German Info: Saxony Baroque Meets High Tech

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Saxon Cities

Dresden
Chemnitz
Leipzig
Meissen

Dresden

(Fotograf: Jörg Schöner) A masterpiece of Baroque architecture - the rebuilt Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) is Dresden’s landmark

When Augustus the Strong became Elector of Saxony in 1694, and three years later ascended the Polish throne, he could look to highly acclaimed models for the designing of his royal capital: the courts of Italy, France and Spain. The result, however, was quite unique - a masterpiece comprising architecture and river, art and nature - the "Pearl of Baroque"!

The 19th century saw the development of Romantic art and music. Today Dresden is still a city of art and culture, though at the same time also one of the most modern centers of high-tech industry in Europe. Lovers of contemporary art will find paintings and prints for practically every purse in around 60 galleries in Dresden. Jazz fans are similarly sure of a great time. The bands play late into the night. And each year in May, thousands of jazz enthusiasts stream to Dresden for the International Dixieland Festival. The Elbe valley around Dresden is one of the most beautiful riverside landscapes in Europe. The romantic artists wandered further to the world of bizarre high sandstone cliffs in the Saxon Switzerland and gained inspiration for their idyllic paintings from the picturesque countryside. One can follow their path on foot, by bicycle, or most exclusively, on a ship of the oldest and largest fleet of peddle-steamers in the world. More than that the Dresden region is a well known area for HighTec and research. It was the place to set up the “Silicon Saxony” for microelectronics research on the top level as well as the most effective and high quality car production of Europe.

(© Matthias Creutziger)
Dresden’s opera house, the Semperoper – graceful architecture and outstanding acoustics make this one of the world’s most renowned opera houses

Chemnitz

Chemnitz is the fourth largest city in East Germany and one of the leading industry and technology centres nation-wide. Enterprises settled down in historical fields like tool, textile and car industry as well as mechanical engineering. Chemnitz. You are heartily invited to enjoy an encounter with the more-than-800-year old city which radiates an unmistakeable glow and has its very own special flare. Even to the discerning visitor, this may come across only on second glance. So, take that second look! Chemnitz has many faces and it is precisely this multiplicity that makes a visit here an exciting and diverse experience.

Chemnitz’s architecture is the first thing that hits the eye, foremost are the magnificent Art Nouveau villas and apartment houses on the Kassberg through examples of the Gruenderzeit or Wilhelminian era, the Bauhaus and industrial architecture of the 19th and 20th Century clear up to the present Post Modern found downtown in Chemnitz’s renewed inner city. When it comes to Art, Culture and recreational activity in Chemnitz, the choice is so great that one has difficulty deciding one’s priorities. The Chemnitz Opera housed in the Municipal Theater has gotten international acclaim for its excellent productions of Wagner’s and others‘ operas. The city’s art collections boast an excellent selection of German Expressionists and high quality at exhibitions. Scintillating cabaret, festivals, sports events and a very extensive vareity of museums round out Chemnitz’s attractions. Numerous parks and green space lend Chemnitz a special ambience and charm making it an exceptionally livable metropolis.

(Copyright: CMT)

Leipzig

The oldest trade fair was held in Leipzig in 1497. Leipzig is a city with flair. A city of trade fairs and culture. A city of books and literature. A city for music lovers, Leipzig has always attracted as many kinds of people as the city has different facets. The Thomaner Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Opera form an El Dorado for all lovers of musical arts. Many hope to be led into Auerbach's Cellar by the Devil in person - as to be read in Johann Wolfgang Goethe's "Faust". The adventurers seek their own kind of evening entertainment - the so called "Leipzig Drallewatsch". The tour will take you from restaurant to restaurant, from bar to bar, from an original inn to a party, from the party to a pub. Johann Sebastian Bach, although born in Thuringia, worked for over a quarter of a century in the Thomaskirche - where his heart still rests today. He opened up completely new musical horizons and led the Thomaner Choir to world renown.

The town sits on the cross-roads of major transportation network. The main station in Leipzig is the second largest terminus station in the world. At the same time, the station promenades, on three levels and with many shops and boutiques, form a focus for urban life. This place is a destination in itself. The promenade is efficiently managed by a group, which is currently responsible for 60 shopping centers in Germany. Leipzig and football is a story with many ups and downs. It knows numerous protagonists, dissolutions, new foundations and name changes. And there are further highlights: On 9th December 2005 the official Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup took place at the new Leipziger Messe exhibition centre. More than 300 million people around the globe were tuned in to watch this event on their television screens at home. As well as the four World Cup group matches plus the last sixteen: More than 600,000 fans from all over the world visited the FIFA World Cup city of Leipzig in the first 16 days of the FIFA World Cup 2006™. The FAN FEST 2006 FIFA World Cup™ alone had welcomed 291,000 spectators. As well as a total of 210,000 football enthusiasts in Leipzig central stadium, about another 100,000 visitors held a peaceful, happy intercultural party!
Since 1165, the city of Leipzig (500,000 inhabitants) has enjoyed the high privilege of hosting fairs. Today, its state-of-the-art Leipziger Messezentrum constitutes a bridge for commerce between the east and the west. Chemnitz, the third largest city in Saxony, was dubbed Karl-Marx-Stadt from 1953 up until 1990.

Meissen

The cradle of European porcelain production – the Meissen® manufactory (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen®)

Yes, it's gold. But white!
Court alchemist Johann Friedrich Bottger found luck in his misfortune. He discovered the first porcelain in the Western hemisphere - Meissen porcelain. Visit the two largest collections of Meissen wares in the world - in the Meissen manufactory itself and in the Dresden Zwinger! And the most beautiful thing of all, is that you can also take a small, or may be even a larger treasure with you to embellish your own table!

The mighty Meissen Castle Albrechtsburg, with its elegant curtain-arched windows and the original spiral staircase tower, is considered one of the most significant examples of secular Latte Gothic architecture in Germany. The town of Meissen s nestled in a colorful bustle of narrow streets and alleys, the medieval square, and the venerable townhouses with their countless little shops, cafes and wine taverns. The only limitation to your imagination is your constant anticipation of how lucky the locals are who live in the romantic old houses! Porcelain, pewter ware, ceramics and antique shops adorn your path between the workshops of glass cutters. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, for you can spend hours discovering one of the oldest and most comprehensively restored towns in Germany. The charm and lifestyle of Meissen is best revealed, if you allow yourself to be enchanted by the inimitable pleasure of a Meissen wine in one of the historical wine taverns. Connoisseurs describe the wines from Saxony's sunshine garden as particularly light, fruity and full-bodied. Make your own test with a glass of exquisite wine in one of the oldest wine taverns and makers at "Vincenz Richter's".