In April, we made a trip to Dresden in Germany (former East Germany). We took the train. The route went from Brussels to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Leipzig and Leipzig to Dresden. On the first two trains you found a carriage where you can eat or drink.
We arrived at our destination in the late afternoon. We got a friendly welcome in the hotel (Hilton Dresden) and then went in search of some food. The hotel has several eateries, but we opted for the bistro with view on the Frauenkirche.
The weather was so-so. The sun was out, but the temperatures were low (not even 10° Celsius). Howevern, it was better than in Belgium, where it was constantly raining.
On our first full day in Dresden, we went exploring. Dresden was completely destroyed during World War II, but since then the powers that be have done a great deal to restore the city in it's old glory - as a matter of fact, work is still going on and it may well last ten years or so before everything is restored.
Our hotel was well based in the old town center. As I mentioned, most of it looked out over the Frauenkirche, the main cathedral in town. It was also close to other attractions as the Residenz palace and the Zwinger.
The Residenz palace is not yet fully restored, but various collections have already opened in the renovated spaces. King August die Starke was reponsible for the building of this palace (and he conveniently had his mistress next door!). He is remembered by a golden statue.
The Zwinger is a complex (also still in restoration) reserved for the big parties the king of Bayern held. You can visit some parts and have a look at the building site.
It's nice to walk through the old town. Everything is close by. And you can also walk along the river Elbe.
If you enjoy opera and ballet, there's the Semperoper (not far from the Residenz palace). A visit can be reserved and is interesting.
Dresden has plenty of restaurants and cafés. You should try some of the German specialities, like Sauerbraten and a dessert I don't remember the name of, but it looks like a pint of beer! Ingredients are pineapple and cream.
Needless to say we had anenjoyable stay!
