Cruising the Elbe River and More Christmas in Dresden, Germany

Our first full day in Dresden was a busy day. We did a lot of walking but also cruised down the Elbe River. We finished our day in a taxi. There was a lot to see. We were thankful the weather was decent although it was still cold.

After we had a very large and generous hotel breakfast, we took off to begin our exploration. One of the first things we did was explore the main Christmas market in town. This is the market that claims to be the oldest in Germany. It is a great market. One aspect that makes it stand out is the decorations on each of the booths. Every booth has created something on the roof that represents their booth. They come in a variety of designs with some even having moving elements. They are a lot of fun, and it was hard not to photograph them all.

The other aspect of the market that makes it great is its variety of products. There are certainly food booths in the market, but there are probably about an equal number of booths selling products that people might want to buy. I particularly enjoyed looking at the booths selling the little German wood figures which Germany is famous for.

The market also has a children’s area along with some carnival rides for them.

We didn’t see all the booths but decided to move along. We next visited the Zwinger Palace famous for its Baroque architecture. This dates back to the early 1700s. Its large inner courtyard was a playground for royalty. Its Crown gate is its most photographed feature. The surrounding buildings contain some museums housing items from past periods of time. During our winter visit the courtyard area was not very attractive. Only some green lawns added color. I did find the architecture quite interesting. Silvette was not so impressed, however, so after taking some photos, we moved along.

I wanted to visit the large Catholic Church in town which is right in the center of everything. Unfortunately we couldn’t get in. It appeared a concert was in process so the doors were not open. I hope to make it inside tomorrow.

In wandering around we came across a rather unique Christmas market kind of hidden away from everything. This was the medieval Christmas market. The booths had a more rustic look to them, and the proprietors of the booths dressed in clothing that seemed to come from medieval time. They had a few unusual items for sale that we hadn’t seen at the other markets such as toy weapons and unique pottery.

One of the popular aspects of Christmas markets is the mulled wine. People seemed to look forward to drinking it. At the booths selling the wine, they have small mugs. These mugs are designed specifically for the markets. I mention this because at the Medieval market the mugs were terracotta. The mugs come with the purchase of the wine, however, if you don’t want the mug, you can return it and get your money back. Many people collect the various mugs from each year. The busiest spots at the markets are often the drinks booths as people stand around visiting with friends and then return the mugs.

After visiting the Medieval Christmas market, it was time for our cruise down the Elbe River. The boat was fairly large. It had areas with table for people to sit at and eat or drink. The refreshments cost extra, but many people bought them for the journey.

I was looking forward to learning about the various landmarks and buildings. I did learn some things, but sometimes the comments were hard to connect with an actual site. The announcer would start talking, and I wasn’t sure exactly what she was talking about. The information was recorded and given in both German and English.

I did learn a few things of interest. The local Jewish synagogue was built on the site of the former synagogue which had been bombed during the war. One of the bridges over the Elbe River was a little too modern and caused Dresden to lose its status as a World UNESCO site. The bridge also had a negative impact on a rare bat population.

There are three large castle up on the side of the hill overlooking the Elbe River. The announcer gave information about each one and how it came to be. The third one is now a resort hotel so if you want to stay in a castle, you can.

At one point the boat docked and let a couple of passengers off. I hadn’t expected that. Along the river on both sides were trails that people seemed to use on this beautiful day. We also passed by a funicular on the hillside.

Unfortunately the announcer gave the information regarding the main buildings in town last. Everyone was preparing to leave the boat so in the confusion I couldn’t hear the information well. That was disappointing. Overall the boat trip was nice but not something I would repeat.

After our boat ride on the Elbe River, we searched out some food as we were hungry. We then retreated to our hotel room to rest before our evening activity. Andrea had discovered a Christmas Garden in the area and wanted to visit it. The challenge was getting there. It was not close, and public transportation would take a long time. She finally decided on a taxi. The taxi picked us up at 5:00 pm, and it took about 35 minutes to get to the garden.

The garden is in front of the Pillnitz Palace. The experience was not what I expected. I had been to other Christmas Garden events, but this was different. When we entered, we were in front of the palace. They had some classical music playing, and the lights would change and move along with the music. The lights illuminated the palace building as well as the lawn in front and some trees. The music lasted about five minutes, and then the program began again. We moved around on a path which gave us different angles on the grounds.

From this spot we entered onto a trail which we would follow for the rest of the experience. There are too many things to share everything. In some places the lights were used to created various creatures from squirrels to deer to butterflies and bees. Colorful lights shone on the leafless trees highlighting them. The colors were often bold and not necessarily Christmas in nature, but certainly unique.

There were two ponds. In the second one a fountain changed flow and colors with the music that accompanied it to make an interesting show.

Near the end of the trail we were back near a building, and again there was a light program illuminating the building. The lights highlighted the architectural lines of the building while accompanied by music.

After leaving the gardens we encountered a small ice skating rink. At a nearby hotel we called for another taxi and then waited for it to show up in the warm lobby.

Our day ended back at the Christmas market. I was looking for something specific I wanted to eat as I was hungry again. I didn’t have cash, and that was proving a problem. Eventually I found a place that took credit cards, and I had my first handbrot. A handbrot is freshly baked bread with cheese and either ham or mushrooms inside. They are topped with sour cream and chives. It was actually pretty tasty.

With that our adventures for the day ended. There is still a lot to see in Dresden so join me next week as we continue to discover some unique and unexpected places in Dresden.