Brühl’s Terrace is one of the most popular places in Dresden. It offers a view of the Elbe River, the Augustus Bridge and the new parts of Dresden. It is also called the Balcony of Europe…
Brühl’s Terrace has very tough competition, such as the Zwinger Palace or the Castle, Dresden is primarily recognizable by this terrace, which miraculously has nothing to do with Augustus the Strong.
Brühl’s Terrace, with a length of 500m, stretches along the river Elbe. The river here flows between two bridges, namely the Karola bridge and the August bridge on the other side.
History
Today, looking at the terrace, hardly anyone would notice that it was built on the foundations of a former fortress from the 16th century, which protected the city.
Since the fortress lost its military importance, the right to renovate it fell into the hands of Count Brühl in the 18th century. Under the walls there is also a cellar where the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger mistakenly discovered white gold or European porcelain in 1708.
Who was Heinrich Graf Brühl, after whom the most famous terrace in this part of the world is named?
Brühl was a cabinet minister during the reign of the Saxon King Frederick Augustus II. The king was so pleased with his work that he allowed him to build his private garden and palaces and library there, in a very privileged place. At that time, the garden was reserved only for the aristocracy.
After the seven-year war, which he could not forsee, Brühl’s political downfall begins as his foreign policy has been defeated. Then Saxony also dropped out of the first league of European countries. The Prussian King Frederick did not hide his contempt for Brühl and did everything to humiliate and belittle him. He accused him of various embezzlements and extravagant spending, from which Brill never recovered. Today, his descendants are working to rehabilitate him.
The original terrace was destroyed during the bombing in World War II and was restored like everything else with great precision to perfection.
Today, hordes of tourists, including me, flock to the Balcony of Europe to take pictures and enjoy the view.
Next to the terrace, there is Brühl’s garden on the west side. The garden is small but offers peace and quiet.
There is a great view of the Frauenkirche here.
And also, there is a view of some important buildings on the other side of the river. Those are:
Sächsische Staatskanzlei (Saxon State Chamber), which is the office of the Minister-President of Saxony. The building dates from the early 20th century (1900 – 1904) and was built in a historic style.
The second building is the Sächsisches Staatsministerium der Finanzen (Saxon Ministry of Finance). Both of these buildings are more beautiful from a distance and have no touristic purpose.
Continuing the walk, you will come across another interesting landmark, which is the Dolphin Fontaine. It depicts a winged cupid riding a dolphin from whose mouth water sprays.
The fountain is surrounded by a staircase on both sides.
On the terrace itself there are significant buildings such as the Academy of Fine Arts, the Albertinum and others.
Albertinum
The building was built in neo-Renaissance style and houses two museums, namely: a collection of contemporary art, that is, a gallery of painters from the 19th and 20th centuries such as: Monet, Klimt, Van Gogh. There is also a royal collection of sculptures from classical antiques to artists of the 20th century, such as Rodin, Degas and others.
Academy
Going further, I came across these sculptures.
They are located in front of the Academy of Fine Arts. It was built in 1764. and represented a place for the education of artists from all over Europe.
Because of its characteristic roof, it is also called a lemon squeezer.
At the top are Femes, characters from Greek mythology.
Secundogenitur
This light-colored building was built in 1897. for the second-born son of the then ruling royal couple. It was built on the site of Brühl’s original library, which once contained 60,000 titles.
Ständehaus
The walk along Brühl’s Terrace ends with the palace built between 1900 and 1907.
It represents the former parliament building. It was built on the foundations of the original Brühl Palace and completely blends in with the surroundings.
There is also a sculpture here of one of the most famous artists in Dresden, the Statue of Ernest Friedrich August Richel.
The monument was built in the place where this professor’s studio used to stand, on the monument there are three boys, each of whom has one important function for sculpting, namely: modeling, drawing and sharing. This distinguished professor and artist earned his place with his works but also with his unusual biography.
He studied in Rome and when he returned to his homeland he wanted to prove to everyone that he had learned something, so he carved a huge sculpture of Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony. He was immediately admitted to the Academy as a professor, and the aristocracy adored his works because he portrayed the characters very dramatically and gave them divine qualities.
His sculptures can be found all over the city, and this monument was made by his student Siling, also a great artist. Ten years earlier, Schilling had created impressive figures on the staircase, which show the four times of the day.
And then you reach the luxurious stairs, which were built in 1814. when the terrace and garden became open to the public.
Namely, when Russian troops occupied Dresden, Prince Nikolay Grigoryevich Volkonsky Rjepin gave the order to open the terrace to the public. Then the famous stairs were added to the terrace to make it accessible from the direction of the castle. From the top of the stairs you have a wonderful view of the August bridge as well as the Catholic church where the heart of Augustus the Strong is buried, and also the Castle.
And just when I thought that I would have to go back the same way I came from, this elevator was a real surprise for me.
Elegantly and dignified, I descended the stairs thanks to this elevator and continued my walk like any normal person in the world. This elevator is not only there for people in wheelchairs, but also for mothers with children, the disabled, and maybe even for cyclists. Someone thought about it and thanks for that. I’m always blown away by things like this and I have to commend them.
The Millennium Flood
Brühl’s terrace overlooks the approximately one thousand kilometer long Elbe River, which flows through several states.
The river flooded Dresden several times, and one such flood earned its name when in 2002. the water also reached the terrace, which is located 9 m above the banks of the river.
Conclusion
And so, my walk along the most important promenade in this part of the world ended. Today, thousands of tourists walk and take pictures here, and it is clear to me why.
Have you visited Brühl’s terrace?
Did I miss something?
Traveled and enjoyed,
Marko Veličković
