Dresden

The splendour of the Saxon capital Dresden made it one of the great courts of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The city staggered travellers then and now. Its Baroque opulence equalled anything in Europe before devastating bombing in 1945. But its most lavish buildings have been brought back to their old brilliance and the treasures of the Saxon court have been reassembled for visitors to marvel at.

The palace complex with its Baroque court church has a unique mosaic mural that depicts the princes of the Wettin dynasty. The Saxon jewels have been assembled in two extraordinary museums. A Rococo pleasure pavilion near the palace complex, complete with fountains, houses more museums.

Baroque precincts have been rebuilt after the bombing, along with the precious round Frauenkirche. A terraced area along the Elbe is the site for more cultural attractions and a landscaped garden. Further palaces are near the city and will be linked forever with the mighty Elbe castle Festung Königstein.