Dresden - City of culture on the Elbe river

Its baroque dome became part of the city skyline again in 2005, and simultaneously became a symbol of reconciliation. Like most of the buildings in Dresden's old city center, it was destroyed during the Second World War. It was eventually reconstructed after German reunification - mainly sponsored by donations from around the world.

The Zwinger Palace also dates back to the Baroque era. It was originally built as the orangery and festival arena of the court of Augustus the Strong. Today, the Zwinger is a museum complex famous the world over, like the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), which houses Raphael's Sistine Madonna. In the summer the Zwinger Palace turns into a theater and concert venue.

Leaving the Zwinger Palace and heading for the Elbe leads to the Theaterplatz with the famous Semperoper. The opera house was also destroyed during the war and eventually reopened in 1985 after years of reconstruction work. Today concerts, opera, and ballet performances here are often sold out. In January, couples waltz on the piazza in front of the building for the annual Semperoperball.

Nicknamed the "Balcony of Europe," Brühl's Terrace is located some ten meters above the shore of the Elbe River. Originally the terrace was built in the 16th century as part of the city's fortifications. The buildings adjoining the terrace today include the Academy of Fine Arts and the Albertinum, home to part of the State Art collection in Dresden.

In 2010, the Albertinum, with art works from the romantic to the modern era, reopened following an extensive refurbishment. The museum, which exhibits paintings by Caspar David Friedrich all the way to Gerhard Richter, and sculptures from Rodin to the present day, is regarded as an important collection the world over. One well-known work is the 1929-1933 triptych "War" by Otto Dix.

Every year, the Striezelmarkt, one of Germany's oldest Christmas markets, is held in the middle of the old town center. This traditional market has been held here regularly since 1434. You can buy traditional regional Christmas treats: from Stollen fruit cake to wood carvings from the Ore Mountains. The market attracts some 2.5 million visitors every year.

What might look like a mosque is actually a former cigarette factory. Jewish entrepreneur Hugo Zietz had it built in 1909. The "Oriental" style was meant to advertise the origin of the tobacco in the Ottoman Empire - and also conform to city planning regulations that prohibited a visible factory building in the town center. Today there is a restaurant under the glass dome.

The architecture alone is worth a visit, even if it means having to cross the Elbe. Architect Daniel Libeskind added a huge transparent arrowhead to the facade of the building in 2011, creating a visible expression of innovation as well as recalling the bomb damage Dresden sustained during World War II.

Across the Elbe from the town center you'll find the neighborhood of Neustadt, with its many bars, cinemas, and clubs. A cultural scene developed on this narrow street even before the fall of the Berlin Wall. But only after Germany's reunification were the dilapidated buildings, roads, and squares restored.

"Blue Miracle" is the common name for the Loschwitz Bridge - a cantilever truss bridge over the Elbe dating back to 1893, which has become a trademark of the city. It connects the districts of Blasewitz and Loschwitz. It sustained very little damage in the war, and today is preserved in its original construction, unlike the other bridges in the city, which needed extensive reconstruction work.