This bus dropped me off at the centre of town, and from there I already explored my surroundings. The Old Town has typical old German architecture, typical to most cities in central Europe.
This is not a flat town, rather, there's a hill in the middle, and this hill is also where a castle is located. I ended up climbing this hill and exploring its surroundings, where I was able to look down and see the plains below. The Elbe runs through the city, the same river that I encountered while I was in the southeast of Dresden, when I was in Bad Schandau.
This hill is where the entrance to the castle is located, the Albrechtsburg. This Late Gothic castle was erected in 1471, and is apparently the first castle in Germany to be built solely as a residence, and not a military fortress at the same time. Before this time, there was a fortress built in the same area in 929, but this older structure doesn't exist anymore.
The interior of the castle is actually a very comprehensive museum, where one can learn more about the architecture of the castle, as well as its various rooms and the purposes those rooms had. It's not the most splendid interior, so don't expect Versailles-style opulence. Nevertheless, it is a very historical place, and I definitely spent a few hours exploring its rooms.
After some time, I exited the castle, and explored the rest of the town. At some point I also grabbed some lunch in a restaurant in the Old Town. And after that, I headed back to Dresden and back to my hotel.
This ends my first long weekend in Saxony (I had two long weekends in Saxony, remember). My next destination is also local, within Germany, but in a different state. Stay tuned.
