A new old landmark of the town is the rebuilt Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) with its mighty dome. It was built in 1743 and then practically destroyed completely in the 2nd world war. 60 years later it was reopened with great pomp and ceremony on 30th October 2005, and today attracts thousands of visitors every day. The most beautiful building in the town is the Dresden Zwinger Palace in the centre of the old town. With its gilded crown gate, the broad inner courtyard and the playful pavilions it is regarded as the most significant late Baroque building in Germany. Also world famous is the Semper Opera house, named after its architect Gottfried Semper. It was opened in 1878, destroyed at the end of the 2nd world war and rebuilt in 1985. With its architecture in the style of the Italian high renaissance and its unique acoustics it is regarded as one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. A mere short hop away is the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace)  – a gem of German palace architecture and former centre of power of the Saxonian prince-electors and kings. Worth a look is the Stallhof, one of the oldest preserved tournament arenas in the world, and the famous Fuerstenzug (procession of the dukes) on the north wall of the “long passage” with its almost 100 life-size figures of nobility, military personnel and 35 rulers of the Wettin dynasty.

There are about 30 museums in Dresden, and many of these are world-class. The most famous is surely the Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister (Portrait Gallery of Old Masters) within the Zwinger Palace, one of the most significant collections of paintings in the world. Besides countless works by Rubens, Titian and Vermeer also the historical views of Dresden by Canaletto and the “Sistine Madonna” by Raphael with the famous little angels at her feet are displayed here. The Zwinger also contains the world’s largest collection of chinaware  in a museum founded by August the Strong with treasures from Asia and by Meißen, the well-know chinaware manufacturer. Something else world famous is the Gruene Gewoelbe (“Green Vault”)  in the Royal Palace. Jewellery, gold and precious stones battle for attention in this richest treasury museum in Europe. The best-known exhibits are the Golden Coffee Set of August the Strong, the Cherry Stone with its 186 countenances and the collection of golden figures “Royal Household of the Grand Mogul Aureng-Zeb”. You can take a trip into antiquity with the collection of sculptures in the Albertinum (Albertinum Sculpture Selection) on the Bruehl Terrace containing works from more than five milennia. Also worth a visit is the Deutsche Hygiene-Museum (German Hygiene Museum, www.dhmd.de). Besides its ‘Transparent Man’ and other historical exhibits there are also exhibitions of modern health topics to be seen in this museum opened in 1930.

Theatres and concert venues abound in this capital of Saxony. The Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and the DresdnerKreuzchor, one of the oldest and best known boys’ choirs in the world, are just a couple of the highlights of this rich cultural landscape. Also included are the Staatsoperette, Europe’s last stage to perform only operettas and musicals, the Schauspielhaus (state theatre) in the Zwinger Palace, Dresden’s most important theatre, and the Komoedie Dresden (comedy theatre), the largest private theatre in Saxony. Also don’t forget the legendary Semperoper: One of the oldest and most traditional orchestras in the world, the SaechsischeSaxonian State Orchestra, formed in 1548, the famous DresdnerOpernchor, and the resident ballet ensemble all perform there. If you like satirical theatre you could do no better than visit the famous Herkuleskeule, the best satirical theatre in Germany for centuries. Tickets are in short supply for all these venues, so please make your bookings in good time!

The Innere Neustadt (centre of the new town) has practically been kept secret, and is only one Elbe bridge away from the old town. Dresden’s most famous monument, the golden statue of August the Strong on horseback is directly on the Neustaedter Markt. The Hauptstrasse goes off from here, a pedestrian and commercial boulevard edged with plane trees, and leads to the two large fountains on the Albertplatz. Worth a look on the high street are the old handicraft businesses in the baroque Kunsthandwerker-Passage and the historical Neustaedter Markthalle with its tempting specialities. Parallel to the Hauptstrasse runs Dresden’s “noble mile” the Koenigsstrasse with its exclusive boutiques and chic designer stores in lovingly renovated classical town houses. The famous Dresden shopping mile, the Pragerstrasse, on the other hand, is in the old town. Today it contains a myriad of shops, hotels, cinemas and restaurants, having been masterfully restored after its destruction in 1945. The Altmarkt (old market), and the oldest square in Dresden, is only a couple of hundred metres away from here, with its residential and business buildings in “socialistic baroque” style

What would Dresden be without its Elbe palaces? Three of them are neighbours artistically distributed between the old town and the Blue Marvel bridge on the softly sloping riverbanks. The first of these, Schloss Albrechtsberg, was built in the middle of the 19th century in the style of a Latin renaissance villa for Prince Albert of Prussia. The next, Villa Stockhausen – also named the Lingner-Schloss after one of its owners, the inventor of Odol mouthwash Karl August Lingner – was originally built for the chamber man of Prince Albert and is a smaller version of the Albrechtsberg. The third in the series is the neo-gothic Schloss Eckberg, modelled on an old English Tudor gothic style of the 16th century, and today housing a hotel. A little higher up the Elbe there is Schloss Pillnitz, the former summer residence of the Wettin dynasty. This ornate pleasure palace was reached with Venetian gondolas in the times of the prince electors and was the place for glorious celebrations. Today it houses the museum of arts and crafts. Also worth a look is the ample garden with water games, an orangery, a palm house and a Chinese pavilion. The most famous plant is the 9 metre high Pillnitz camellia. Rumour has it that this plant was brought over to Dresden from Japan towards the end of the 18th century. In winter, it is protected by a mobile greenhouse.

Were you aware that Karl May never in fact saw the Wild West at all? His novels on Winnetou and Old Shatterhand were composed at his own desk in Radebeul near Dresden. Today the official Karl-May-Museum is located at his former house “Villa Shatterhand”. The reception, workroom and library of the author have been restored true to their original historic condition. There are replicas of the legendary weapons: “Henry Carbine”, “Bear Killer”, and “Silver Gun” can be admired. In the neighbouring block-house, Villa Baerenfett, the lifestyle of Indians in North America is exhibited. Here, youngsters can fulfil a dream: coming face to face with life-size figures from the Sioux or Iroquois tribes. The annual highlight is the Karl-May-Celebration in spring. The Wild West comes alive in the Radebeul Loessnitz grounds, with gold-washing camp, Tipi-village and a military fort.