Dresden is the capital city of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe.
Dresden means "people of the riverside forest" and you can understand why, if you visit the surroundings, beautiful countryside with woods and historical little towns.
Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence
for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour.
It is also well known for the controversial bombing of Dresden in World War II by the British Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces (the direct predecessor to the independent United States Air Force), plus 40 years in the Soviet bloc state of the German Democratic Republic Considerable restoration work has settled the damage.
You can still see by the colour of the stones in the famous Frauenkirche (the blacks are the original).
Since German reunification in 1990, Dresden has emerged as a cultural, political, and economic centre in the eastern part of Germany.
Dresden is a spacious city. Its districts differ in their structure and appearance. Many parts still contain an old village core, while some quarters are almost completely preserved as rural settings.
The touristic part, the old town and the Elbe river is one of the most fascinating places of it.
If you plan a visit, one thing I loved was the Dresden Panometer which is the faithful reproduction of Dresden in the 18th century.
