Things to do in Dresden, no research required

Dresden’s rebuilt old town does most of the work here and it earns it. Frauenkirche, the church reconstructed after the war, tops the reviews here outright, with Semperoper close behind and worth seeing even if you’re not catching a performance. The Grand Garden is the break you’ll want from all that stone and scaffolding. The Fürstenzug, a porcelain mural running the length of a city block, is easy to walk straight past without registering what you’re looking at, so slow down for it. Bars lead just ahead of arts and culture, so there’s as much reason to stay out late as to spend the day indoors.