Dresden became a city in 1206 and recently celebrated its 800th birthday in 2006.
It was home to many Saxon princes and kings, the most famous of them being August der Starke (heyyyyyyAugustus the Strong), whose kingdom included Poland as well. They apertained to the family of the Wettiner and were closely related to many other European royal families. Many buildings date from their reign and especially the rich art collections are testimony of their extreme wealth. The "Madonna Sixtina" was for instance bought by the son of August the Strong. The last Saxon king abdicated in 1918.
The main shopping district in Dresden extends from Ferdinandplatz to the west of Sankt-Petersburger Straße northwest to about Wilsdruffer Straße (search for Altmarkt). At the south end (Ferdinandplatz) is a cinema, a couple of restaurants, and a huge Karstadt department store (which also sells groceries). On the north end is a covered mall.
Within the historic center and especially around the Frauenkirche are a number of restaurants, serving many different tastes. Be aware, most of these are overpriced, and the quality is often low. On the north bank of the Elbe River is the Neustadt, which accounts for most of the trendy pubs, bars and clubs, and the majority of the restaurants in the city. You will generally have better luck finding decent food for a reasonable price north of Albertplatz in Neustadt.
The Neustadt is a very popular destination, especially for younger people. It has a high number of bars and clubs, with many different styles. Especially the area around Alberplatz is filled with places to go.
The area around the Frauenkirche and Dresden Castle is very popular with tourists. Some fine restaurants are located there.
The Weiße Gasse is just around the corner of the Altmarkt near the shopping center and the historical town. Good alternative, if you do not want to go to the Neustadt.
Drezno (niem. Dresden, górnołuż. Drježdźany, czes. Drážďany, dawniej Drezdno - stąd przymiotnik drezdeński) – miasto we wschodnich Niemczech na Pogórzu Zachodniosudeckim, położone nad Łabą, stolica kraju związkowego Saksonia oraz okręgu administracyjnego Drezno (dawniej Rejencji Drezdeńskiej). Jego nazwa pochodzi od starołużyckiego Drežďany, oznaczającego "mieszkańcy mokradeł". Aglomeracja drezdeńska liczy ok. 1, 036 mln mieszkańców (2004).
W 1987 miasto miało 519, 8 tys. mieszkańców. Spadek liczby ludności wynika między innymi ze znacznej migracji do krajów związkowych na zachodzie kraju.
Drezno stanowi duży węzeł komunikacyjny (lotnisko międzynarodowe), z ośrodkami przemysłu maszynowego, produkcji klisz fotograficznych, przemysłu chemicznego i farmaceutycznego. Miasto jest ośrodkiem turystycznym, zwanym "miastem baroku", znajduje się tu wiele zabytków i muzeów, słynna jest Galeria Obrazów (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister). Znajduje się tu również fabryka samochodów Volkswagen.
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