The Zwinger

The Zwinger Palace is the other structure so strongly identified with Dresden. On the outskirts of the old city, it was built as an orangerie and festival garden, in 1710. What there is of it today was meant to be the forecourt of a new castle Augustus the Strong was having built, that would stretch down to the Elbe River. It wasn't completed in his lifetime, and those plans would never come to fruition.

It was destroyed in the firebombings along with the rest of Dresden. The Soviet military administration began the reconstruction as early as 1945, and by 1963 it had been almost completely restored.

Today, the gardens and walkways are open for public enjoyment. Or would be, if they weren't under construction and completely ripped up. It also houses the Old Masters' Picture Gallery, the Dresden Porcelain Collection, and the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments. Today, we only walked around the outside. It's a very rich environment, a lot going on visually.

In general, Dresden is like that and it can be very overwhelming.Læs mere