Dresden’s Old Town Free Tour: Disneyland or Real City?

Can Dresden’s Old Town still be called Baroque if many of its buildings are less than 100 years old?

On this tour, we’ll explore Dresden’s history and the events that shaped the city we see today. Would Dresden have become a Baroque city if Augustus the Strong had not received the Polish crown? And would Dresden look different today if it had not been part of the German Democratic Republic?

Much of Dresden’s history is written in its sandstone. Dark stones tell stories of the old city, while lighter stones bear witness to its reconstruction after 1945. But sandstone is only part of Dresden today: concrete, glass and plastic have also become part of the cityscape.

The bombing raids of February 1945 left Dresden largely in ruins. Today, however, the city can sometimes appear as if this history had never happened. How has Dresden dealt with the trauma of the war? How does its past continue to influence the city and its politics?