Dresden. An amazing city. You may know it for its distinctive and historic baroque architecture, which earned it the moniker "Florence of the north"; or perhaps you know it for being heavily bombed and almost completely destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II (Slaughterhouse-Five, anyone?).
Both of these aspects were true, and you experience the surreal historical beauty of Dresden most directly in the Altstadt (old city), in the center on the south bank of the River Elbe. My first impressions of Dresden, however, were that of the Neustadt (new city), north of the river. Here, the buildings are (relatively) newer, and frankly not as "pretty," but the lifestyle is more authentic, albeit trendy. Walking around this part of town, you can't help but notice the incredible levels of artistry bursting through almost every building's stone edifices.
The Kunsthof Passage is a small plaza somewhat hidden in the heart of the Neustadt, just off Görlitzer Straße.
It was my first day in the city, so the friend I was staying with invited me out for a bike ride around the city. I got to see the major touristy sights in the Altstadt, and some cool cafes and places in the Neustadt. We biked along the river as far as the Blaues Wunder, a blue bridge over the Elbe.
We then returned, biking for a couple miles along the river, on paths of varying quality. Our ride through the city finished with some delicious vegan milkshakes back at the Kunsthof Passage.
Overall, I have a good impression of Dresden. It's remarkably creative and vibrant, not exactly what you'd expect at first.
No comments:
Post a Comment