Royal and Baroque Dresden Self-Guided Audio Guide

Schloßplatz Dresden, Beginn Augustusstraße mit Fürstenzug, 2007 | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Zoidy at German Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainSchloßplatz Dresden, Beginn Augustusstraße mit Fürstenzug, 2007 — Zoidy at German Wikipedia — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Friedrich-August-Denkmal Dresden | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Grunpfnul / Sascha Faber / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Friedrich-August-Denkmal Dresden — Grunpfnul / Sascha Faber — CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to our audio tour through royal and baroque Dresden! Today you are accompanying us on a fascinating journey through the splendid world of the Saxon Prince-Electors and Kings, where magnificent architecture, precious art treasures, and the staged power of a dynasty come to life. Let yourself be transported to a …

Green Dresden diamond | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons

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Grünes Gewölbe Dresden historisch | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

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We are standing here directly in front of the Residenzschloss, the power center of the Wettiner dynasty. If you look at the facade of the West Wing, you are looking at the centerpiece of courtly representation: the Grünes Gewölbe. The name sounds almost modest, yet behind it lies the world's most significant treasury. …

Dresden Germany Zwinger-01 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons

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ZwingerCrown | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Dirgela / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainZwingerCrown — Dirgela — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Having just seen the treasures in the Green Vault, we now stand in one of the most magnificent open-air stages of the Baroque. The Zwinger, built between 1711 and 1728 under Augustus the Strong, was originally conceived as an orangery and festival grounds. Architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and sculptor Balthasar Per…

Dresden-Semperoper-gp | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons

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Semperoper Dresden Sachsen Germany | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons

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If you come from the Zwinger, you now stand before the Theaterplatz and directly in front of the Semperoper. The building you see today is Gottfried Semper's second construction. After the first opera house burned down in 1869, Semper designed this magnificent building in the style of Italian High Renaissance, which wa…

Brühlscheterrasse01 | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

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2007-04-29 Dresden 01 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Szilas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.02007-04-29 Dresden 01 — Szilas — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

When you cross the Schlossplatz coming from the Semperoper, you reach the Brühlsche Terrasse. What is known today as the Balcony of Europe was originally part of Dresden's fortification systems from the 16th century. It was not until 1814 that the Russian Governor-General Nikolai Repnin-Volkonsky opened this private ar…

Goldener Reiter Dresden | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons

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Dresden Germany Golden-Rider-01 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Dresden Germany Golden-Rider-01 — CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons

We stand here at Neustädter Markt before the Golden Rider, probably Dresden's most famous monument. The statue depicts August the Strong in the role of a Roman Caesar on a prancing Lipizzaner. What is interesting is its orientation: the horse does not gallop toward the Altstadt, but rather toward the northeast — direct…