Dresden Weekend (postponed)

Overview

THIS TRIP IS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.
ALL TRIPS ARE POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

The Second World War destroyed many European cities. At the end of the war, the allied bombings left many German cities in shatters, including Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin. Still, it is Dresden that became famous for its incredible city restoration. If you would walk around there now, you may indeed believe you are walking through an authentic baroque old town. The restoration of the Frauenkirche and the Semper Opera building are superb examples of post-war urban restructuring. This gave the city the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, a title it lost again only 5 years later due to the construction of a bridge over the Elbe. Despite this honorary setback, Dresden is definitely worth a visit, and therefore Expat Club decided to put this beautiful city in Eastern Germany on our calendar. Be ready for an amazing cultural, architectural and historical weekend with new friends.

Pre-reserve now
This trip is not yet confirmed in terms of dates, program and time. We also cannot yet give you a price indication. Expat Club is keen on adding Dresden to the list of destinations and travel there with a group of fun people (max. 25-30 people). If you are interested, we would love to hear that. You can now pre-reserve a spot for free and without obligations. We will then inform you whenever we have more information available. If you are a member and logged in, simply click on the RSVP button. If you are not a member, you can register first and follow these stops, or simply submit your name and email address on this page. Membership is not required for any of our trips because we only offer this online option for those who want to connect more with others.

Videos

Let Rick Steves guide us again through "Florence on the Elbe"

Program

As with all Expat Club trips we carefully think about the entire program to arrange a smooth trip for everyone. This includes the location of the hotel, pre-reserved entrance times, organised lunches and dinners, good local transportation etc. Still, unforeseen things can happen that may influence our program, such as traffic and road blocks, unexpected closed destinations etc. We always do our best to come up with the best possible alternative in collaboration with local guides, bus drivers, hotels and welcoming restaurants and museums. The below program gives a good indication of what you can expect, but will surely still change until we can confirm it fully.

Friday 23 October
19h05 – Departure to Dresden
23h00 – Arrival Dresden
00h00 – Check-in hotel

Saturday 24 October
07h30 – Breakfast
10h00 – Guided Old Town tour
12h30 – Lunch
14h00 – Zwinger & museums
16h30 – Steamship cruise on Elbe
20h00 – Dinner in a great location

Sunday 25 October
07h30 – Breakfast
11h00 – Sunda concert
13h30 – Free time
16h15 – Departure to airport
18h55 – Departure to Brussels
22h25 – Arrival Brussels

Dresden

The twelfth German city, Dresden has almost 800.000 inhabitants and is situated on the Elbe River about 200km South from Berlin and close to the border of the Czech Republic and not too far from Poland either. Although human settlements go back to the stone-age, Dresden was first mentioned in the early 13th century as “Dresdene”. A few centuries later it became a residential city for the Saxon rulers. The city was later destroyed and rebuilt as a remarkable example of urban baroque architecture. Not much of that was left after the Second World War, and in particular after the devastating bombings of 13 and 14 February 1945.

Between 25.000 and 35.000  people died, although both the Nazis and later the communists claimed a much higher number died. Only in 1951 the city began its rebuilding efforts, but the communist regime often removed the old ruins first and only replaced it with many typical modern blocks. The beautification of the city began only four decades later, and if you would walk around there now you may still think walking around in an original 18th century baroque city.

Dresden Elbe Valley
The 18th- and 19th-century cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe Valley extends some 18 km along the river from Übigau Palace and Ostragehege fields in the north-west to the Pillnitz Palace and the Elbe River Island in the south-east. It features low meadows, and is crowned by the Pillnitz Palace and the centre of Dresden with its numerous monuments and parks from the 16th to 20th centuries. The landscape also features 19th- and 20th-century suburban villas and gardens and valuable natural features. Some terraced slopes along the river are still used for viticulture and some old villages have retained their historic structure and elements from the industrial revolution, notably the 147-m Blue Wonder steel bridge (1891–93), the single-rail suspension cable railway (1898–1901), and the funicular (1894–95). The passenger steamships (the oldest from 1879) and shipyard (c. 1900) are still in use. (source: Unesco website)

Zwinger
Zwinger is beautiful palatial complex with stunning gardens and fountains and is perceived as one of Germany’s most important Baroque buildings. A trip to Dresden must be combined with a visit to Zwinger as one of the key tourist sights in town. The name refers to a defence structure between the inner and outer fortress walls. Originally it was meant to be an orangery, but it soon became a structure with richly ornamented pavilions, gardens and galleries with balustrades and many statues. Zwinger is a favourite leisure place for tourists and locals alike. We will spend a great part of the Saturday afternoon here to discover the three main museums:

During our visit we want to make sure you will see the entire Old Town, including the Frauenkirche, the Semper Opera and the Zwinger complex. As usual we will arrange a local expert guide to show us around, so you will learn much more about what you see then if you would come here on your own. On Saturday afternoon we will see a bit more from the special Elbe and its river banks, one of the reasons why Dresden initially received the UNESCO World Heritage Status.

Hotels

For your comfort, convenience, and safety, we will be staying in a good 4* hotel in the centre of Dresden. We cannot yet share which hotel, but as usual we always pick good one at a great location and with top reviews. In this hotel you can choose between the following room types:

• Single room – 1 large bed for 1 person (surcharge applies)
• Double room – 1 large bed for 2 persons (a couple or parent/child)
• Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 persons (two friends sharing a room)
• Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 solo travellers who would like to share a room
• Triple/family rooms – at request

Room sharing for solo travellers
If you travel alone, you can share a “twin room” with 2 single beds (male or female rooms). We introduce you to the other travellers who also want to share a room. This means you don’t have to search for a friend who wants to join. We also do not assign you to a room, but you choose who you want to share the room with. You can select this room sharing option during the reservation processs. It is a perfect way to lower your costs and to meet another friendly expat.

Transportation

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Dresden. This means we have to transfer 1 time on both ways in either Frankfurt or München. The exact flights are not yet known, but it is our intention to leave at 19h00 or later on Friday evening, and take one of the last connections back on Sunday. This allows us to enjoy both Saturday and Sunday in Dresden. Of course we arrange private transfers from/to the airport as well as local transportation.

Comments

• The trip will be carried out by Brussels Airlines / Lufthansa.
• The trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.
• The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know.
• You are personally responsible for getting good cancellation and/or travel insurance that covers you for unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses before or during the trip. 
• You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for unforeseen delays that influence the program (e.g. missed guided tours), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the coach, strikes, weather etc.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during the guided tours. Joining this trip is safe but still at your own risk.
• If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). During the outbound trip we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself.
• If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement or share a room with another person (if available).