=== What to see ===
==== Neumarkt and Downtown ====
Dresden is my home town, when I was living as a kid in East Germany. It's still amazing to me what transformation this town has gone through in the last 25 years. When I was 10 years old, most of the downtown area was still in ruins, including the '''Frauenkirche''' right in front of the hotel. Make sure you go inside for a visit, and go to the top of the dome for a look around Dresden. The church is partially reconstructed from existing pieces that came from the rubble, and were reinserted into their original spots. That's why parts of the outside looks like a mosaic. On the way out of the church, you'll notice a crumbled metal cross at the exit. It's the original cross that was found in the rubble. The new cross that is now on top of the church was donated by a gold smith from London. His father had taken part in the air raid. The church was entirely reconstructed out of private donations, the largest donations coming from the US.
The area around the '''Frauenkirche''' is called the '''Neumarkt''' and has some good shops and restaurants. On the southern end is a small alley called '''Muenzgasse''', at the lower end (towards the river) is a bratwurst stand that has some of the best grilled brats that you can find in Germany. Up the stairs from here is the '''Bruehlsche Terrasse'''. Head towards the left (towards the old stone bridge), and you'll find the '''Royal Palace''', the '''Royal Church''' and further down the '''Semper Opera house'''. Crossing the square in front of the opera house, you'll find the entrance to the '''Zwinger''', a baroque palace areal with different museum and exhibits in its wings. You can use the stairs on the northern end to get up on the upper level to find the fountains and sculptures hidden in the corners. The southern end has a Glockenspiel made of Meissen Porcelain, you'll hear it while you're there. Walk through the gate and back into the old city, and head back towards the church. Along the way is the '''Fuerstenzug''', a 300 ft long mural entirely made of porcelain that shows all the ancestral portraits of the Wettin Dynasty, the ruling family of Saxony in these days. The creator of the mural has a cameo in the procession, it is the last figure depicted. ==== Green Vault and Old Masters Gallery ====Before doing anything else, have the hotel staff help you making reservations for the '''Green Vault''', a museum that houses some of the most precious artifacts that the Saxon king collected. Don't miss to see that, but you have to get a reserved spot, and you most likely won't get tickets for the same day (sometimes not even for the next day). The '''Green Vault''' is a 5 minute stroll from your hotel. In addition, worth seeing is the '''Old Masters Gallery''' housed in the '''Zwinger''' wing near the '''Semper Opera''' house. One of the more famous paintings there is the '''Sistine Madonna''' by Raphael, but there are plenty of other famous paintings to see here. ==== Altmarkt ====If you keep walking past the church and past the '''Steigenberger Hotel''' crossing the street behind it, you'll find the '''Altmarkt''' square with '''city hall'''. There is typically always something going on in this square, it is also the place for the longest running christmas market in Europe. You can follow the pedestrian mall that follows the square all the way to the train station, there are loads of shops in this street. If you still have a need for something to bring home, here is probably the place. ==== Steam boat ride on the river ====Right in front of the '''Muenzgasse''' exit to the river, there is a '''historic steam boat fleet''' (https://www.dresden.de/en/tourism/attractions/sights/city_region/saxon-steamship-company.php) that offers excursions up the river. With some luck, you may get same day tickets if you're early, otherwise reserve for the next day. Make sure to get a trip on one of the old steam ships, not the more modern diesel powered ships. A trip up to '''Pillnitz castle''' (and back) gives you some nice views of Dresden along the river and takes about 3 hours or so. ==== Canaletto view ====Head across the '''Augustusbruecke''' stone bridge, and head towards the left along the river. The view you're seeing there is called the '''Canaletto view''', painted by Canaletto back in 1749.[[File:Bernardo_Bellotto,_il_Canaletto_-_View_of_Dresden_from_the_Right_Bank_of_the_Elbe_with_the_Augustus_Bridge_-_WGA01824.jpg|900px]] == Moving on... ==To get from Dresden to [[Berlin]], there are fast trains running every other hour, and the train ride takes less than two hours. Since it is a relatively short ride, an upgrade to 1st class isn't really necessary. However, make sure to have reserved seats, this leg can be quite busy. As an alternative, you can rent a car for the rest of the trip. However (even though I said different earlier), I recommend against it for this leg, since you'll have that car in Berlin, but no real need for it. It's pretty though to find parking in Berlin, so I'd say wait with the rental car for the next leg from Berlin onward.