Schloss Pillnitz bei Dresden

Charming summer residence of the electors and kings and kings of Saxony built in baroque style in the 1720s.  More information.

Schloss Pillnitz viewed from the air

And from the bicycle

Isn't this boat fabulous

Dresden's Katholische Hofkirche, Zwinger and Castle from the air

I have to admit that my inner child just loves baroque architecture.

Dresden's Zwinger (rear), part of the castle (left) and The Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony (Katholische Hofkirche)

The one thing about photography from the air is that you don't get two goes at it, and especially when you're trying not to fly too close over buildings it can be difficult to frame the building that you want.  So this is a better picture of the castle, sorry we don't have anything of the Semperoper or anything better of the Zwinger.

Except for from the ground of course: Julian at the Zwinger

Dresden's Frauenkirche viewed from above and below

Sorry about the recent break, my internet allowance ran out for the month and my phone's data connection was too slow to upload photos...  So here are two photos at once.


Dresden has a long history.  When you look at these beautiful baroque buildings you wouldn't guess that the city was flattened in an ah controversial air attack in 1945.  

Despite the communist party's dislike of kings, capitalists and religion, surprisingly many of Dresden's beautiful buildings were rebuilt under communist rule, according to the desire of the local citizens.  I always thought that the communist party was much more repressive than this, but maybe this was just the case for the difficult city, Berlin, and maybe communist repression was otherwise exaggerated to some extent in the anti communist children's books of my youth.

The Frauenkirche (church of our lady) was not amongst those buildings picked for rebuilding first.  I think this was more to do with money than politics though.  Upon reunification a worldwide private subscription drive raised the millions necessary to leave it looking several hundred years old again.

Dresden's Frauenkirche from the air

And from the ground.  Sometimes I wish I'd had one of those fancy DSLRs with massive lenses on our trip so that I could get as good a quality shot from the air as from the ground.  I just keep telling myself that it probably would have taken me the 2 years to get good photos from it while moving anyway...