DRESDEN'S HISTORICAL OLD TOWN

The historic center of Dresden is located on the left bank of the Elbe. Protected for centuries by mighty fortress walls, the Saxon residence unfolded splendor and bustle here. The buildings from the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th centuries still define Dresden's Elbe front today. Viewed from the opposite bank, Dresden shows itself with its imposing buildings. The reconstruction of the city center finds its most famous symbol in the Dresden Frauenkirche, that magnificent baroque domed building that is now shaping the Dresden city silhouette again. Many important cultural institutions can be found along the old town banks of the Elbe: From the Old Masters Picture Gallery to the treasury of the Saxon electors and kings, the Green Vault. In the lively, elegant old town there are reconstructed sights such as the Dresden Residenzschloss with its art museum and armory as well as the Zwinger surrounded by gardens. There are numerous traditional restaurants and beer houses around the Neumarkt with the ornate Frauenkirche. Operas and ballets are performed in the magnificent Semperoper. The air raids on Dresden and the greater area of ​​the city during World War II took place for the first time in autumn 1944, followed by four waves of attacks by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 13–15 February 1945. These claimed between 22,700 and 25,000 lives, destroyed large parts of the city center and the historical buildings mentioned above.