We got to the train station about 10:00 and did our best to decipher the German and buy tickets for the day. Many places we visited had a family ticket that was good on all forms of transport (train, bus, tram, metro), or else we could buy a day ticket for each of us and Mim & Si were often free. The kids were really impressed in Dresden with the double-decker trains, and it was fun to ride on top and get a better view of the city.
Dresden was such a sad place for me. I'm not really sure why I chose it to be honest. I think I wrote a report about the bombing of Dresden when I was in 8th grade, and so it tugged at my heart strings. Originally we planned to drive up to Berlin, but decided that was too far north, so I chose Dresden as our stopping place. As we rode the train into the city I wasn't even sure what we were going to see or do.
Before WWII Dresden was known as the "Jewel Box" because it of it's many beautiful baroque buildings, but the city center was virtually destroyed during the Allied bombing in February 1945. Traveling through the city there were places that you could tell had never been rebuilt. After the war Dresden was part of the GDR (East Germany) and so a lot of rebuilding didn't even begin until 1990 after reunification with West Germany.
Despite the tragic history of the city, it turned out to be full of beautiful things to see, amidst a lot of rough neighborhoods and parched August gardens and parks.
We walked toward the aldstadt (old town) and on our way stopped in the market square. My favorite part of any European City.
Once again it was Sunday so it was hard to find a place to eat, but we settled for some street food; pizza and bratwursts. From there we walked to a passage-way I read about on Pinterest or somewhere called "Kunsthofpassage."