On Sunday, Februar 21st 2010, DresdenWalks invited Germans for a special (free) tour offered because of the international tourist guide day. It’s main topic was “It reeks of work…”.

We greeted approximately 60 persons at 11 o’clock to our tour. Saskia, Astrid, Tom, Anke and Jana were the “realay team”. Heidi and Sylvia took care of our individual guest who joined the “ordinary” tours and Katharina stayed home with her “juniors”.

For this special topic “It reeks of work…” our guides thought of new and forgotten objects and topics. So we talked about mechanics of the Semper Opera House, the former tanners quarter and the “queck” water fountain, the Procession of Princes with its various craftsmen, Saxon inventions in food and beverages and about the Yenidze and its cigarettes. Guests listened to each guide and stayed with us until the end even though it started snowing.

It was a wonderful tour for all of us. We enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the next tourist guide day in 2011 and until then – to many guests for our daily tours in town.
(J. Malschewski)

This presentation, designed by the artist and his wife, contains in particular works, which were created within a strong controversy with Dresden and its history. The strength of choice is the thematic emphasis – not seen like this before and different from other survey exhibitions.

In central position in the Semper Gallery, in the Gobelin Hall, two big groups of works will be shown from the oeuvre of Georg Baselitz from 18th January to 27th February 2010.

The main work about the German history absorbs a defining event, not only in the memory of the artist: the destruction of Dresden and the in a fire apotheosis flashing end of the Second World War.

Attached to this exhibition core are presented in the adjacent rooms paintings and drawings such as “Evening Meal in Dresden” and “The Bridge Ghost’s Supper”. They show as well the reference of Baselitz to the Christian picture tradition as his artistic role models, among others Edvard Munch and the artists of the BRÜCKE.
(K. Michael)

Since 1990 the International Tourist Guide Day (ITGD) is carried out worldwide by numerous tourist guide organisations on 21st February.
In Germany the International Tourist Guide Day invites the public to get to know the work of well-trained tourist guides, who are organised in the Federal Association of Tourist Guides Germany.

With great dedication and ingenuity also dresdenwalks deploys the slogan of the ITGD 2010 “It reeks of work….” and developed for the numerous expected guests a new and interesting tour. Thus we will offer a relay, whereby every member of dresdenwalks serves one station.

Starting point of this special tour is the Schlossplatz square next to the large flight of stairs at 11 o’clock on 21st February 2010. Altogether the tour will take about 2 hours and each station about 15 minutes.
This special tour is only in German and free of charge.

Our daily walking tour in the historic city centre of Dresden takes place according to plan at the usual terms.
(K. Michael)

On January 15th, the “most beautiful night of the year” is being staged for the fifth time. Once again more than 2000 guests inside the opera and thousands of visitors on Theatre Square can look forward to a splendid program of classical entertainment: not just inside the Operahouse but also outside on Theatre Square. There the “SemperOpenairball” will be opend by a spectacular Light- and Fireworksshow.

This year´s motto “Great Couples” will not only feature opera-couples like Tristan and Isolde but it streches far beyond: elements that belong together come together like Semperopera and Dresden, East and West, Germany and Europe.
You will be surprised!
(A. Brühl)

Not only Dresden has to offer a lot during the winter months, but also the palaces and landscapes in its surroundings. Thus, the hunting lodge of Augustus the Strong provides besides a charming landscape, the paradise in a nutshell (little pheasant castle), a permanent exhibition about the courtly hunt now also a show about the German-Czech cult film “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”.

The Baroque palace served in the 1970s as a festal film set of the popular fairytale film. The show illuminates not only the magical backgrounds of the Cinderella story, but also presents original historical costumes and requisites. Therefore, first a tour with DresdenWalks in Dresden and afterwards up to a Baroque fairytale world.
(K. Michael)

www.schloss-moritzburg.de

The terracotta army from the grave of the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang Di comes to Dresden. The world famous warriors will be quartered in the Dresden Power Station “Kraftwerk Mitte”. From 21st November 2009 to the middle of March 2010 the exhibition will be presented.

This museum army consists of 180 life-sized terracotta figures - infantrymen, generals, officers and archers as well as eight horses. On a scale of 1:10 also a thousand soldiers are arranged on a battle field. Even though these are only reproductions they already impressed hundreds of thousands of visitors in four German cities.
(K. Michael)

Dear DresdenWalks guests!

The time has come again: The famous and oldest Christmas market in Germany (called the Striezelmarkt) takes place 26th November to 24th December in Dresden. On the Dresden Old Market (Altmarkt) you will witness pottery, Ore Mountains folk art, bakery trade with Dresden stollen bakery at first hand! For the first time a walkable candle arch, which is unique in the world, will welcome the visitors. Also the biggest Christmas pyramid of the world is going to amaze you.

Do not miss the 16th Dresden stollen party on 5th December 2009. The baking of the Dresden Giant Stollen for the party (Start 10.30 a.m. on the Schlossplatz) is running on full speed. In almost 140 bakeries and pastry shops the ovens are on heat day and night in order to prepare the necessary 200 pieces of stollen plates each weighing 8 kilograms.

And so DresdenWalks at that time enriches its usual tours with stories about Christmas in and around Dresden. On top of that you will get a small Christmas surprise.
(K. Michael)

What is the difference of German Pfefferkuchen and gingerbread? With this question we were recently concerned. Thus DresdenWalks went up to Pulsnitz, the source of the best products of its kind: the Pfefferküchlerei Handrick.

There we got answers to our questions by the master himself and in addition a look behind the curtain of this handicraft. Oh, what a smell! What a delight is Handrick’s Pfefferkuchen!

Then we learned an important rule: Gingerbread is only good during the Advent season, but Pfefferkuchen the whole year round. Also the Pulsnitz Pfefferküchler  is somewhat completely special, there are only 8 masters - in all of Germany! Everything else regarding Pfefferkuchen and gingerbread remains our secret - just come to our special Christmas tour in Dresden. Then we will be happy to tell you more!
(T. Ehrlich)

13th Festival For Computer Based Art Dresden

For all visitors of Dresden and our DresdenWalks guests as well, the festival for computer based art CYNEART takes place from 26th November to 6th December.

Within this event insights into the interdisciplinary and intercultural ways of thinking and working will be given. Furthermore new forms of cross-border communication and co-operation will be presented in the Festspielhaus Hellerau.

A multitude of events in the form of concerts, video and performance installations as well as computer games all aim to make the audience join in and experiment with the offered media environments for themselves.
(K. Michael)

… to CYNETART:

Fall is almost over and winter is approaching us slowly. Yes, it is getting quite cool/cold in Dresden those days.

Winter Season also means for DresdenWalks new tour dates.

From November 1st through March 31st all of our walking tours start at 11 o’clock. You still do not need to register – but are very welcome to do so.

During Christmas Season (November 27th – December 24th) we offer special Christmas Walking Tours. Our guides show you the old town and tell you some nice stories about Christmas traditions in Dresden and Saxony.
(J. Malschewski)

Find more information about the walking tour here.