And you're just 10-15 minutes from:

• at the nearest tram stop you can catch the number 7 or 8 to: 'Tannenstr./Goetheinstitut' - click here for DVB AG local route map (In the apartment, you will find tram timetables and a route map with disabled-access tram stops marked.)
• near to local supermarkets (Netto, Plus)
• near to local bakeries, Döner kebab takeaways, greengrocer's, pharmacy, newsagent's, health and beauty store etc.
• near to the Sparkasse, Commerzbank etc.
• near to the Schauburg cinema
• not far from the bars and restaurants of Rudolf-Leonhard Street (the trendy 'Leonardo', 'El Martinez', 'Anton', 'Bistro Come in' and 24-hour bar 'Café Europa'), all offering excellent choice of menus
• near the open-air Theaterruine St.-Pauli
• near Alaun Park
• near the A4 autobahn

• the commercial and historic city centre (tram or bike)
• the Elbe cycle track / Elbe embankments (bike or tram)
• the centre of Neustadt with nearly 100 pubs, restaurants and bars, music clubs, trendy shops, Thalia cinema and the Projekttheater
• the Dresdner Heide - 50km² of municipal parkland / nature conservation zone - (on foot or alternatively a seven-minute bike ride)
• the nearest internet café (on foot)
• Dresden-Neustadt railway station

Dresden is a city full of contented people. That's not surprising because few other places offer quite the same blend of culture, joie de vivre and natural beauty. Unique cultural treasures, world-famous heritage sites such as the Semperoper, Zwinger Palace, Church of Our Lady, and the Grüne Gewölbe, a lively bustling urban scene and the Elbe with its beautiful embankments and vineyards - these are just a few of the features that bring a smile to the face of Dresden's inhabitants. The dynamism of the city is palpable, something you'll notice as soon as you arrive.

There is no shortage of festive occasions here, as the locals always enjoy a good celebration. Unmissable events include:

• Bunte Republik Neustadt (mid June)
• Elbhangfest (late June)
• Filmnächte am Elbufer (late June to late August)
• Stadtfest (our very own local gala held right outside our front door every August)
• the Inseln im Hecht (late August)
• and also the famous Striezelmarkt (mid to late December). Also worth a special mention is the medieval Christmas market held in the Stallhof (Dresdner Stadtschloss stableyard) – simply enchanting...

Dresden Neustadt - where everything is within a few minutes' walking distance:

Without doubt, the city's liveliest quarter is Neustadt. Don't be misled by the Neustadt ('New Town') designation: we're not talking here about monolithic ranks of grey concrete apartment blocks; on the contrary, the typical architectural style here is 'Gründerzeit' (later 19th century) which lends the urban skyline a certain elegance. The creative 'alternative' lifestyle and the vibrant entertainment and cultural scene (approx 100 bars, pubs, restaurants etc) attract musicians, artists and young talent from all over the world. The jollities reach a climax in mid June with the annual „Bunte Republik Neustadt“, festival that sees 100,000 revellers thronging the streets and being entertained by countless bands and performers.

Pubs and restaurants that we would recommend

• Brunch at Leonardo (around the corner), at Bottom's Up, at Planwirtschaft or at Scheune.
• Italian cooking at Piccola Toscana on Louisenstrasse
• yummy Cuban food at Martinez (around the corner)
• A coffee at Blumenau,Max, Café Kontinental and any time of day or night at Café Europa
• A soft ice in Alaun Park or a sundae in the Tiki Bar
• A fine wine in at the Café 100 or the Spanish-run El Perro Borracho
• A beer at the Bottom´s up, Raskolnikoff, Oosteinde or in one of the numerous beer gardens

Shopping advice

• Shopping in the trendy Tranquillo or the shops on Böhmische Strasse
• Also worth a visit, the Kunsthofs with trendy fashions at Mrs. Hippie

• A good film at the art cinemas Thalia or Schauburg
• Dance away the night at Katy´s Garage, in the music bars
• Groove Station (warning, loud rock!), the unique Hebedas, at the Downtown, in Flower Power, Nubeatzz-Club or the many other hangouts in Straße E
• And if you're a night owl, try the Blue Note – a jazz club that stays open into the early hours

Worried that the choice is simply too great? We know the feeling.
But then we check out the scene here:
www.cybersax.de/newsite/terminal
www.kneipensurfer.de
www.nightwalk-dresden.de
www.dresden-riesa.de

Tips on disabled access in Dresden Neustadt (and elsewhere) can be found here: www.rollpfad.de

The surrounding countryside is also stunningly varied

Dresden is even more attractive when you take a look at the remarkable scenery all around. Think castles. There are plenty in Dresden itself as well as in the immediate vicinity. Spectacular examples are the baroque castle of Moritzburg, the Albrechtsburg in Meissen and Schloss Weesenstein. The Sächsische Schweiz ('Saxon Switzerland') National Park exerts an irresistible charm on thousands of nature lovers, climbers and walkers all year round.

As a wheelchair or handbike user, you'll find some useful tips for exploring the National Park here: http://bike-o-matic.netfirms.com. No visit to Dresden is complete without at least a day trip there – maybe by Elbe steamer? The Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt is the oldest steam navigation company of its kind in the world.

The Eastern Erzgebirge is an old mining area (Erzgebirge = ore mountains). Well worth a visit is the Bünaustollen Mining Museum in Zinnwald. In the western part of the Erzgebirge, there is a positive plethora of such museums: www.erzgebirge.de. One hour by train or by car and you are there.

To the east of Dresden are Niederlausitz and Oberlausitz in the triangular section of land bordering on Poland and the Czech Republic - an unspoilt landscape with unspoilt, friendly people. The scenery around Zittau is a beautiful mix of lakeland and mountains. Lausitz (Lusatia) is also the native land of the Slavonic Sorben with their unique language and culture.

Dresden is a paradise for fans of dampfbetriebenen Schmalspurbahnen. The famous Lößnitzdackel still departs on schedule every day. Unfortunately, the Weißeritztalbahn was badly damaged by the floods of 2002 - we're hoping it will soon be restored. In the Zittauer mountains there is a narrow-gauge line on the romantic stretch between Zittau and the health resort of Oybin: www.soeg-zittau.de.

Are you keen on sport? Great! Take your pick of these activities:

Mountain biking in the Dresdner Heide (nature conservation area)

Or Touren mit dem Fahrrad? A bike tour along the Elberadweges will take you directly to the Sächsischen Schweiz, past Schloss Pillnitz and such wonderful towns as Wehlen or Rathen with its famous Felsenbühne theatre.
You can hire bikes at Neustadt railway station, just 12 minutes on foot from the apartment.

Inline skating on the asphalt-surfaced Elberadweg (embankment cycle track) and summertime „night skating“ when the city centre is cordoned off to traffic and thousands of skaters parade around the 'Grosser Garten'. In the Lingnerallee near the Hygiene Museum there is also a skaters' park that is unique in Germany. Jogging in Alaun Park, on the embankment or in the Dresdner Heide.

Canoeing or rafting on the Elbe, e.g. at www.elbe-erleben.de

Hiking, climbing or caving in the 'Saxon/Bohemian Switzerland' or in Upper Lusatia, for example with SMF-Outdoor. There is an S-Bahn every 30 minutes from Neustadt railway station to Bad Schandau.

Skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing in the Eastern Erzgebirge are other great options. Though everything here may be on a smaller scale than the Alps, winter sports fans are nonetheless guaranteed fun.
The German/Czech border is just one hour away by car or by rail. You can go cross-country skiing from Zinnwald or enjoy downhill thrills on the pistes at Altenberg, Holzhau, Rehefeld, Geising or Bouřňák (just over the border in the Czech Republic).
The piste at Rugiswalde has been equipped with plastic matting; at Senftenberg (north of Dresden in Niederlausitz) you will find the Snowtropolis indoor skiing centre where you can ski all year round.
Or maybe you prefer to watch? Top events are regularly held at the Altenberg Bobbahn (tobogganing course) - e.g. Stefan Raab's WOK world championships in March 2008!