Here you find the companion’s tour programme, organized by Katrin Reinhold and Dagmar Steinbrink
Please register for the tours via email: 60wccc2017@dieschwalbe.de.
The times given are those of the departure from the congress hotel and return to the hotel. (All times are tentative.)
- Sun 06-08-2017 13:00 – New Synagogue (17:00 reception at city hall)
- Mon 07-08-2017 09:30 – 13:30 Sight seeing / shopping
Mon 07-08-2017 14:30 – 18:00 Volkswagen manufactory - Tue 08-08-2017 10:30 – 18:00 Steamboat trip to Pillnitz Palace
- Wed 09-08-2017 09:30 – 17:00 Wackerbarth Castle, wine tasting
- Fri 11-08-2017 09:30 – 13:30 Historic Green Vault
Fri 11-08-2017 14:30 – 16:30 Miniature railway, Großer Garten
Sunday, 6th August 2017 Afternoon: New Synagogue
(Cost approx. 5 EUR plus transportation)
The New Synagogue — completed in 2001 — was built on the location where the old synagogue designed by famous architect Gottfried Semper stood until November 1939 when it was burned down during the Kristallnacht.
The building was shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 2003.
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Synagogue,_Dresden
http://www.zentralratdjuden.de/de/topic/59.gemeinden.html?gemeinde=56
Monday, 7th August 2017 Morning Sightseeing: Old Town
We will meet after breakfast in the lobby of hotel Wyndham Garden. Together we will go by bus (optionally by car) to the old town. Dresden’s historic centre is situated on the left bank of the river Elbe. The Old Town is the centre of city life. You will see a lot of buildings from the Renaissance and the Baroque periods and the 19th century, and also in the modern style. Despite being destroyed in World War II, the Old Town has kept, restored or regained its attractive buildings. You will really like it. You will see a lot of attractions in a very compact area, with only a short distance to walk.
The best-known symbol of the rebuilding of the city centre is the Dresden Frauenkirche, dating from 26th August 1726. It has a magnificent baroque dome. After the Second World War, Neumarkt square and the symbolic ruins of the Frauenkirche remained almost untouched for half a century. Then many people wanted to see reconstruction undertaken, and large donations made this project possible. The dome was finished on 20th September 2005. The inside of the church is also very beautiful.
We will walk to the city hall, the Saxon state parliament and important cultural institutions, including the Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Semper Opera House and the State Theatre, and the Green Vault.
Lunch / Shopping
Between Altmarkt and Neumarkt, Prager Strasse and Postplatz we will find plenty of places where we can eat and drink.
We will also show you a lot of shops in the surrounding area.
Later we will return to the hotel Wyndham.
Monday, 7th August 2017 Afternoon: Gläserne Manufaktur
(Cost approx. 10 EUR plus transportation; guided tours on German, English, and Russian)
https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/en/
https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/en/the-manufactory
https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/en/the-experience
https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/de/das-erlebnis/fertigung
Up to last year VW Phaeton was produced in this factory. We saw this years ago, and it was very interesting. In February 2017 we visited Volkswagen Saxony for the second time.
From April onwards the new model „e-Golf“ will be produced in the „Gläserne Manufaktur“. We were told that they will build 35 e-Golfs every day. If you order one e-Golf, they will invite you to see the whole process of car-building. We had the chance to experience electromobility for ourselves by taking the latest electric models from Volkswagen on a test drive at “Die Gläserne Manufaktur”.
The test course was around 10 km long and took us through Dresden’s city centre, past the city’s historic sights. We were accompanied by a trained instructor who introduced the important items before starting the e-motor. We were really impressed by the new technology!
We are looking forward to sharing our enthusiasm with you by a guided tour – 90 minutes – through „Gläserne Manufaktur“.
Tuesday morning, 8th August 2017: Steamboat from Dresden city on the river Elbe to Schloss Pillnitz (Pillnitz palace) by Saxon Steamship Company
(Cost approx. 24 EUR plus transportation)
We will meet after breakfast in the lobby of hotel Wyndham Garden. Together we will go by bus (optionally by car) to the river Elbe.
We will take a one-hour-trip with one of the oldest and largest paddle steamer fleets in the world, which is quite an experience, to explore the river Elbe. You will see one of the most beautiful river landscapes in Europe.
You will go past famous mansions and castles on the Elbe.
We will pass the famous bridge “Blaues Wunder”, finished in 1893. Right from the start the name was “Blaues Wunder” on account of its blue colour. But since World War II the German word “Wunder”, in English “wonder”, has had a double meaning. Thanks to two courageous soldiers this wonderful bridge was not destroyed during the war, so that what we see is the original bridge.
Later we will leave the steamboat at Schloss Pillnitz. As you will see it is a beautiful palace. It is the former summer residence of the Saxon royal family and is the largest Chinese-style palace in Europe.
The palace gardens, with more than 2,000 trees and over 600 potted plants, are an inviting place for a stroll. You can get an initial impression of this beautiful place.
http://www.schlosspillnitz.de/de/schloss-park-pillnitz/kamelie/
Here you will see a huge camellia, more than 230 years old. A special conservatory was built so that the Japanese camellia survives in the cold winter.
You will have enough time to relax, have a drink, a coffee, an ice-cream, lunch etc. before we return by steamboat to the hotel Wyndham Garden.
Wednesday, 9th August 2017 Morning Sightseeing: Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul
(Cost approx. 15 EUR plus transportation)
Schloss Wackerbarth (Sächsiches Staatsweingut GmbH) is situated near the river Elbe and at the foot of the Saxon wine mountain. In former times Counts resided here and the court of August the Strong used to hold glittering parties.
We will have a guided tour (60 minutes) to get to know the very modern wine cellar. We did it in February and it was really interesting. We got explanations and were shown 3 short videoclips.
This tour takes you through the sparkling wine factory and explains the different stages of sparkling wine production. Visitors are familiarised with traditional bottle fermentation in the “shaking cellar” and we will experience the result in the tasting that follows. (Of course children were given non-alcoholic drinks!) Afterwards there is time to buy some wine-bottles or sparkling-wine-bottles, souvenirs etc.
We have enough time for a common regional lunch, coffee, cake, ice-cream etc. in Schloss Wackerbarth’s restaurant. You are also allowed to walk in the vineyard.
You will have an overwhelming view!
Friday, 11th August 2017 Morning: Historic Green Vault
(Cost approx. 12 EUR plus transportation)
The Green Vault (German: Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum the contains the largest exhibit of treasures in Europe. It was founded by August the Strong (Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania) in 1723.
Today it consists of two parts: The Historic Green Vault and the New Green Vault. The historic vault is famous for its splendors of the historic treasure chamber as it existed in the 18th century.
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnes_Gew%C3%B6lbe
http://www.skd.museum/?id=158
Friday, 11th August 2017 Afternoon: The Park Railway
(Cost approx. 6 EUR plus transportation)
Let’s go on a trip on the mini railway through Dresden’s largest park —
Großer Garten, approx. 2x1km in size.