Dresden, Florence on the Elbe

Dresden is often referred to as "Florence on the Elbe" due to its abundant artistic and architectural treasures. The city was once one of the most important cultural centers of Europe, and it still boasts numerous museums, galleries, and historic landmarks that attract visitors from all over the world.

I continue exploring the city and visit the most famous landmarks.

Indeed, the main landmark here might be called the Elbe river. It is a nice type of activity to visit the riverbank and enjoy the dawn or sunset. I am not sure if it is good to swim there, but some people were doing it.

One of the most amazing views on the city is available from the clock tower of the royal palace. So, I climbed 200 steps and enjoyed the picturesque panorama.

Next stop was at the Zwinger Palace, which houses a good collection of art and antiquities. I simply could not but visit this gallery.

I was bored at the end of the day, frankly speaking. Probably, even one day is really enough to devote to exploring the city. Still, it is always a good idea to spend the morning in the new place. So, I do not regret that I have stayed here for a night.

Dresden, Demolished and restored

 

I have decided to go to the German city, which is very close to Prague, and which is very often offered for a weekend-trip for those who are staying in Prague. It is Dresden, the capital of Saxony, 150 kilometres to the north from Prague.

Dresden is divided into two parts by the river Elbe: the new town (Neustadt) and the old town (Altstadt). I have found an affordable hotel in the Neustadt, which is very famous among younger people, because you can discover there an alternative lifestyle rivalling what you would find, for example, in Berlin.

During the World War II, the bombing raids on February 1945 almost destroyed this German city. So, those raids became a symbol of the “terror bombing” campaign against Germany.

However, in the decades following the war, Dresden underwent a remarkable transformation, with many of its iconic buildings and cultural landmarks being restored to their former glory.

Dresden is known primarily for its Baroque buildings. And there are three major architectural landmarks in Dresden: the Baroque Zwinger Palace, Semperoper opera house and the Church of Our Lady (the Frauenkirche).

The rest of the day I have spent in the Neustadt walking, eating and drinking. One of the most amazing impressions was meeting the sunset on the open field...

Karlovy Vary, Mineral Water

It was a nice awakening, cheerful shower and good breakfast with fresh coffee. So, now I am ready to start another page of my life.

In the early morning I went for a walking. I like it very much that the city is huddled by wooded hills from all sides.

In fact, there are three mountain ranges nearby: the Ore Mountains, the Doupov Mountains and the Slavkov Forest.

Eventually, I have decided to climb one of the nearby hills and admire the outlook of the city from an aerial view.

Later I went to the bus station to meet my old friend from Novosibirsk. She came here to spend one day specifically with me. Together we have observed the town, have had a nice lunch at some restaurant and had drunken coffee in the symbolic cafeteria Elefant.

Of course, the part of our entertainment was drinking mineral water from all accessible springs. It is for free :)

My friend has left me, because she had a return ticket to Prague. Meanwhile, I have decided to visit the open swimming pool at Thermal Saunia, where I could enjoy thermal water with temperature of 38 C. Such a useful activity for body and mind.

My weekend is almost over. Tomorrow I leave Karlovy Vary and return to my work. It was such a perfect weekend, indeed. Without any doubts, I would like to repeat it another time.

Karlovy Vary, Another Birthday

Karlovy Vary is a famous resort town in the Czech Republic, and it has always been extremely popular among Russian people, who were arriving here to improve their health with the mineral water from the hot springs. Still, I came here for a weekend not to heal my body, but to have a short rest and to celebrate my birthday.

In fact, I have been living in Czechia for three months already. I have the residence permission, because I have signed the working contract with the local company. In spite of all nasty things happening around, I am quite satisfied with my staying in the beautiful city of Prague, but from time to time I am trying to choose some point of destination to explore, to have some relax and to recharge the batteries.

I travelled from Prague to Karlovy Vary by bus, because it is cheaper and faster in comparison to trains. Frankly speaking, I have been in this city before, but it was almost 12 years ago, when I first visited the Czech Republic. However, at this time I have noticed that the city is not as busy as it was before. Probably, it is the consequence of COVID-time, and less people may afford spend money on spa procedures. Still, the city looks pretty and neat.

For stopping over I have chosen a small run-family hotel in such a solitude place, in 3 kilometres from the bus station. The room is small, but quite comfortable for one person and it is very clean.

After having lunch at the hotel I headed for the city center. My route was along the Tepla river, which crosses the town. On the both sides of the narrow river I could see the attractive buildings of the hotels and sanatoriums. So, the entire city center can be superbly called a show of architectural jewels. Actually, these buildings are mostly from the 19th century in the style of historicism and Art Nouveau.

I have decided to visit all significant springs in Karlovy Vary and to try the mineral water. Of course, I do not expect to be healed during two days of drinking water, but still it may help to improve my digestion after having the lunch. In fact, there are 15 springs, which are made available to the public, and 12 springs are commonly used for drinking. Each of the 15 springs differs in the temperature (from 30 to 75 C) and the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide, so the specific spring can be prescribed for a certain disease. 

My celebration dinner was at the small restaurant near my hotel. They serve here fresh oysters and have a good variety of wines. It was the very nice ending of the day, and the very nice starting of my new year.

Tomorrow my friend is going to visit me in Karlovy Vary. It must be fun.