Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

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4 Schloss Moritzburg

Saxony; 01468

Unimpressed by a small hunting lodge

he had inherited, Augustus the Strong

ordered his court architect Matthäus

Daniel Pöppelmann to build him a

Baroque pleasure palace. The finest

craftsmen in Saxony were hired to

create the decadent interiors (Apr–

Oct: tours daily; Nov–mid-Jan & Feb–Mar:

tours Tue–Sun). Highlights include a

banqueting hall with hunting trophies

and the royal four-poster bed with

iridescent feather tapes tries.

ª Follow signs to Dresden and to

Innere Altstadt, crossing the Elbe on

Carolabrücke. Go over Rathenauplatz

on to St. Petersburger Strasse and turn

right for the parking lot.

A one-hour walking tour

From the parking lot on Schiessgasse,

walk up Landhausstrasse to reach the

epicenter of Dresden’s rejuve nation,

the Neumarkt, and the symbol of its

revival, the Frauenkirche 1. After it

was rebuilt, thousands gath ered to

celebrate the reconsecration of this

Baroque church in October 2005.

Original fire-blackened blocks stand

out in its new sandstone. The crucifix

in its interior was forged by a

Coventry silversmith whose father

flew in the Allied raid – a poignant

symbol of reconciliation. A rear

5 Dresden

Saxony; 01067

So devastating was an Allied air raid in February 1945 that, for most,

the name of Saxony’s capital is synonymous with destruction. In fact,

Dresden is better understood in terms of its resurrection. After dec-

ades of Communist neglect, the old town’s Baroque monuments are

being rebuilt and the “Florence of the Elbe” is regaining its former glory.

VISITING DRESDEN

Parking

Ample parking is available on

Schiessgasse and in Neumarkt.

Tourist Information

Schlossstrasse 2, Kulturpalast 01067;

0351 50 16 01 60; http://www.dresden.de

Right Aerial view of the charming town of

Meissen Below Frauenkirche’s ornate

cupola, Dresden

BACK ROADS GERMANY

entrance provides access up the

bell-like cupola (open daily) for views

over the cafés of the Neumarkt. Turn

right on to Salzgasse and visit the

Museum Festung Dresden (open daily)

to explore case ments and cannon

rooms. Visitors can admire sculpture

and art from the 19th cen tury in the

Albertinum (closed Mon), reopened in

2010, or art exhibitions in the

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, its

interior still raw from bomb damage,

or simply stroll on the Brühlscher

Terrasse 2 , the handsome riverfront

belve dere that was revered as the

WHERE TO STAY

MEISSEN

Fuchshöhl inexpensive

Personality abounds in this homey

pension in a half-timbered house,

whose artist-owner cherishes a relaxed

atmosphere and charmingly

mismatched furnishings.

Hohlweg 7 (top of Burgstrasse), 01662;

0351 888 85 34; http://www.fuchshoehl.de

Goldener Löwe moderate

The decor in this small, pleasant hotel

just off the Markt is reminiscent of

Baroque grandeur.

Heinrichsplatz 6, 01662; 03521 411 10;

http://www.goldener-loewe-meissen.de

DRESDEN

Bülow Palais and Residenz expensive

Formerly the Baroque palace of

Augustus the Strong’s master-architect,

this Relais & Chateaux hotel is all old-

world opulence and faultless service.

Königstrasse 14, 01097; 0351 800 30;

http://www.buelow-residenz.de

Taschenbergpalais Kempinski

expensive

Housed in the palace where Augustus

the Strong installed his mistress, this

hotel affords five-star luxury. “Kurfürsten”

deluxe rooms offer the best views of

the Residenzschloss or Zwinger.

Taschenberg 3, 01067; 0351 491 20;

http://www.kempinski-dresden.de

3 Meissen

Saxony; 01662

Although famous for porcelain,

Meissen is also worth visiting for its

cobbled lanes. In the town’s Dom platz,

a High Gothic cathedral with a ducal

chapel and an altarpiece by Lucas

Cranach the Elder adjoins the 16th-

cen tury Albrechtsburg (open daily). In

1710, Augustus the Strong converted

the palace into the first por celain fac-

tory outside East Asia. Meissen china

is now manufactured at a fac tory

(tours daily) 1 mile (1.5 km) south of

the center, where there is an exhi-

bition center and a shop (open daily).

ª Turn right beneath Albrechtsburg

to cross the river on the B101. Follow

signs to Moritzburg; park at the palace.

Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €150