The city of Dresden is the focus for this week’s Thursday Travels. Located in eastern Germany, with a population of just over 1 million, it was once regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the country but suffered devastating destruction in World War II bombing raids. Despite extensive reconstruction, there still remains a sort of hollowness to the place. Even though there was a massive gathering of Evangelical Lutheran teenagers on the afternoon we were there, the city still felt a bit…empty. Unlike many other European cities with their lively, street-cafe cultures and narrow, crowded streets, Dresden seemed to have an abundance of clean, empty, open spaces with just not enough people to fill them up.

{The reconstructed Frauenkirche}

{Katholische Hofkirche}

{The porcelain tile mural on the left is the Furztenzug (Procession of Princes), which depicts the rulers of Saxony}

{The city’s main square, the Neumarkt}

{An Ontario-themed cafe in the middle of Dresden. So random!}

{Again with the Canada theme…BC represent!}

{Streets of Dresden}

{Say…Käse???}

{Outside the Zwinger — a palace turned museum complex}

{Zwinger courtyard. How cool a name is ‘Zwinger’?!}

{Squinting in the sun. Dresden was so…bright!}

{Spires of Dresden}

{The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister — an art gallery}

{Auf Wiedersehen, Dresden!}