We started our morning in Leipzig. Since we knew we had a short drive to Dresden we took our time and slept in this morning. Our delicious breakfast was waiting for us when we made it downstairs. Lots of fresh fruit, breads, meats and cheeses. After breakfast we headed out the door to take in the old town Leipzig sights.
Our hotel was facing the Nikolaikirche so that was easy to catch. Then we walked over to St. Thomas Church via the Leipzig Market. There were several vendors out selling fresh fruit, flowers and baked goods. People were everywhere walking to work and shopping. We also walked by the University of Leipzig and the new town hall. Leipzig was a beautiful city and the weather was great too. We have been very fortunate to have lots of sunshine these past few days.
After taking in the old town, we got in the car and headed over to see the Völkerschlachtdenkmal or the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. This monument was built in 1913 to commemorate the Battle of Leipzig also known as the Battle of the Nations. The monument commemorates Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig and it is huge! The monument is 300 feet high and you can walk the 500 steps up to the very top. We took photos from the top but it was a bit hazy in Leipzig.
After Leipzig we packed our bags and were on our way to Dresden. We had put the address for our next hotel into the GPS but it was taking us away from the autobahn signs and through windy back-roads. At one point Jacob said, “I think it’s just leading us into the wilderness to die.” However, the GPS did a good job, even if it was a little confusing and we eventually ended up on the autobahn headed to Dresden.
We had visited Dresden back in 2016 (previous blog here). We really enjoyed Dresden for many reasons, 1) the incredible history, 2) the incredible buildings and 3) the size. Its a smaller German city similar to what we are used to. We wanted to come back here and see what we had missed.
We had an easy drive to Dresden and arrived to our first apartment-hotel a bit early but thought we’d ask if we could check in early. Luckily, our room was ready so we headed up to see! This place has a full living room, kitchen (fully stocked), two bathrooms (one with a jetted tub) and a washer/dryer and this place costs 40 Euros less than our hotel in Paris. We are able to park in the hotel garage and can come and go as we need to, plus we can take an elevator right down to the garage from our floor. This place is amazing!
We can finally slow down, relax and enjoy our vacation instead of running all over trying to catch all the sights.
We are here until Sunday when we leave for Nuremburg. This week we have some hiking planned, some shopping and a day trip to Prague. Until then…