Cruising Through Germany | Dresden and Stuttgart

Dresden and Stuttgart, Germany

After our separate weeks spent in Czech Republic and Poland, Mac & I reunited in Dresden. We had about a week to make it all the way to Calais, France. Here, we’d take the ferry to the UK for three months where we’d wait out the rest of our Schengen visa. In our commitment not to take any flights, we split up our long travel days by staying with friends in various cities along the way. Dresden and Stuttgart were where we spent the most time on this whirlwind of a week! While our stays in each of these cities weren’t long, we tried to make the most of them by going out and exploring.

Dresden

The city of Dresden is probably most known for the fact that it was so heavily bombed in World War II. Over the course of two nights in February 1945, British and American troops dropped almost 4000 tons of explosives on the city killing more than 25,000 people (though some argue this number could be as high as 500,000). The city centre was completely destroyed and Dresden has spent the last 60 years rebuilding itself.

Zwinger

The city spared no detail in the rebuilding process. Stately architectural designs are abundant and many buildings tower impressively into the sky. One of the more impressive areas is the Zwinger. The Zwinger is a huge palace which houses several museums, galleries, and art collections.

Kunsthofpassage

We also enjoyed walking through Kunsthofpassage. Situated in Neustat (the ‘new’ neighbourhood on the north side of the river), Kunsthofpassage is a collection of alleyways and courtyards filled with local art installations.

My favourite is the Courtyard of the Elements. One building’s facade is covered with various-sized rain gutters and spouts. It’s a feast for the eyes and ears when water trickles through the pipes.

There are shops in and amongst the art, and one can easily spend hours discovering new nooks and crannies.

Stuttgart

Prior to arriving to Stuttgart, I knew very little about Germany’s sixth biggest city. Upon arrival and while walking to our friend’s house nestled in the foothills of the valley, it didn’t take us long to notice the rows and rows of vines! As I mentioned, Stuttgart is located along the Neckar river in a valley that is known for its fertile soil. And what does one do with abundantly fertile soil? Grow grapes to make wine!

Near-Vertical Vineyards

Carlo took us on an urban hike, leading us through vineyards and up to the top of a ridge where we had a bird’s eye view of the city below. The landscape below was incredible and truly eye-catching. As someone used to the flat vineyards in Niagara On The Lake, these near-vertical rows of vines took some getting used to!

From the top, we could also look down over another of Stuttgart’s claims to fame – the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters. If you’re not a Benz fan, not to worry, the headquarters for Porsche are also in Stuttgart.

We happened upon the Württemberg Mausoleum. It was built for the second wife of King William I of Württemberg, Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. King William’s remains, and those of his daughter Maria are also housed here.

City Centre & Library

In the evening, we took a stroll through downtown and checked out what has got to be one of the coolest libraries I’ve ever been in. (As a book lover, I’ve been in my fair share of libraries!)

We also walked through parks bustling with groups of friends and families out enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

Even though it was brief, our time in Dresden and Stuttgart was so enriching. Mac and I caught each other up on our two weeks of solo travel, we reunited with an old friend, and we got enough of a small taste of Germany to know that we’ll definitely be returning at some point!

Have you ever been to Dresden and Stuttgart? Do you prefer wine or fancy cars??

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address to subscribe to A Taste of Trace and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Sign Me Up!

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]