Dresden, Germany

     When Phil Jackson (coach of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and coached Michael Jordan at the Bulls) came to Memphis for a game against the Grizzlies a few years back, they asked him what he thought of the city. He responded, "It looked like Dresden after the war." For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dresden, it was heavily bombed during World War II. Rough statement from Mr. Jackson, but as long as it looked like this, I'll accept it as a compliment:

Unfortunately, it hasn't always been this breathtaking. In February of 1945, the city was bombed to near complete destruction. The entire incident remains controversial, but it was believed that the bombings were targeting a large military presence in Dresden.
     Since the bombing, Dresden has rebuilt the city and the landmarks that fell, in hopes of making it look as it did before the war. They rebuilt the churches and town halls to almost identical standards, even using some of the stones that were part of the original building. This may be the most interesting part, because some stones in each building are black (original), while others are white (new).
     All in all, they have made the city into a beautiful place. The city's center is divided by the Elbe River, where they have maintained a meadow running all they way along the river, filled with beer-gardens and relaxing parks. The picture above shows many of the original buildings (rebuilt), which in person look like what we see as Europe in the movies. I still have another day here, but I'm already impressed. The city is a relatively unknown gem within Europe, and I highly recommend it to those who have enough time.
     Nächste Halt (Next Stop): Berlin.