The Old and the New
Trip Start
May 25, 2007
1
59
73
Trip End
Oct 29, 2007
Dresden,
Germany
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
After reading some favorable reviews I decided that I'd stop in Dresden on my way to Prague. It's a neat place. After being bombed flat in WWII they've rebuilt much of the old parts of the city, but right next door there are new ultra modern buildings and shops. The dichotomy is more apparent here than in most other cities. To me, at least.
The old part of the city includes the old Prussian palace, the beautiful opera hall, a hugely long outdoor frieze, and the obligatory massive churches
dresden01
. The Protestant Frauenkirche dominates the main square, and comes with an awesome history. After surviving the 7 years war (the cannonballs just bounced off the dome) it was destroyed by the Allies in WWII. The pieces of the church were saved, and in the 1990's they decided to put the church back together again, and make it look like it did before it was destroyed. I liked it a lot.In the rain, I stumbled upon another protest march/parade. This time people were gathered to fight against a proposed bridge over the Elbe. It seems the bridge is to go through the Elbe valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The bike-cabbie I talked to said this debate has gone on for years without anyone really doing anything one way or the other. So yes, Dresden in just another city with problems, just like everywhere else.
The hostel I stayed at was pretty cool, save for the road construction right outside the window. Not much happened for me there, but I was comfy and did meet the most uptight backpacker you could imagine. If I was his buddy I would have stuffed him in a box and sent him home long ago.
The two nights there was enough to get a decent feel for the city. Check it out if you're in the area.
Prague has the reputation of being a beautiful, crazy place. I wonder...
