Splendidly situated on a bend in the Elbe river, Dresden is a compact city, easy to explore. Behind the church stands the heavy bulk of the Rathaus, built early this century in a Historicist style, complete with a belfry which rises well above that of the church. To the west lies the Zwinger Palace, the great glory of Baroque Dresden. This joyous pleasure palace was built for festivals and tournaments. Badly damaged in the war, it was quickly rebuilt .
Restoration continues today.
The Zwinger contains several museums, including the Zwinger Art Gallery which contains a valuable collection of Reubens, Tintorettos and the Sistine Madonna by Raphael. Excursion to Potsdam Potsdam is a dazzling triumph of man over nature. The swampy marshland of the Havel and its lakes have been transformed into a glorious planned townscape filled with palaces, parks and gardens. The main complex is Park Sanssouci, but there are two other important areas of landscaped greenery in the shape of the Neuer Garten and Park Babelsberg. Potsdam's Altstadt, notwithstanding grievous losses in the war, is itself a magnificent Baroque and Neoclassical city.