Dresden

Day 404 (August 6, 2019) – Dresden, Germany

Our two-night stop in Dresden was another opportunistic stop for us. Our train tickets from Berlin to Prague included a free 48-hour layover in Dresden if we chose to take it, so of course we did. Two days was a pretty short stop for us, but it was enough time to wander all around the city and get a feel for it.

Our transit from Berlin to Dresden was also our first experience (on this trip) with the European train system. It left a bit to be desired. When our train pulled into the station, the only label on it to indicate where it was going was a barely noticeable little piece of paper taped to the door. And there was something wrong with the train where it didn’t have the correct coaches that it was supposed to have, so the seats which we paid to reserve didn’t exist. We grabbed some open seats where we could. Then, of course, at a later stop, the people whose seats just happened to coincide with the numbered seats we were sitting in showed up and told us to get out. We tried telling them that the whole train seating system was messed up and to just sit wherever. They were quite skeptical of our claims, but fortunately the ticket checker was walking by at that very moment and informed them what was going on with a bit more authority than we could command. In any case, we made it to Dresden. It wasn’t that long of a ride, but it made us realize how great the Chinese trains were. Everyone always seems to talk about how amazing the European rail network is. We’ll see how the European trains treat us over the next couple months, but if you want to see the ultimate in efficiency, comfort, and convenience, you need to ride the trains in China. They were incredible.

Dresden was a very pretty place. There was a newer part of town and an older part of town, separated by the Elbe River. Both sides were interesting in their own way. We were staying in the newer part of town where there were many blocks of residential streets, as well as plenty of cafes and restaurants. There were water fountains, tram lines, and a huge tree-lined commercial street filled with people shopping or sitting on benches in the shade. On our first night we found a Czech beer hall and restaurant near the commercial street where we got our first Czech beers and plates of roast pork and duck, each with bread dumpling and red cabbage or sauerkraut. It was delicious, although at the time we had no idea that we would get more than our fill of Czech food soon enough, but we were excited at the time.

We explored the older and more historical part of town the next day. The whole area is filled with ornate stone buildings, although many show their age in their blackened exteriors. Sadly, not much dates back before 1945, when the entire city was bombed (quite controversially) by the allied forces. Since then the city has restored and rebuilt many of the old buildings, although it’s claimed to not be as grand as it once was. In any case, Dresden was a very pretty city to walk around. The detail on many of the buildings was incredible. Most supported all kinds of statues, spires, and clocks, while others even had mosaic murals along their side. The main square was enormous with the centerpiece being the Dresden Frauenkirche. The whole church was destroyed during the bombings but was later rebuilt over the course of a decade using as many parts of the wreckage as possible, patching them together with new materials.

At the end of our two days, we concluded that Dresden was a worthwhile stop for us. We were glad to have seen it and learn about its history. We arrived back at the Dresden train station to continue our trip to Prague, only to find out that our train was delayed two hours. Agh, Europe. Get your trains in order!