Dresden

With majestic baroque architecture and numerous world-renowned museums and art collections, Dresden has been called “Elbflorenz” (“Florence of the Elbe”). Capital of the state of Saxony, Dresden in the 20th century was a leading European center of art, classical music, culture and science until its complete destruction by Allied bombing on February 13, 1945. Forty years of urban development during the East German socialist era considerably changed the face of the city. However, restoration work has helped to reconstruct much of the historic inner city, including the Residenzschloss, the Semperoper and the Frauenkirche Dresdner. Since reunification in 1990, Dresden has reemerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic center of Germany. On either side of the city, terraced vineyards dotted with historic villas extend along the Elbe River.