Dresden for free!

While visiting Saxony's capital city, one would have no idea that 68 years ago, this beautiful city was reduced almost entirely to rubble. Late in WWII, the Allies dropped over 2,000 tons of bombs on Dresden, which destroyed over 90% of the historic city center and took the lives of over 20,000 civilians. Since then, the city has remarkably bounced back - painstakingly recreating the beautiful baroque buildings while tactfully reminding visitors to the city of the destructive cost of war.

Now Germany's 11th largest city, Dresden has done many things right in their reconstruction. Their extensive and highly efficient tram system is clean, easy to use, and fast. Green areas and forests account for 63% of the city - the abundance of gorgeous parks makes a stroll through the city center absolutely idyllic. The Elbe river divides the Altstadt (old city) and Neustadt (new city) perfectly, and allows for some spectacular city views.

One of the best parts about our visit to the city was the abundance of free sights. Below are our top 5 favorite free Dresden experiences:


Frauenkirche: This stunning Lutheran church lies in middle of the Altstadt - it cannot be missed. Though it withstood some of the WWII bombings, after the 1945 bombings the Baroque church burned for two days before it completely collapsed into a pile of ruin. For years the city left the rubble as a memorial to the destruction of war. In 1989, Dresden's citizens organized an effort to rebuild the church. After literally numbering the surviving sandstone bricks to ensure their original placement using the original plans, the Frauenkirche was reopened in October 2005. It is breathtaking and you can see the original, dark bricks throughout the building easily.






Military History Museum (Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr): Free to soldiers from any of the NATO countries, €3 for students, and €5 for adults; this might not be free for you, but it is still a steal. This museum walks through all of Germany's military history, and of course offers an extensive WWII exhibit. The building is huge which enables them to display a 45' V-2 rocket, one-man submarine, multiple tanks and cannons, and even a mounted elephant (lion and elephant rear pictured above), all while making you feel like no one else is in the museum. The exhibits are chronological and themed and include German and English explanations for everything from the rocket to the tiny bullets. I was overwhelmed with the information and exhibits at this museum; it was perhaps the first war museum that held my interest for over an hour, and I could have stayed for two.




Fürstenzug: It took over 23,000 tiles to put together the gilded mural longer than a football field portraying of Saxony's rulers and famous citizens. We enjoyed the evolution of attire, weaponry, and general appearance as we walked down the porcelain mural. In case you get lost in time, there are dates at the bottom of the mural to guide your way!



Brühl's Terrace (Brühlsche Terrasse): Though the "Balcony of Europe" was never anything less than crowded throughout our stay, I still felt like I was a character of Downton Abbey as we paused along the railing underneath the perfectly planned and groomed rows of trees and looked out on the Elbe River. Destroyed in the 1945 bombings, this promenade is another example of Dresden's amazing reconstruction. The city's lights were particularly spectacular on our nighttime stroll.

Dixieland Jazz Festival: Europe's biggest jazz festival transforms the city into a European New Orleans (there were even t-shirts saying so!). There are stages set up every few blocks with jazz bands and street musicians are out in full force. Though there are fabulous concerts throughout the city that require tickets, we enjoyed the free concerts all over the Altstadt. We were sad to miss the concert on the river, but loved eating our dinner outside while enjoying the music and general environment. If you are thinking about Dresden any time near mid-May, try to overlap with this fabulous fest!

Beautiful Bamberg

Anyone interested in a gondola ride?

I have yet to be so jealous of another city in Germany. The city of Bamberg literally has it all. Not only is it the most perfect German town I have yet to lay eyes on (I am not alone in my assessment here, it is a UNESCO world heritage site), but Bamberg has the goods to back it up.






Bamberg's historical town hall
built on an artificial island: Altes Rathaus

In our six hour whirlwind trip, we:

• Snapped an obligatory but amazing shot next to the Altes Rathaus (seriously, only the coolest city builds their town hall on an artificial island in the middle of a bridge)
• Ate sushi, which is a rarity in the center of Germany
• Watched a kayaking lesson on the river
• Debated a gondola ride
• Snacked on frozen yogurt for the first time in six months
• Tried their unique smoked Rauchbeir (think beer + bacon flavoring)
• Browsed a fashionably worthy boutique
• Participated in a city-wide bar hop
• Ended the night at the top of one of the city's seven hills (Rome has some competition here) in a biergarten, with a beer, overlooking the city with a fabulous group of friends

There is more to come on this city because I am going to need a whole weekend to even graze the surface, or perhaps I'll just set up camp and stomach the 1.5 hour commute during the week!

Nuremberg Spotlight: Blaue Nacht

Every year in early May, the museums, churches, and other sights of Nuremberg stay open until the wee hours of the morning to receive around 120,000 visitors on the Blaue Nacht (Blue Night). The buildings participating are literally lit up blue to guide your way through the Altstadt's sights, making it the perfect opportunity to see the sights in a different light (pun intended). Patrick and I strolled along the romantic, blue-lit streets, listened to a free classical music concert in a local church, and enjoyed the energy of the city well past midnight. Though we did not stay to see just how late things were open, judging by the crowd at 1:00 am, we were not even close to the tail end. If you have yet to see some of the churches and museums in Nuremberg, this is a magical night to do so. Even if you have hit them all, seeing the St. Lorenz Church glow in the middle of the Altstadt makes it worth the train ride!

Nuremberg City Beach

It hasn't really felt like summer here yet. How could it when you have to carry a coat with you on the weekends? But while exploring Nuremberg, we found one event that brought the summer and sand to Bavaria regardless of the temperature!

Just across the canal in Nuremberg's Altstadt, the 4th annual Sommer in der City is hopping. We were fortunate to encounter the party on the 1st of 12 weekends, and will definitely return when the weather is better. The event is best boiled down by the numbers:

1 acre of Nuremberg's Altstadt

600 tons if sand

1,000 lounge chairs

45 giant palm trees

2 beach volleyball courts

1 pool bar (seriously... see below)

€0 entrance fee



Pool bar - sadly no one wanted to dip their feet in just yet!



As you can tell, they literally set up a beach in the middle of Nuremberg, and it was awesome. If you want to sip on some daiquiris at the beach and forget how far away you actually are from the nearest white sand experience, it is highly likely that we will run into each other!

Insel Schütt
90403 Nürnberg

May 3rd - July 21st

Monday to Thursday: 11:00 - 22:00
Friday and Saturday:  11:00 - 23:00
Sunday:                      11:00 - 22:00

To reserve tables, lounges, or sports fields: +49 (0) 163-867-4482

http://www.sommer-in-der-city.com/

 

Who wants to share a keg anyway?

Have you ever cheered on a keg stand, then hesitated before begrudgingly using the same tap to pour your beer? If thinking about the germs ever cramps your drinking style, or you just want to pour and drink beer like a boss, Nuremberg has the place for you!

Just five minutes from the Hauptbahnhof on the main street lies Barfüßer. The unassuming facade wipes your expectations, which are then immediately re-lifted as you walk down the old staircase into a bustling beer hall.
The food and drink are typical for a German beer hall - brats, schnitzel, spatzle, hefeweizen, and dunkle beir. The treat is in the presentation. I felt like I was sitting in the Hogwarts dining hall, but with an abundance of alcohol. 600 people can dine simultaneously in the downstairs section - when a bachelor party broke out in song, we of course felt inclined to join!
The highlight of the night was pouring our own beer from our personal 5L kegs. Our table ordered one for each end. I was thankful to have been seated next to a friend who aced the Guinness pouring class during his St. Patty's trip to Dublin, and I reaped the rewards big time.
If you are looking for a solid, inexpensive German experience, complete with German food, a personal keg, and hopefully some singing Germans, this is without a doubt worth a stop!