Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Dresden (must see)

The Church of Our Lady is one of Dresden’s most recognisable landmarks and a powerful symbol of the city’s destruction and rebirth. A Catholic church stood on this site as early as the 11th century, later becoming Protestant during the Reformation. The present Lutheran church was designed by architect George Bähr and built between 1726 and 1743 in the Baroque style.

Before entering, make sure you admire the church’s monumental sandstone façade. A good spot to do so is the Martin Luther statue in New Market Square. The statue survived the devastating Allied bombing raids of the Second World War and stands southwest of the church’s south façade.

The church’s most impressive exterior feature is its enormous dome, known as the “Stone Bell.” Rising 91 metres (or 300 feet) above the city, the dome weighs around 12,000 tonnes and was originally supported by eight massive pillars.

Music forms an important part of the church’s history. In 1736, Gottfried Silbermann built a magnificent 43-stop organ for the church, on which Johann Sebastian Bach gave a recital that December. The original organ was lost in 1945; today, visitors can see a modern 68-stop replacement. It rises behind the reconstructed altar and features 4,873 pipes. Try to attend one of its music performances to hear the organ’s blend of traditional Saxon sounds and French Romantic tones.

During the Allied bombing of Dresden in February 1945, the Church of Our Lady survived two days of attacks before finally collapsing under the intense heat. Residents carefully salvaged and numbered thousands of stones, hoping that the church could one day be rebuilt. Reconstruction began in 1992 and was completed in 2005. Builders followed Bähr’s original plans and reused 7,110 original historic stones in the exterior façade. The darker, fire-damaged stones remain visible among the new sandstone, creating a record of the building’s past.

A new orb and cross now crown the dome, while the twisted, fire-damaged original cross is prominently displayed as a memorial inside the church on its eastern side, near one of the entrances. You can explore the richly decorated interior and climb to the dome viewing platform, about 67 metres above ground, for panoramic views of Dresden.