Location Spotlight: Meissen

     Hi again, and welcome back to the latest installment of "Location Spotlight!"  This week's guide is on the city of Meissen (Meiβen in German).
     Meissen was officially founded in the year 929, after being home to a tribal riverside settlement.  The city is located on the Elbe river, in the German state of Saxony, approximately forty minutes' drive from Dresden.

     Meissen is primarily known for being the home to the first porcelain factory outside of the East, with the Royal Porcelain Factory opening in 1710, in Albrechtsburg castle.

     Albrechtsburg castle, is at the top of the large hill that the city of Meissen is built on top of.  It was designed by Arnold of Westphalia, with construction beginning in 1471.  It is notable, as it was the first residential German castle, rather than primarily being a military structure.  The inside is well preserved, and there is an audio guide run tour of the inside of the castle, detailing the history of the castle and the city of Meissen.  The tour is 5 Euros (4 for students), and the guide is included.

Look at that blue sky!

     The cathedral next to the castle is a traditional Gothic cathedral, which would be used by the royal family living in the castle.  You can walk through it, and go up into the towers you see beneath each steeple, giving you a view of the entire city.  The two tall steeples you see weren't actually part of the cathedral until 1909.

There are not better pictures\.  I wish I was
exaggerating.

     The Meissen Porcelain Factory  offers tours through museum or through an example workshop, with the museum portion having available audio guides in multiple languages.  It is a relatively long walk away from the Albrechtsburg Castle and train station, but is worth the walk if you have the time.

I had to keep walking so he didn't notice I
had a camera.

     This is the city museum.  I didn't have a chance to go inside, but it appears that they are having an exhibition on fish of some kind.  There is also an ice cream place directly to the right of the chairs you see in the picture on the left.  Pizza is across the street from the museum.

Please pardon our appearance as we make sure
that the building is structurally sound.

     The Frauenkirche is home to the oldest operational Glockenspiel, with porcelain bells.  It plays six times daily, and is definitely a welcome change from standard church bells.  The marketplace shown on the right isn't a bad place to stop at a restaurant either.

For your Amusement:

I have no idea where this goes, but I'm going with it being
the doorway to hell.  Thoughts?

Just what a sidewalk in a historic city needs!

"Welcome to the GDR," - Tour guide during a train layover.

That shop is about the same age as me.
Yup.

Do you see the face imprint on the window?
Probably a ghost.

What would life be without a city skyline?

The fanciest toilet in Germany.

Everyone else stopped to take a picture, so it seemed
to be the thing to do.

Those owlets though.

No guys, its fine, we don't need windows.

Germans do love their lions, don't they?

Do you see the face?

The drunk monk.

Murica!

Its casual deer head on a building day,
didn't you know that?

The world's first Indian-Italian restaurant.
Also, hopefully the last.

"Fish sandwiches and more."
I don't believe you!

Proverb of the Day:

Every single tourist attraction will attempt to explain why they are the greatest place in the world.

They will also happily take three hours on an audio guide to do so.

*Source links included for stock images.

**The background music is from a personal music project in progress.