| On the left bank of the Elbe you'll find a plethora of architectural wonders, many still slightly charred from the fire-bombings. Along with the Zwinger and the Frauenkirche, Dresden is chock full of historical sites. The 1738-54 baroque Cathedral hides a crypt containing relics, including the glass-encased heart of Augustus the Strong. The Kreuzkirche, 1764-1800, has an in-house choir: it looks out over Altmarkt Square, a marketplace dating back to 1370 and completely destroyed in 1945, but since rebuilt. The Kulturpalast at the north end of the Altmarkt began hosting trade shows in 1969; now it is an exhibition space. The Albertinum is Dreseden’s second fine arts museum and archive. The New Synagogue is an impressive complex being built to replace the old synagogue, destroyed in 1938, and to commemorate the crimes and losses of the Holocaust. Grosser Garten Park is Dresden’s king-sized green space. Volkswagen’s giant Transparent Factory towers at the city’s edge; SEA LIFE is Dresden’s state-of-the art aquarium.
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| The Dresden Frauenkirche boasts a large baroque dome, an engineering feet completed in 1743; the dome collapsed in 1945. |
| Next door to the Frauenkirche is the Zwinger, a huge complex of museums built in a stately old palace. Inside you'll find the Old Masters’ Picture Gallery, the Rustkammer (armory), the Porcelain Collection, the Mathematische-Physicalische Salon, and the Zoological Museum. |
| The Semper Opera House is one of the most gorgeous theaters in the world. It was built in 1838-41 by Gottfried Semper; it burned down in 1869 and again in 1945, but its 1985 reconstruction has stood strong. |
| The Royal Palace, first erected in the 15th century, has also survived a number of fires: it is still under reconstruction today, destined to become an art center complete with a recreated “Green Vault” Treasury and Cabinet of Drawings. |
| This is VW's new glass factory, built specially to make their new super-luxury car the Phaeton (so much for the "people's car"). The lofty concept behind the factory has something to do with transparency (literal and figurative) in car making. In reality it's just a fascinating building (the entire complex has been designed to within an inch of its life), a cool way to see cars get assembled.... |
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