Zwinger Palace, Dresden Germany

I've never really had much luck with the trains in Germany, In fact, I have not been on a German train in over two years because the last time was traumatic (a four hour ride that turned into an eleven hour ride). Something always seems to go wrong and this trip was no different. Taking the train to Dresden should not have had much drama since it was a strait shot with no transfers. However, that was not the case, I got my ticket, which told me what cart and what seat to sit in. I figure, well that is easy enough, I should not have any issues with this. The train pulled up and I jump on the train and went to my seat only to find an old lady sitting in my seat ( I was already like "oh jess here we go"). I asked her if she was in the right seat and she showed me her ticket, and sure enough she was. So I just sort of found any empty seat hoping this train would not fill up. Well, the train filled up in a hurry and I was the odd man out! So I had no where to sit so I moved to the next cart which was relegated for people's bikes to take with them to where ever there destination was. So I was going to be standing on a train for two and a half hours being knock around into bikes on a train. This was going to get old fast.
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After about a half an hour the ticket checker lady came by. I explained my situation of the over booking but she did not understand a word I said because she only spoke German. However, another guy in the bike room piped up and said he would translate. After a little back and fourth the ticket lady understood the situation and led me to an empty first class seat. So finally something goes right for me on a German train. ​
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Once I got to Dresden I got out my trusty map and head out of the train station. I started walking down a street to which I though would lead me to downtown. I looked at the name of the street and could not find on my map anywhere. Then I though well maybe this street is to small to be on this map. I walk for quite a while and could not find any of the streets I was walking on my map. I came to platz and there was on those street maps that said where you were. I looked that over and realized I got off at a different train station and not the one I thought. I was on other side of town, but at least I knew where I was at. I thought my map was defective (It just ends up I have no idea how to read it or what train station I got off at). Once I got into the Medieval part of Dresden I found my hotel dropped my gear and headed out into the city. ​
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Dresden was prettier and cooler then I had anticipated. Dresden was once a completely walled off city and there are still remanence of its wall all over the place. as I was walking around I came across Zwinger Palace. This palace began contraction in the 1500's (I think it was part of the wall of Dresden but was not seriously constructed till the 1700's) and did not finish until the 1700's I was sort of floored by this place. Its huge and you could walk around in the garden or up on the roof looking down on the garden or the river. The Palace had a maze of complex ornamented pavilions and gardens overlooked by galleries lined with balustrades and statues. ​
Today, the Zwinger is a museum complex that contains the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), the Dresden Porcelain Collection (Dresdener Porzellansammlung) and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments). ​
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The location was formerly part of the Dresden fortress of which the outer wall is conserved. The name derives from the German word Zwinger (an enclosed killing ground in front of a castle or city gate); it was for the cannons that were placed between the outer wall and the major wall. The Zwinger was not enclosed until the Neoclassical building by Gottfried Semper called the Semper Gallery was built on its northern side.