One of our days in Dresden, we took a day trip about an hour outside of the city by train to the smaller town of Bautzen. Bautzen caught our eye because it is one of Germany's few bilingual cities: the town has a large population of Sorbians (Germany's only indigenous slavic minority.) It's also the site of a Napoleonic battle, so Jim was eager to see the region. Bautzen exceeded our expectations -- it is a gem of a little town.
Walking from the train station to the main square, we started to get a sense of Bautzen's many towers and turrets.
Bautzen's city hall featured multiple clocks from different eras, including a working sun dial mounted on the side of the building.
We wanted to try Sorbian food specialties, so we went to a traditional Sorbian restaurant for lunch. Despite some issues deciphering the menu and some overall language barriers, we managed to order a delicious fixed price meal of the most iconic dish: Sorbian wedding. This featured tender boiled beef doused in spicy horseradish sauce. It was one of the trip's highlight meals.
The restaurant featured a large stained glass window depicting traditional Sorbian costumes and culture.
After lunch, we took a lovely walk down the city walls and along the Spree River -- a winter wonderland.
The architecture in the old part of Bautzen along the walls was beautiful...
...and the atmosphere down along the Spree charming.
We then hiked up the walls and walked out onto the bridge across the Spree for vistas of the town.
Some of the towers were churches, but others were defensive towers of the old medieval walls.
Another "happy newlywed" shot!
In the Christmas market, Jim saw this woman in some kind of traditional Sorbian attire. Her escorts were passing out treats, and she was tapping people with a bundle of sticks. (Kris missed this entire episode with one of her many bathroom trips.)
Bautzen had a small but very charming Christmas market -- so before our trip back to Dresden, we fortified with gluwein and bought some souvenirs, including delicious Bautzen'r senf, spicy mustard, and intricate Sorbian painted eggs.
On the way back to the train station, we followed Karl Marx Street -- note the bilingual sign, German on top, Sorbian underneath. Marx would be happy that his street is bourgeois, lined with high end retail.
Walking from the train station to the main square, we started to get a sense of Bautzen's many towers and turrets.Bautzen's city hall featured multiple clocks from different eras, including a working sun dial mounted on the side of the building.We wanted to try Sorbian food specialties, so we went to a traditional Sorbian restaurant for lunch. Despite some issues deciphering the menu and some overall language barriers, we managed to order a delicious fixed price meal of the most iconic dish: Sorbian wedding. This featured tender boiled beef doused in spicy horseradish sauce. It was one of the trip's highlight meals.The restaurant featured a large stained glass window depicting traditional Sorbian costumes and culture.After lunch, we took a lovely walk down the city walls and along the Spree River -- a winter wonderland.The architecture in the old part of Bautzen along the walls was beautiful......and the atmosphere down along the Spree charming.We then hiked up the walls and walked out onto the bridge across the Spree for vistas of the town.Some of the towers were churches, but others were defensive towers of the old medieval walls.Another "happy newlywed" shot!In the Christmas market, Jim saw this woman in some kind of traditional Sorbian attire. Her escorts were passing out treats, and she was tapping people with a bundle of sticks. (Kris missed this entire episode with one of her many bathroom trips.)Bautzen had a small but very charming Christmas market -- so before our trip back to Dresden, we fortified with gluwein and bought some souvenirs, including delicious Bautzen'r senf, spicy mustard, and intricate Sorbian painted eggs.On the way back to the train station, we followed Karl Marx Street -- note the bilingual sign, German on top, Sorbian underneath. Marx would be happy that his street is bourgeois, lined with high end retail.