Baroque splendour rebuilt on the Elbe
Dresden was once called the Florence on the Elbe, and its baroque skyline has been painstakingly rebuilt after being destroyed in 1945. The Frauenkirche, reconstructed using original stones where possible, is its symbol of reconciliation. The Zwinger palace holds the Old Masters Picture Gallery with Raphael's Sistine Madonna, and the Green Vault displays the extraordinary treasures of the Saxon rulers. Across the river, the Neustadt is alternative and lively. Saxon Switzerland's sandstone cliffs and the Bastei bridge are nearby.