Is Dresden one of Europe’s best-kept secret?

In the past seven years, I have visited Dresden, Germany at least 15 times. Every time, I can't help but think this place is such an under-the-radar gem.

When I use the term "under-the-radar gem" to describe Dresden, I am not referring to a charming little European town with lovely churches and colorful houses. Dresden is much more than that. It is a city with a mind-blowing amount of history (as the capital of the German state of Saxon), stunning architecture, a major art masterpiece by Raphael (along with many other piece of art by famous painters), and Europe's most splendid treasure chamber. Since this is Germany, we can't forget the Saxon castles, of course!

Despite this place being completely worthy of a trip, of the 15+ times I have been there, I dare say there was barely any native English being heard. If you look at the statistics, you might be shocked: there were only 4.3 million overnight visitors (2.1 million visitors staying 2 days or more) in 2016, of which 20% of them are foreign (non-German) tourists. In other words, about 80% of the visitors are Germans. Over the years, there is actually visibly more Asian tourists (mostly Chinese and Japanese), but Germans and East European tourists remain the vast majority so Germany must have somehow managed to keep Dresden a secret from foreigners.

How this city is so under-the-radar is a bit of a mystery, but here are 10 reasons why Dresden is a GEM and you totally should visit it:

1. Dresden was a major center for art and Raphael's most iconic artwork is in Dresden

If you are not an art-related student or professional, you may or may not be familiar with this iconic painting by Raphael: the Sistine Madonna.

But no matter how far away you are from the art world, you definitely will recognize these cute, little angels:

Given how cute these two little guys are, their fame is well-deserved.

Many people are surprised the angels are only a small part of the Sistine Madonna painting. In any case, what is relevant to you is that this iconic painting is waiting to be explored in Dresden. For this, Dresden had the ostentatious August I (August the Strong) - elector of Saxon and King of Poland, to thank. He loved to flaunt his wealth and taste and purportedly paid 25,000 scudi Romani (the currency at that time) to acquire the masterpiece from Raphael. This amount was huge at that time as other famous paintings at that time are typically in the 800-1000 scudi Romani price range.

The painting is a REAL masterpiece. If you look into it closely, you will see many faces of angels filling the background of the painting. Now this is what we called details! And unlike the Mona Lisa, this painting is a large piece of work and guaranteed to NOT disappoint.

You can see this painting at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden (the Old Masters Gallery) along with many other impressive artwork like Vermeer's famous The Milkmaid painting. The best part? It only cost 10 euros to see the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, the porcelain collection and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments) combined. A bonus point - there is almost never a crowd!

Other than the Altemeister Gallery, the Albertinum Museum is a must-visit if you are an art-lover. You can see many work by famous painters Van Gogh, Rotloff, Caspar David Friedrich, etc.

2. Dresden is home to Europe's most splendid treasure chamber

This is also thanks to August the Strong - Dresden is home to Europe's most splendid treasure chamber - the Dresden Green Vault. It houses the world's biggest green diamond, at 41 carat, which is estimated to be worth more than 200 million dollars. Another treasure of note is the court of Aurengzeb and its precious crown jewels.

3. Classical music giants like Richard Wagner and Strauss had their first nights there

By that, I obviously meant their operas and orchestral performances. This shows the major influence of Dresden and the Semper Oper in the realm of classical music in the 19th century. When you are in Dresden, remember to book a ticket to see an opera or orchestra performance at the Semper Oper. At the very least, go in for a tour as the opera house is extremely glamorous and very much a sight in itself. Having been educated in classical music myself, I have attended many orchestral performances but my jaw completely dropped when I saw how splendid the Semper Oper looked from the inside on my first visit.

4. Dresden was the capital of the German state of Saxon

The amount of history to soak in when in Dresden is quite mind-blowing. The city has a history of about 800 years and has acted as the capital of Saxony since the 15th century, where electors, princes and kings had resided. Nicknamed the "Florence on the Elbe", the Saxon electors and Kings have developed Dresden into one of the major cultural and economic capitals of Europe since the 17th century. Famous musicians and artists from the Romantic period like painter Caspar David Friedrich, composer Karl Maria von Weber, architect Gottfried Semper and composer Richard Wagner, all spent time in the city and contributed to Dresden's reputation as one of the major center for European arts and music at that time. However, the city's dream of continuous political significance was cut short as Saxony had to give away half of its territory following the Vienna Congress in 1815.

This wall, the Fürstenzug, was made of Meissen porcelain and details all the kings of Saxon.

More than two centuries later, Dresden was caught in the Second World War and was a victim of the Allied Bombings in 1945, which saw 85% of the city and its impressive architecture being destroyed and at least 20,000 people being killed. Today, many of the buildings, including the iconic Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), are reconstructed buildings.

5. Amazing architecture

The Dresden castle, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and the Zwinger Palace are the most prominent landmarks of Dresden. Together, they contribute to the very impressive skyline of the city.

Many of the buildings are very Baroque in style, giving the city a very unique, historic feel to it.

I could totally imagine Beauty and the Beast doing their dance in this garden

6. The Elbe River in Dresden was a UNESCO Heritage site

In 2004, UNESCO designated the Elbe River as a UNESCO Heritage Site in recognition of the area retaining many of its historic and cultural monuments, facilities, structures and elements. These include the Pillnitz Castle, the monuments and parks in Dresden through from 16th-20th century, suburban villas and gardens, old villages along the Elbe, terraced slopes, the Blue Wonder Steel bridge, the single-rail suspension cable railway, and the oldest passenger steamships that remain in use till today.

Its status as a World Heritage Site was short-lived as it was de-listed in 2009 due to the city government's decision to go ahead with the construction of the four-lane bridge in the heart of the Elbe River.

Dresden and Elbe River may have "failed" UNESCO, but all the above-mentioned reasons why it was designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in the first place remain and you can see all of these when you visit Dresden and tour the Elbe River.

7. Dresden and its surrounding has a number of beautiful Saxon castles and fortresses

Germany is famous for its countless number of castles scattered across the country. Of course, there is no shortage of these in Dresden and its surrounding. In the city itself, there is the Dresden Castle and the Pillnitz Castle. Outside of the city, Meissen, the Moritzburg Castle and Weissenstein Castle are some examples of Saxon castles. My favorite one, however, is definitely the Konigstein, which is actually a fortress instead of a castle. If you climb or or take the elevator up, you can see a very impressive panoramic view of the area.

8. Dresden has one of the oldest Christmas markets

The Christmas market in Germany is something that non-Europeans really should experience once. There is something warm and special about these markets - maybe it's the sipping a glass of hot wine, maybe it's the gingerbread. Maybe it's just the Christmas trees and lights. No matter what, these markets definitely make a very unique Christmas experience.

To experience this part of the German culture, you really should choose the most beautiful ones with the longest tradition (tip: I've been to a few in Germany and can say that not all Christmas markets are created the same.) Here comes Dresden - with Christmas markets records dating back to 1432, the Dresden Christmas market is arguably the oldest one in existence. There are many big and small Christmas markets held all over the city, but the main one you cannot miss is the Dresden Striezelmarkt, held at the Altmarkt Square. Highlights include the Stollen cake (Saxon specialty), the world's tallest Nutcracker, the Christmas Pyramid, numerous stalls offering angel figurines, delicious almonds and nuts, sausages, puppet theater, merry-go-rounds and a ferris wheel that your child is totally going to love.

9. There are many cool, quirky buildings, shops and lively restaurants/ bars to check out

Dresden's history and architecture has already given the city so much depth and many gems to explore. But if you think Dresden is solely a medieval and old city, then you are completely wrong. The city actually has a large shopping district, where there are two large shopping malls (familiar brands like H&M, Zara, Apple, Primark are there), Karstadt (a major German department store) and many other shops. There are also numerous lively restaurants and bars in the city center and in the Neustadt area.

Often, it is the quirky buildings and little shops that give a city the cool vibe and character. There is no shortage of these in Dresden. Check out the Neustadt area, the Kunsthofpassage, and the Guinness record milk store. The store is a filming location for the Grand Budapest Hotel.

10. Dresden houses the most important part of the Maya Codex

If you're interested in history, you might be very fascinated by the Mayan civilization. The most important part of the Maya Codex is the Dresden Codex (the other ones in Madrid and Paris), which is in the State Library of Dresden. Okay, it might be a bit disappointing that you cannot actually see this one. But personally I just find this so cool.

11. There are numerous side trips you can take from Dresden

Since the 10th point is not really actionable, we offer an 11th point about why Dresden is totally worthy of a visit involving multiple days. In addition to the above mentioned castles, you can hop over to one or more of these destinations for a day trip if you have more than 2 days to spend in Dresden: Bautzen, the Saxon Switzerland National Park, Konigstein Fortress and the Bastei Bridge (another Grand Budapest Hotel filming location), Glashutte (where the famous luxury watch is found and manufactured), Leipzig (if you love classical music and Bach).