Marthese did that thing she does where she says “Look, it might be too early to say this, but Dresden might just be my one of my favourite cities in the world!” It’s hard to debate that. We’ll certainly miss Prenzlauer Berg, but leaving rainy Berlin and our adequate accomodation to arrive in the fascinating city of Dresden has been fantastic.

From arriving at the station, Dresden feels totally modern, but hints of the old town can be seen from everywhere, with multiple ashen towers visible always in the near distance. There’s an almost Verona quality to the fancy streets and community spaces near the main station, and we stumbled into a parade celebrating diversity of all types that was a surprisingly moving welcome to the city. Dresden doesn’t hide from politics, and the vibe here is one of inclusivity and fierce opposition to right-wing nationalism.

We walked towards our accomodation into the gorgeous Altstadt (old town) with the impressive Frauenkirche (big church) at its centre. We can’t wait to explore this incredible area, almost totally rebuilt following the devastating bombings in 1945. Our AirBnB looks RIGHT OVER the Frauenkirche and is incredibly comfortable, one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. Our hosts, Marcus and Marcus, spent almost an hour talking to us about the town and joking with us about eating mushrooms in the Blue Mountains.

A late delicious lunch at the local Augustiner bar was followed by an even later stroll over to the Neustadt (new town) on the other side of the bridge. While at first this area is pristine and lined with fancy stores and upmarket hotels, it soon gives way to a grungy loud hotbed of noise, bustling with young people bar hopping and smoking in the streets. The real Dresden starts here!

Our night walking tour with Danilo started at 9pm, an exuberant and passionate man who was kind enough to translate much of the tour into English for me, the only non-German speaker in the group of 12 East-Germans (meaning we’re a couple of Aussies in a group of Ossis, a joke which Marthese made out loud to great reception from the group.) When Danilo didn’t translate, my extremely talented and hilarious wife did. She has been invaluable on this trip and I recommend her for any visits to German speaking countries.

Danilo led us through his town, sharing his passion for its history and politics with us. The street art, the bars, the DDR history and the bumpy road after reunification were all fascinating to learn about. Danilo describes a “micro republic” which he was a citizen off, which (as far as I can discern) was some sort of well organised community movement in the Dresden area that aimed to address some of the potential inequalities that might arise from the reunification of east & west. They printed their own money (featuring the German flag and Mickey Mouse) and their own passports, and while it sounded like an extended work of performance art, actually seems to have had a serious cultural impact on the area, giving it the spirit and flavour that it currently has. As with all hip areas, the character does seem to be slowly eroding away due to gradual gentrification.

The tour included a drink at a cafe and a bar, and shots of a weird Saxony liquor in a poorly lit alleyway. Seriously one of the most unique and genuine tours we’ve ever been on.