Did Friedrich August von Cosel ever imagine his grand palace would become a restaurant? Here we stand before the Coselpalais, a resurrected beauty in the heart of Dresden. It’s hard to believe this elegant baroque structure was once a site for a windmill and later a powder tower. In 1762, General Friedrich August von Cosel, son of the infamous Countess Cosel, acquired the land. He commissioned architect Julius Heinrich Schwarze to design his palace, a five-story masterpiece completed in 1764. The original design, with its pilasters and triangular pediment, reflected the Knoffel architectural style. Interestingly, the Cosel family rarely resided here, preferring their estate in Lower Silesia. The Coselpalais instead became a “Russian hotel” in the mid-19th century and later served as the Dresden police headquarters. Tragically, like much of Dresden, the Coselpalais was devastated during the 1945 air raids. Its wings were rebuilt in the 1970s, but the main building’s reconstruction wasn’t completed until 2000. Today, the Coselpalais thrives, housing restaurants, offices, and the Dresdner Piano-Salon. It’s a phoenix risen from the ashes, a testament to Dresden’s resilience and a delightful blend of history and modern life.
Kutschgeteich Moritzburg
How many hidden havens do you think lie tucked away in Saxony? Right here before us lies one such secret: