I am a 23 year old student, studying at the University of Manchester. I am from Durham in the North ...
I am a 23 year old student, studying at the University of Manchester. I am from Durham in the North East and enjoy travelling!
Member since:23.01.2004
Reviews:26
Members who trust:7
Although this does not at first glance resemble a traditional castle it is still a spectacular attraction. Home to the Kings of Saxony fro generations it was given over to the local government after World War One. Sadly during the Second World War it was destroyed along with the rest of Dresden's architectural treasures.
The rebuilding work that is going on in Dresden has focused on many of the more famous buildings, e.g. the Fraunekirche and the Zwinger. However, a small group of experts took the decision to fund the restoration of Dresden's 'castle' in the mid-nineties. With little in the way of funding and working from the ground up this group has done a spectacular job and does not plan to give up unitl restoration is complete.
What now exists of the Residenzschloss is meagre in comparison to what must have been there. The ruins, which they hope to finally restore in the the 2020's stretch from the Frauenkirche to the banks of the Elbe. About 30-40% of the original has now been expertly restored and is in my opinion one of the best feats of restoration considering how underfunded and how little priority was given to the Residenzschloss.
Most of the eastern wing of the catsle is now standing and althought the interior has yet to be restored to it's former oppulence, there are numerous excellent exhibits to view. The entrance fee is about 3 Euros and is worthwhile as this includes admission to the restored catsle tower which, in my opinion offers the best views of Dresden. From here you can really appreciate the damage that was done on February 13th 1945 and also the work that has gone into restoring Dresden since then.
Below the tower is a collection of masterpieces that were salvaged and restored after the war. Amongst these are works from Albrecht Durer and Cranach the Younger and Cranach the Elder. If you look out of the windows on your way down from the tower you can see into the castke court yard, half of which has been fully restored and half of which has not been touched since the end of the war. Only then can you really appreciate how badly Dresden was devestated, and what treasures were lost.
The castle also contains an exhibition about the bombing of Dresden, this does not focus as much on the destruction but more on the experiences of individual victims and therefore helps to add a touch of humanity to the idea we have of the destruction of a city.
Overall the castle is a very good attraction to visit if you have an interest in the restoration of Dresden, if not it is still worthwhile to compare the before and after looks!
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