Potsdam (20/07/2019)

Finally a Saturday meant that Ania was able to join me on a day trip from Berlin, this time to the nearby city of Potsdam. So after taking the local S-Bahn train we reached the destination in just over half-hour. After exiting the train station we walked and reached the Old Market Square which once used to form the historic center of the city. Potsdam, alongside many other cities throughout Germany, was heavily bombed during WWII and thus its center was mostly destroyed as well. A plan to reconstruct the square and its surrounding historical buildings has been carried out since the beginning of this century and so far many reconstructions have been carried out, mostly replacing communist-style buildings that had been built between the war and now. The City Palace, once the second official residence of the margraves and electors of Brandenburg, later Kings of Prussia and German Emperors, has been completely rebuilt and finished in 2013. It now houses the parliament of the state of Brandenburg. Next to it, some further reconstructed buildings include 18th-century palace buildings which were supposed to copy and represent Palladian architecture, including the Palazzo Chiericati in Vicenza, and Palazzo Pompei in Verona. At the northern end of the square stands imposing the church of St Nicholas, built during the 19th century in Neoclassical style, of which we visited the interior. After visiting the church we then started heading north and passed by the 19th century Church of St Peter and Paul which caters to the local catholic population. Close to it we then walked through the so-called Hollandisches Viertel, or Dutch Quarter, a part of town characterized by 18th-century buildings and houses imitating the typical dutch ones. We then walked along the town's main street filled with shops and people strolling around. We stopped to have ice cream which tasted so-so and then reached the western end of the city. Here stands the Brandenburg Gate, so-called because facing the town of Brandenburg an der Havel. It was built at the order of Frederick II of Prussia in 1771 and replaced an older medieval gate. Together with other gates (including that of Berlin), it took inspiration from those ancient roman ones in Rome, in this case specifically the Arch of Constantine. An avenue sided by trees then led us directly through the Sanssouci Park from where we could now spot the famous Sanssouci Palace set on the northern end of the park on an elevated hill with gardens and fountains all around. We circled the main central fountain and walked up the terraced hill filled with vines to finally reach the palace at its top. Built in 1747 for Frederick the Great, it was then to become his private residence for when he wished to retire from the hustle and bustle of Berlin. It features a beautiful Rococo style which has been later known as Frederician Rococo due to its specific architectural details found just in Potsdam. The palace and its park are now a Unesco World Heritage Site so I was able to add it to my list of visited sites. We decided to skip visiting the interior as there was quite a line and the hot and sunny day prompted us to visit the rest of the parks and gardens scattered throughout. We passed by the Historic Mill of Sanssouci, an 18th-century mill built to resemble the typical dutch ones and then continued further passing through the Nordic and Sicilian gardens. Just ahead to our right stood imposing the Orangery Palace with its terrace garden. Built during the 19th century for King Frederick IV of Prussia in the style of the Italian Renaissance with the Villa Medici of Rome in mind. From there we then walked further through a nice forest which partly shielded us from the scorching heat of that day and reached the western end of the huge park where the New Palace stood. Built in 1769 for Frederick the Great it is considered as the last grand Prussian Baroque palace and due to its size was quite impressive to look at. A further walk took us then south to reach the Charlottenhof Palace, built in 1829 in a Neoclassical style to resemble a Roman villa. Quite small in size it featured a nicely kept garden with a pleasant canopy. Close by we also passed a low building called the Roman Baths, which as the name suggests was fashioned to resemble those of ancient Roman times. Further on we then passed by the Chinese House, a building built in 1764 in Rococo style in imitation of a Chinese structure in a fashion called Chinoiserie which was typical in that period all around Europe. At that point we decided to walk all the way back to the city, walk through the Brandenburg Gate, and then along the main street once more before turning north and reaching a park area called Alexandrowka, an idyllic rural Russian village made up of 14 farmhouses and an Orthodox Church. The village was built right after the Napoleonic war when a group of war prisoners of Russia remained in the city after the Napoleonic army was defeated and had left the city. King Frederick III had then the village built to host those who had decided to stay and become part of the palace's staff. Further up north we then reached the Belvedere on the Pfingstberg, a palace built in 1863 for Frederick IV on top of the Pfingstberg hill with commanding views of the surrounding landscape. Not far from there we then reached another palace, the Cecilienhof, built during WWI as a Tudor Manor House for the Hohenzollern family. It was the last palace built for them before their capitulation after the end of the war. It then became famous for becoming the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945, in which leaders of the UK, US, and the Soviet Union met to make important decisions affecting the post-WWII shape of the world. I particularly liked the inner courtyard and the typical Tudor architecture. From there we decided to head back towards the city by walking alongside the bodies of water characterizing this region made up of lakes and ponds formed by the Havel river. We passed by the Marmorpalais a nice palace built in the Neoclassical style at the end of the 18th century and with a commanding view over the Heiliger See. Finally, after a bit more walking we then reached the city and then the train station from where we took an S-Bahn train back to Berlin.

View of the reconstructed buildings of the Maktplatz

The church of St Nicholas

The Brandenburg Gate

Sanssouci's fountain and gardens

The staircase leading up to the palace

The Rococo architecture of Sanssouci

The New Palace

One of the Russian wooden houses in Alexandrowka

The Russian Orthodox Church

The Tudor styled Manor House of Cecilienhof

The Marmorpalais overlooking the Heiliger See

Brandenburg an der Havel (19/07/2019)

After three consecutive sunny days, a cloudy day prompted me to take a closer day trip, this time to the nearby town of Brandenburg an der Havel, just west of Berlin. So after taking a local S-bahn train I reached the small town in just about one hour. After getting off the train I headed towards the city center, first passing by the Jakobskapelle, a small brick gothic church which was unfortunately closed. After a little bit of walking I reached the old town proper, marked at its southern end by the Steintorturm, a medieval tower which used to be part of the fully defensive complex of walls that surrounded the town. This part of the town was actually the Neustadt, or New town, which was probably formed around the 12th-13th centuries alongside the Old Town. The two were joined together not long after to consistute the town of Brandenburg. The long Main Street of the Neustadt then led me to one of the city's main churches, the church of St Catherine. Considered as the largest in town, it is built in a beautiful brick gothic style dating to the end of the 14th century. It's structure reminded me a lot about the churches from the northern part of Germany, and in fact I learnt that Brandenburg had as well been part of the Hanseatic league thus having the influx of the architecture from that part of Germany. The interior held some interesting and rich furnishing including some beautiful gothic altarpieces. After visiting the church I walked through the center and reached the northern end of the Neusdtadt, where another tower, the Muhlentorturm singladded that part of the defensive walls. The walls of the town have long since gone, however the two towers and the outline of the houses and streets, seen particularly well from above, clearly marked the trace of where they once stood. Continuing further north I then reached the St Peter and Paul Cathedral. Founded by King Otto I during the 10th century, the building then commenced during the 13th century and was only completed 300 years later in its current Gothic structure. Its interior was quite simple with whitewashed walls, but featured some interesting furnishing. Particularly noteworthy was the annexed convent which could be visited freely and held many restored rooms showing the early structure of the Cathedral including some Romanesque and Gothic capitals. A little museum also showcased some altarpieces, liturgical objects and paraments. The city lies on the Havel river, hence its name, however many other small rivers and affluents encircled or flowed through the city center. After crossing one of the main branches I reached the part where the Old Town is set. Here I visited the church of St Gotthardt, one of three main ones together with the Cathedral and St Catherine. The church was started during the 12th century, that's when the west tower dates from, and was later finished during the 15th century from when the rest of the church dates to. The Gothic interior was well furnished and quite colourful with some Baroque additions as well. Right in front of the church, a curious bronze statue of a dog with antlers was placed, but I could not figure out why and what it represented. Not far from there I then reached the western end of town where the Rathenower Torturm was set, another of the towers characterising the old walls. Walking a little further I then reached the old town hall, built in gothic brick during the 15th century with the typical Roland statue standing in front of the entrance dating to 1474. At 5.35m high it is one of the tallest and most impressive Roland statues in Germany. In from of the statue and town hall a fountain was set with another bronze statue of the same dog I had previously seen right next to it. After having crossed another bridge I reached a nice area where boats and canoes were being rented and a open air museum featuring a reconstructed ancient slavic settlement had been set up. I then crossed yet another bridge and crossed through the Neustadt once more to reach the National Archaeological Museum. Housed in what was once the Monastery of St Paul, it features archaeological remains from the Stone Age all the way to the modern period. The lady at the main desk was very friendly, and though not able to speak English tried to tell me everything in German with me being barely able to understand anything at all. I really enjoyed touring around it, admiring the objects in such a historic setting which had been wonderfully restored not long before, in 2008. Once the visit was over I decided it was time to go so headed back to the train station from where I got the next ride bound to Berlin.

The Steintorturm part of the defensive walls

The church of St Catherine

Interior of St Catherine

A street in the old town

The St Peter and Paul Cathedral

The church of St Gotthardt

Interior of St Gotthartd

The Roland statue in front of the town hall

The Monastery of St Paul where the Archaeological museum is located

Halle (18/07/2019)

Another day another day-trip, this time to the city of Halle. After a 2h bus ride southwest of Berlin, I reached the bus station and got off continuing on foot. A historic town it was, like most other cities in Germany, damaged during WWII but probably not one of the most damaged as part of its center was spared from the bombings. As I approached the city center I passed by the Leipziger Turm, its name due to the nearby road heading out towards Leipzig. I then reached the city's main square, the Marktplatz, dominated by the main monuments. At its center stands the iconic and beautiful Roter Turm, or Red Tower, built during the 15th century as the bell tower for the nearby church of Our Lady, detached from the building as it was more typical in Italy rather than in Germany. Nearby, the Market Church of Our Lady, built during the 16th century using elements of two pre-existing churches. The four towers which crown its structure we added subsequently and together with the Red Tower characterize the city's skyline known in fact as the city of five towers. I decided to enter the church and admire the beautiful gothic interior, while someone played an enjoyable tune on the historic baroque organ granting a mystic atmosphere. The composer George Frideric Handel was baptized here and received his first organ lessons and in fact, a statue representing him now stands at the center of the square. After exiting the church, I then walked through some nicely preserved streets of the old town with pretty baroque and neoclassical buildings eventually reaching the Dom or Cathedral. Founded as a Dominican Monastery during the 13th century it was then later turned into the city's Cathedral by Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg in 1520 and modified as well. It featured a nice Gothic interior with Renaissance and Baroque additions such as the nice main altar. To the south of the cathedral, the Neue Residenz was built by the same Cardinal in order for the complex to become one of the most influential north of the Alps. It now features a beautiful courtyard that has been turned into a pretty garden filled with benches, sofas, and tables where to enjoy a drink or simply relax as if in a public park. Continuing my walk I then reached the large complex of the Moritzburg, a fortified castle built in the early renaissance style during the 15th century in order to become the residence of the Archbishops of Magdeburg. Its refurbished facade granted it a polished and nice view flanked by towers and a bridge over what used to be the moat surrounding it. The inner courtyard granted a view of the different structures characterizing the complex including the modern glass additions which now house, with the rest of the complex, the Art Museum. I decided to skip visiting the museum and instead headed on to reach the northern end of the city where the Giebichenstein Castle is located. Originally built during the 9th century it later became a royal residence of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and was later given to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg granting Halle a state of political autonomy by the 13th century. It now stands mostly in ruins with a few structures still standing, including the main keep's tower, all made in red brick which nicely contrasts with the greenery surrounding it. The lower part of the complex, with some baroque and neoclassical buildings, now house one of the campuses of the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design. As I had reached the limits of the city I decided to head back towards the city center by following the river Saale which flowed right below the castle. A nice pedestrian and cycling path ran along its bank which I followed until I reached a nice area with greenery and a small beach right on the river. Many people were enjoying the sunny weather and I decided to do so as well by taking off my shoes and lying on the sandy bank. After relaxing there for a while and having a dip with my feet in the water I then headed back along the route eventually reaching the city center once again. I passed by the church of St Moritz which I entered and admired its Gothic architecture from the 14th century. I then once more crossed the Marktplatz while admiring the main monuments, passed by the Neobaroque courthouse with beautifully painted facades, and reached the Stadtgottesacker, the city cemetery. Laid out during the 16th century, this renaissance cemetery is completely surrounded by walls in the style of the Italian Camposanto. I walked through it and then eventually exited and directing myself towards the bus station from where I took my bus back to Berlin.

The Marktplatz

Colorful houses on the Marktplatz

The so-called Red Tower

The Cathedral with the Neue Residenz

Interior of the Cathedral

The cloister of the Neue Residenz turned into a pretty garden

The Moritzburg complex

Giebichenstein Castle ruins

View of the Market Church of Our Lady

Magdeburg (17/07/2019)

The day after my trip to Dresden, I decided to head once more on a day-trip this time to the historic city of Magdeburg, just west of Berlin. After taking a bus I reached the city in just two hours' drive. Founded by Charlemagne, it is one of the oldest cities in Germany, and thanks to the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, it became an extremely important archbishopric just 100 years later. One of the largest and most prosperous cities in the Empire, it also spread throughout central and Eastern Europe its version of German town laws known as Magdeburg rights. Unfortunately, its demise came in 1631 when, during the Thirty Years' War, it was sacked by the Catholic League and a large part of the population was killed. The city then suffered another fatal blow during WWII when it was nearly completely destroyed by Allied bombings. So after reaching the bus station, I got off the bus and headed towards the city center on foot. I first reached and entered the Cathedral Church of St Sebastian, known as a Cathedral as it is the seat of the Catholic Church in the diocese. Built in 1170 in the Romanesque style, it was later turned into a Gothic structure in the 15th century after several fires had damaged it. From the Romanesque period remain the transept and the two towers of the facade typical of this area's architecture. From the church, it was then a short walk to reach the Domplatz, the large square next to the Magdeburger Dom, or the city's main Cathedral dedicated to Saints Maurice and Catherine. I first decided to walk around the building and first passed through what looked like the remains of some defensive structures. Known as Bastion Cleve this defensive tower, now just showing the foundations, was once part of the large fortress structure used to defend the city back in the 16th century. I then completed the tour of the Cathedral's perimeter and decided to enter and visit the interior. The first church was built in 937 which was then substituted by the current one begun in 1209 and completed 300 years later in 1520 with the two steeples reaching 99m and 100m in height respectively. It is considered as the country's oldest Gothic cathedral. Its height and size were impressive, and I marveled at the beautiful interior while walking along the main nave. As I reached the apse I then admired the tombstone where Emperor Otto I the Great was buried. To the south of the church building, I then went through a door and reached the cloister with beautiful greenery at its center and an interesting perspective of the side and towers. Its southern side was spared by a fire during the beginning of the cathedral's construction and thus featured some interesting Romanesque capitals. After a thorough visit of the Cathedral, I then headed out and crossed the Cathedral square to reach the so-called Grune Zitadelle or Green Citadel. This complex building made up of apartments, shops, cafes, etc, was supposed to be an "oasis for humanity and nature in a sea of rational houses" with its colorful and uncommon structure. In the sunlight, it gleamed and gave a sense of happiness and color and filled with trees and plants among buildings that were built during the communist and now modern times without character to their design. The structure was completed in 2005 and was the last design of the Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. To the north of the Cathedral square, I then passed by the Monastery of Our Lady built during the 11th century and now housing the city's art museum which I decided not to visit. Continuing on I then passed yet another church, dedicated to Saint John. A mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture with the former showing in its facade and towers and the latter in the rest of the building. It was closed so I continued a little further and reached the Alter Markt, the old town market square. At one end stands the town hall and close to it the typical Roland statue, the knight with the drawn sword signaling the town privileges of a medieval city in the Holy Roman Empire. Another structure, in from of the town hall was also the so-called Magdeburg Knight, a niche holding the sculpture of a knight on horseback. The current sculpture is a gilded bronze copy of a stone original from the 13th century now held in the city's art museum. As I continued northwards I then encountered two more religious buildings: the university church of St Peter, with a single thick romanesque steeple and gothic nave, with the gothic Magadelene Chapel standing apart from it to the south and the Wallon church built in Gothic style and completely rebuilt at the end of the 1960s after the war. Both were closed so that prompted me to head back towards the city center, this time by walking alongside the banks of the Elbe river. After a nice stroll, I reached the city center once again and decided to find a nice spot in the small park just south of the Cathedral to enjoy the sun and view. After relaxing for a bit there I then decided to have a last look at the impressively detailed facade of the city's main monument, the Cathedral, before finally heading back to the bus station from where I took my ride back to Berlin.

The Bastion Cleve and the Cathedral in the background

The southern side of the Cathedral

The Gothic interior of the Cathedral

View of the apse

The cloister

Hundertwasser's Green Citadel

The Alter Markt

The Roland statue

The Magdeburger's Dom impressive facade

Dresden (16/07/2019)

When I went to visit Ania for a few days in July, I decided to do a few day trips from Berlin while she worked. My first one was to the city of Dresden, the capital of the state of Saxony to the southeast of Berlin. After an early wake-up, I headed to take a bus which is about three hours took me to Dresden, once known as the Jewel Box because of its Baroque and Rococo city center. Unfortunately, and I would see it as I walked through the city, it's historical area had been heavily bombed and was completely destroyed alongside the death of 25 thousand inhabitants during WWII. The bombing was and still is considered controversial as the city was considered a cultural center and had no strategic interest during the war. After being dropped off in the Neustadt, or new city, part of the city, to the north of the historic center, I decided to walk in the direction of the main landmarks. Its Baroque aspect was quite evident thanks to the grand reconstruction carried out after the war. A little while after I then reached the banks of the Elbe, the large river winding its way through Germany eventually entering the sea in the proximity of Hamburg. The river was quite large already at this point in its course however not as deep as its mouth. It is here, that, thanks to some signal boards indicating it, the famous Venetian painted Canaletto, had painted views of the city. The Baroque spires of the city center were a marvel to admire from this point. From there, I then headed onwards and crossed the Elbe river by walking over the Augustus Bridge built at the beginning of the 20th century. The first bridge in that location had been built already in the 12th century, then substituted by one during the 18th century. As I crossed over I started to approach the Schlossplatz, one of the city's main squares. Most of it was under construction so the view was not complete, however, I could now admire the Baroque architecture from up close. I first decided to visit the Hofkirche, Dresden's Cathedral; built during the 18th century it is one of the burial sites of the House of Wettin, including some Polish monarchs such as Augustus III of Poland. Designed by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri it holds a nice bright interior with some elegant baroque decorations. The interesting thing about the building is that despite the population being predominantly Protestant, the ruler was Catholic and thus had the church built just for his own and other catholic officials' use. Badly damaged by the WWII bombings, it was then reconstructed and brought to its former aspect. From the church, I then followed one of the main streets lined by a beautiful mural called the Furstenzug. Originally painted 1871 and 1876 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Wettin Dynasty, Saxony's ruling family, it represents a mountain subsequent procession of rulers since the early times, starting with Margrave Conrad from the 12th century. To make it waterproof, between 1904 and 1907, it was substituted with Meissen porcelain ( the famous porcelain from the area) making it thus the largest porcelain artwork in the world at 102 meters in length. At the end of the street, I then reached the Neumarkt, probably the best-known square in the city. Almost completely destroyed during WWII, at its center stands the world-famous Frauenkirche which was closed at that moment so that meant I would come later to visit it. I walked further and then reached a staircase which brought me on top of the so-called Bruhl's Terrace, nicknamed the Balcony of Europe and stretching on the northern part of the old town along the bank of the Elbe river. Behind it stand some important buildings such as the Albertinum and Academy of Fine Arts which, as most of the city, have been restored to pre-war status. I admired the view from there and then descended back down through the old town reaching the Frauenkirche once again. It was now open so I decided to head and visit the interior. As mentioned, the church was completely destroyed during the war and left in ruin many years after. In 1994 a plan to reconstruct it was started and in eleven years the building was completed to show its original splendor. The interior which was reconstructed as last, featured beautiful whitewashed walls and paintings to imitate the original ones. Particularly impressive is the reconstructed baroque main altar and organ. After visiting the church, I headed onwards and reached the Dresden Castle, originally a Romanesque keep it was then expanded to become the residence of the electors and kings of Saxony and of Poland as well. It now consists of a museum complex comprising several collections that I decided to visit. After buying the combined ticket, I then entered through the southern entrance passing through a nice Renaissance covered courtyard which served as the main entrance for all the collections. I started out with the Green Vault, a world-famous museum, it is considered as one of the oldest in the world (the Vatican Museum being the oldest). It holds though the largest treasure collection in Europe, split among the so-called Old and New Green Vault. The historic part, which consists of the original green malachite rooms (restored after WWII) organized in 1723 under Augustus the Strong of Poland and Saxony, was unfortunately closed. Luckily though the rest was still open and as I walked through the collection, admired the beautiful objects displayed. There were some incredible pieces featured in gold, silver, and precious stones. Particularly noteworthy, among other amazing pieces, was a completely golden miniature set from 1708 representing the Grand Mogul's royal household in Delhi. From the New Green Vault, I then headed upstairs and entered several other rooms which consisted of the Dresden Armoury collection, one of the largest collections of ceremonial weapons, armor, and historical textiles. The collection followed a somewhat chronological order, starting from the 15th century all the way to the 18th century. Among the objects were some fine swords and armors some of which belonging to eminent figures. I particularly enjoyed the large room towards the end featuring parade and jousting figures dressed up with the original tournament clothing and weapons. Further on I passed yet another collection, also featuring weapons and amours but containing oriental pieces. Known as the Turkish Chamber, over the course of several centuries, diplomatic gifts, purchased objects, and booty gained in various battles against the Ottomans were assembled, creating one of the oldest and most significant collections of Ottoman art outside Turkey. From there I went onwards and decided to conclude my visit to the castle complex by climbing the Hausmannsturm, the castle's main tower. From there I had an incredible view of the surrounding old town and took the opportunity for some nice pictures. After my descent, and exiting the museum, I decided to have a stroll through the Zwinger complex right by the castle. The name usually a system used in the Middle Ages for a fortress part between the outer and inner fortress walls, however, the present case is actually a palatial complex with gardens and a clear example of the Baroque period. The gardens inside the complex were access-free, however, the buildings featured some important collections such as the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), which I had specifically come to visit but to my dismay was closed due to restoration work. In light of this unfortunate circumstance, I decided then to head through the city and reach the train station, from where I was able to take a local S-Bahn train and reach the nearby town of Pirna. In just about 20 minutes, I then reached this historic town on the banks of the Elbe river. Built on top of a rock formation right above the river, it features a nice old town that was largely spared during WWII. The town is infamously known for the killing of 15000 people that was undertaken between 1940 and 1941. In fact, the castle overlooking the town, which had been turned into a hospital during the Napoleonic wars, was later turned into a euthanasia center by the Nazis who used the structure to kill those who were suffering from psychological disorders and intellectual disability and considered to be unworthy of life. As I got off the train, I walked through the city center and eventually reached the town's main square, the Am Markt. Surrounded by typical Central European Baroque and Neoclassical buildings it featured the town hall at its center. Close by, I then decided to visit the church of St Mary, built at the beginning of the 16th century in a late Gothic style. Its vaulted ceiling was quite impressive to look at. From the town's main church I started the ascent of the hill located to the east whose top was crowned by the aforementioned Sonnenstein castle. Nothing of its ancient structure remains, particularly due to the transformation it suffered when it was turned into a hospital at the beginning of the 19th century. Nowadays the structure remains as a memorial to the victims who were brutally murdered by the Nazi extermination machine. Despite the grimness of the site, the park which encircled the castle was a joy to walk through and happy distraction from the former events. Tall trees lined the pathways leading up and down and a great view could be admired from the southwestern side of the hill overlooking the old town. After enjoying the panorama for a while I decided to head back down through the old town and attempt to cross the bridge connecting the two banks of the river. From the top of the bridge, I had a nice vantage point from which I was able to admire the old town as a whole, from the old houses' rooftops to the castle's structure overlooking the city. I then decided to head back to the train station from where I was able to catch a ride swiftly taking me into Dresden once more. As I traversed the city once more, I gazed one last time at the impressive reconstructed buildings and walked again along the Elbe's bank to admire the cityscape from that vantage point. I then reached the Neustadt train station from where I waited for the bus which eventually took me back to Berlin.

Dresden's cityscape

The Furstenzug mural

The famous Frauenkirche

The reconstructed Baroque altar and organ inside the Frauenkirche

View of the Neumarkt

One of the treasures of the Green Vault museum

The golden miniature representing the Grand Mogul's royal household at Delhi

The armours and weapons inside the Armory

View from the Dresden Castle

Dresden's rooftops from the Hausmannsturm

Pirna's main square, the Am Markt

The interior of the church of St Mary

View of Pirna from the Sonnenstein castle

Typical street in Pirna