A Day in Dresden

We proceeded on from Bayreuth, further north and east, to Dresden, in Saxony, and the former East Germany. Dresden--old Dresden--was very largely destroyed by the fire bombings of February, 1945. Its reconstruction did not really commence until the reunification, after 1990. But the "Florence on the Elbe" is now just a brick or two shy of a load.

Of course, to appreciate Dresden, you have to look past a whole lot of East 
German aesthetics

Entering the colossal Zwinger, a huge courtyard surrounded by baroque buildings 
and many, many museums

The Zwinger's "crown"

The Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister--the museum of old masters, which we toured, 
at great length...more stuff than in Munich, but not as striking...I came out 
gasping for a Dali...the main treasure is Raphael's Sistine Madonna, and it largely 
because of the famous cherubs...

Note cherubs

The porcelain museum; Meissner porcelain is just down 
the river

King August the Strong

Outside the beautiful Semperoper--the opera house designed by Gottfried Semper

Above the Semperoper entry

The Hofkirche

Altar painting of Hofkirche

A block-long parade of Saxon kings, electors, and other notables, all tile-work

New buildings, old-style, in the grand square

The Elbe itself, after days of rain, was in flood...none of these river cruise vessels 
could get under the city bridges