After having lived in Dresden for nearly a month, and having visited the Zwinger a couple of times, I have to admit that I am still a little unsure exactly what it is. The best way to describe it would probably be a sort of palace/garden hybrid built in the Rococo style by Augustus the Strong who, as I understand it, saw Versailles and wanted one. I think my failed attempts to comprehend the Zwinger is simply because although it has been reconstructed after the war to the same specifications, it simply no longer looks the same as it once might have done, and there are fewer gardens within to appreciate.

That having been said, it’s still a pretty great feat of architecture and it offers some great views of the Innere Altstadt. The real question, however, is can I make one small city have enough sights and tourist attractions to last six months of au pairing and exploring. The answer: hoffentlich.