Dresden - Germany

Dresden is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city. Dresden is the 12th most populous city in Germany, and the 4th largest by area and the third most populous city in the area of former East Germany. Dresden's urban area has around 793,000 inhabitants. The Dresden metropolitan area has approximately 1.36 million people. Dresden is the second largest city on the River Elbe. Most of the city's population lives in the Elbe Valley. Dresden is one of the most visited cities of Germany with over 4.76 million overnight stays a year. Its most prominent building is the Frauenkirche located at the Neumarkt. It was built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed during World War II. The ruins were left for about 50 years as a war memorial, before being rebuilt between the years 1994 and 2005. Other famous landmarks include the Zwinger, the Semperoper and the Dresden Castle. Furthermore, the city is home to the renowned Dresden State Art Collections, originating from the collections of the Saxon electors.