Dresden is the capital of the state of Saxony and the city lies in the old East Germany two or three hours south of Berlin – close to the border of the Czech Republic and not far from Poland, either. From the moment you arrive you see the Soviet influence left in its architecture. You also see two Dresdens, the new and old.

On Bruhl’s terrace overlooking the River Elbe.

We chose to stay in the heart of the Altstadt (old city) which is a reminder of its past. Much of Dresden was destroyed by Allied forces in February of 1945. The city has rebuilt most of it in its original state.

We weren’t quite sure whether most of the restored buildings were functional or facades?

Ms X was fond of two murals in particular:

The Procession of Princes which is a 105mt porcelain tiled mural depicting all the ‘important’ people with titles from the 1100s to 1904. It’s pretty impressive.

The other is the reminder of the Soviet times which is on the Building of Culture.

A visit the small village of Loschwitz to show another side of Dresden was a chance for Mx to negotiate trams and buses. A lovely ‘niece Charlotte-look a like’ took us under her wing when on one bus. I wanted to practise my Deutsch and she in turn wanted to practise her English! She kindly made sure we got off at the correct stop.

Our interest in history led us to the GDR Stassi Prison to read the stories of former prisoners and to see the conditions in which they were held. Interesting to read that Vladimir Putin was stationed there early in his career.

The people in Dresden were a highlight. So friendly, patient and appreciative of our visit.

All in all, Dresden was wunderbar!