Though Dresden seems old, much of it is actually reconstructed. The city was badly bombed during World War II, and many of its historical buildings did not survive. For decades after the war, the church was left as rubble. After German reunification, reconstruction began, funded by donations from all over the world. Builders salvaged as much of the old church as they could. The result is a two-toned church, with the original stone being much darker than new stone. The interior, shown in the panorama above, is a pastel dream. 

The architecture is impressive, but the castle is better known for its contents: Today, it is a museum complex that houses the spectacular Green Vault, discussed below. Established by Saxon ruler Augustus the Strong, who built the Zwinger and whose statue you can see in the header of this webpage, the Green Vault contains his accumulated riches, in a display that has been open to the public since the Baroque period. 

Every fifteen minutes, these white porcelain bells sweetly toll. Made of famous Meissen porcelain, these bells ring brighter than metal bells. 

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The Zwinger is a vast palace complex with sweeping staircases and grand fountains, though at the time of our visit, the showpiece central garden was being renovated. Even with a plot of dirt in the center, the Zwinger still impressed. 

This is another landmark made of durable Meissen porcelain. The procession, stretching across the entire side of the building, features eight centuries of Saxon rulers and prominent Saxon figures.