Day Four - Really Cold in Colditz

Europe » Germany » Saxony » Dresden
December 23rd 2007

Published: April 8th 2008

It got mighty cold last night but by staying under my fluffy down comforter I stayed warm. I just hope none of my appendages were sticking out as I slept. I don't need a repeat of last year's brain-numbing flu. Once again Tyler was the last one ready for breakfast. When we finally were ready we headed downstairs to the totally quiet and deserted breakfast room. The smells of hot coffee let us... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

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Old Goat

I prepare to take us out of Colditz and on to Dresden.

Colditz Christmas Pyramid

Last Glance of the Castle

Gail took this photo from the front of the old seemingly abandoned train station in Old Colditz. Many of the escape stories about Colditz involve the prisoners making their way here to hop on trains taking them Southwest toward Switzerland.

Podelwitz Schloss

About ten minutes outside of Colditz we chanced upon this castle sitting smack dab in the middle of farm country. It seemed out of place.

Yeah, I Know It Looks Like the Same Photo,

but this shot shows the huge birdhouse while the previous shot reminds me of the name of the place.

Podelwitz Castlegrounds

I thought the late morning frost added a lustre to objects below.

The Monstrous Birdhouse

While I took pictures of the castle/guesthouse at a distance, Gail got closer to this massive birdhouse. Just after taking this picture about 50 pigeons came flying out and freaked her out.

Where to Find the Sights of Dresden

It's a bit hard to see through the glare of the glass covering, but this map indicates that most of the touristy stuff is right along the river, concentrated near the Zwinger.

A Real Zwinger

After daring to park on a totally deserted street nearby, we walked along the moat of the Zwinger Palace hoping to find a way inside. It was freezing cold along the waterside and in the shade.

So That's How You Get In

We could tell that the Zwinger was undergoing some renovation work (what historic site in Europe isn't?) because the stonework on the buildings was two different colors. Some of the buildings had already been sandblasted and had their copper roofs cleaned while others were much darker and dingier.

Ugly But Still Interesting

Nice Place, eh?

It was cold but sunny and the fountains weren't operating but we could easily imagine just how beautiful this place would be in the Summer. We're in the courtyard here with the Armor Museum straight ahead of us.

Nymphenbad

We were in a hurry to squeeze in as much as we could in just a few hours so we really didn't explore the Zwinger. This is where the Nymphenbad is located. It's another courtyard with an ornate Baroque fountain surrounded by naked nymph statues. In the warmer months the fountain spits water out at the nudie statues and passing tourists.

A Whole New World

We zipped past the Historical and Art Museums housed in the Zwinger and instead exited on the opposite side of the courtyard. Here we entered a time portal to the past. We had heard lots of great things about Dresden and took some of them with a grain of salt, but we were greatly surprised by just how much there was to see and do here.

Into the Theaterplatz

As we stood in the portico of the Zwinger we were enthralled by the glory of Dresden's past. Even though these buildings had been destroyed during the War they were now restored to their old glory and standing here I felt like I was back in the late 19th Century.

Semperoper

This is one of Europe's most famous and prestigious opera houses. Although destroyed by World War II like other buildings in this area, it was fully restored years before the nearby churchs were.

Katholische Hofkirche

This is the Catholic Church in old Dresden. It was much more ornate on the exterior than it was inside. Perhaps since it has only been very recently restored the inside is awaiting future decorating.

Dresden's "Bridge of Sighs"

This is part of the Residenzschloss, the former Royal Palace.

Good King John of Saxony

I never heard of this guy, but King John has a statue sitting right in the center of the Theaterplatz. You'd think this guy conquered Macedonia back in the Middle Ages, but John's claim to fame was as a patron and contributer to the arts in early 19th Century Dresden.

On Guard Before the Semperoper

We really should've taken the time to visit this famed opera house, but now we have something to look forward to next time. And there will definitely be a "next time".

Stepping-up in Dresden

We took a few minutes to enjoy the great views from the elevated riverwalk looking back on this area, called the "Schlossplatz", or palace square. That's the Katholische Hofkirche and the palace. At about this point we started to notice more and more locals out for a Sunday walk.

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Day Four - Really Cold in Colditz

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