Dresden‘s Rise from Ruin: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

On this walking tour, you enter the famous, historic Prager Straße that continues for about a mile. Careful as you walk! Imagine it is the late 1800s / early 1900s and hear about what life in Dresden was like in that time. This was where the wealthiest people of Dresden spent their money. In the early 1900s is one of the richest German cities! The architecture that lines the Prager Straße is sumptuous, neo-Empire hinting at old wealth, while some of the interiors reflect the changing times and are likely to have been influenced by the very chic, contemporary Art Nouveau movement.

Along the way during this self guided walking tour you will visit the Kreuz Kirche, or the Church of the Holy Cross while listening to the history of Dresden. Take a look at the Swords to Ploughshares monument and hear about toppling of the seemingly invincible GDR.

Visit the Old Makret Square en route during this audio tour. This was the heart of Dresden. The first mention of it was in 1370. Markets, festivities and tournaments were staged here. Since 1434 the Strietzel Markt- one of the oldest Christmas Markets of the world has been held here.

During this self-guided tour, you will find a place to sit, either on one of the fountains or seats in front of the Kultur Palast. The building was commissioned in an architectural competition as a ‘House of Socialist Culture’. You'll hear about the design and architecture of the building. Listen to interesting stories about what the building was used for. You can go into the Kultur Palast if you like. As you enter, you'll hear the voice of producer, Seema Prakash, pointing out notable things to observe.

You'll stop at The Procession of Prices mural during this audio walking tour. This mural goes back to 1907. It is made with 23 thousand tiles of porcelain, specifically Meissen porcelain. You can see each square of porcelain if you look closely. And each square is painted with its little bit of the whole image. At a 100 meters long, it is one of the largest porcelain artworks in the entire world on an exterior wall. This shows the family that ruled Saxony, the Wettins, riding into history, proudly declaring their 829 year rule. Under each ruler, on a horse, is the time of his reign and all the coat of arms of the territories that belonged to them. This mural was originally painted on the wall directly but later transferred onto tiles of porcelain in 1907. You'll hear this and more of the history of the mural during this audio tour as you admire the mural.

Schlossplatz is the final stop of this audio tour. Here you will find the statue of King Friedrich August sitting on his throne. Listen to producer, Seema Prakash, talking about the buildings in the area and the history of Dresden through the ages. You'll hear about what to do in the area and where to go next to explore this historical site. From here, you may continue walking - carry on over the Augustus Bridge and across the river to Neustadt (the New City). The tour ends but there is much to explore in this location.