platform at 54m
Little swallows having a rest, from an unusual angle
Looking up through the stairwell at out hotel
A massive mural
What Dresden looked like after the bombings
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