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Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking  You are here: About > Travel > Eastern Europe for Visitors > Russia-Belarus-Ukraine > Russia Travel Resources > Travel Essentials - Russia > Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking Travel Go Eastern Europe Essentials Best of Eastern Europe Map of Central/Eastern Europe Photo Gallery Country Profiles Discount Travel Websites Articles & Resources Planning Your Trip Ways to Travel What to Do in East Europe Maps for Eastern Europe Czech-SlovakTravel Hungary Travel Poland Travel Russia-Belarus-Ukraine Romania-Moldova Travel Baltic Travel Balkan Travel Culture and Holidays Photo Galleries East Europe Travel and Language Books Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Eastern Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Eastern Europe for Visitors Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading All Travel Guides Russia Travel Guide Profile of Russia Most Popular First Christmas Tree Europe map Best of Eastern Europe Croatia Naturism and Nudism Discount Travel Websites What's Hot Krakow Photo Gallery Profiles of Eastern Europe Moscow City Profile Czech Republic Photo Gallery - Charles Bridge and castle Sofia's Religous Buildings Related Topics Hotels / Resorts / Inns European History Architecture Air Travel Europe for Visitors Dining and Drinking - Russia From Apply Now , Your Guide to Eastern Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Russia Travel Guide One of the pleasures of travel is reveling in the food and drink of the local cuisine. Russia has plenty to offer in this respect, whether you opt for traditional Russian fare or meals representative of other CIS countries. What Not to Eat You can eat well in Russia at any budget. However, because some people get sick when they travel and eat unaccustomed food, this situation can happen in Russia also. So, because you don't want to spend time being miserable in your hotel room from a stomach problem, it's wise to be careful, just to be on the safe side. Some suggestions: Don't drink tap water. Drink only bottled water. It comes with or without gas. When you order bottled water at restaurants, make sure the waiter brings you an unsealed bottle (not an open bottle that could have been filled with tap water). Of course, if you order water with gas, you won't have this possibility. Brush your teeth with bottled water, not tap water. Avoid salad bars (vegetables washed with tap water). If you buy fruit, wash it with bottled water, not tap water. You get the picture with tap water. If you order a coffee or tea, be aware you might be drinking tap water, but it's boiled. Avoid food from sidewalk stands. Enjoy all thoroughly cooked food. I should note that I have broken all the suggestions above throughout Eastern Europe and not suffered consequences. I love going to cafes for coffee and eating ice cream from sidewalk vendors. But again, you may opt for the safest route than take a chance spending your precious visit too sick to enjoy it. Restaurants Moscow and St. Petersburg have a proliferation of well-known chains, including McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and TGI Fridays. But try to sample other food, as both Moscow and St. Petersburg can offer so much more. Check the English language newspapers such as the Moscow Times for listings of restaurants. For restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg, also see these lists: List of all types of restaurants in Moscow, from the Moscow City website St. Petersburg restaurants Almost 500 restaurants listed. Fodor's picks for Moscow restaurants Fodor's picks for St. Peterburg's restaurants Cuisine Russian cuisine does wonderful things with meat, cabbage, potatoes, and dough (both bread and pastry). Well-known dishes include : borsch (beet soup) pelmeni (boiled dough pockets filled with meat) beef roll (finely chopped meat and spices rolled in fine pastry) chicken kiev draniki (potato pancakes) golubtsy (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice, covered in a tomato broth) There are many other dishes, with beef, pork, poultry and fish, as well as potato salad, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, caviar, and wonderful dark bread. Don't forget dessert: bliny, ponchiki (doughnuts), kulich (rum cake) and ice cream. Payment In top restaurants you will likely be able to pay with credit cards. At smaller cafes and restaurants, you will probably have to pay with rubles. Drinking in Russia We'll get to the vodka later but first, know that Russians love to drink tea (chai). With samovars boiling away in offices and train compartments and lots of other places too, Russians drink tea all day long. Vodka is a popular drink, and comes plain but also flavored: lemon, cranberry, herbs. It's hard to keep up with a Russian drinker so you may not want to try. Beer (pivo) is also popular. Russian brands include Tinkov pilsner , Baltika, Stepan Rizan, Nevskoye, Klinskoye, and Tolstiyak. A low-alcohol beer is called kvas. Russia also produces wine, with three million acres of vineyards. Russian wines aren't for everyone, as they can tend to have concentrated fruity flavors and some are rather sweet. While you're in Russia, you may want to try the wine of former Soviet republics, such as Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. Popular white wines are the Anapa Riesling, Tsinandali, and Gourdzhuani. Reds are Saperavi and Mukuzani. Tipping Tipping has not yet become an expected norm in restaurants around Russia, although at better restaurants and cafes, you will find that patrons will do so. However, a normal rate has not been really established yet, so many people leave between five and ten percent, or more depending on the service. At not so fancy restaurants or cafes, you can round up the bill. Some restaurants will add service to your bill, so check first before you tip, and feel free not to tip at all if you believe the service doesn't deserve it. If there is a cloakroom where you need to leave your coat, there may be a sign telling you the amount to release your belongings. Otherwise, leave a few rubles or a dollar. 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Central America Travel

Adventure Travel with the Green Tortoise Bus Company Reservations & General Info Trips, Dates & Prices Links, Photos & Chat Boards Green Tortoise Hostels Company Info Search Home Page & Site Info Hello! The menu links at top will not work because you either have Style Sheets turned off in your preferences, or you are using a very old web browser version. Please move around the site by using the site directory at the bottom of this page. Please consider upgrading to a more recent version of your browser if necessary. - GT Webmaster The above menus will not work because you have Javascript turned off. Please use the site directory page or Adventures & Destinations clickable map to move around the site. plus, check out our brand new Gold Coast Loop ! About us Featured Adventure Trips Subscribe to our newsletter Request a print catalog Featured trip: Burning Man Festival -- Sign our Guest Map ... show us where you're from! new! Site map Chat room new! -- Green Tortoise Adventure Travel began over 30 years ago, with one sturdy bus and the realization that beautiful places, great food, and sociable people were the only essentials for gratifying travel experiences. Since then, over 500,000 people have traveled with us, including many repeat riders from all over the world. Enjoy the beauty, excitement, and inspiration of North and Central America aboard our " stretch-out-and-sleep " coaches. Our sleeper coaches are unique, with names and lots of character. Our happy passengers sleep lying down on converted platforms and bunk beds. In the morning, we arrive somewhere incredible! By day we swim, explore caves, climb mountains, raft downstream, stand under waterfalls, walk through forests, build camp-fires, visit towns, meet people, or just plain take it easy. You're welcome to join the adventure, friends and fun. The settings are the best national parks, beaches, deserts, forests, hot springs, mountains, and waterfalls. There's nothing else like the Green Tortoise—even a short ride on the Green Tortoise is a vacation . . . the longer trips will become lifelong memories. Above: "...What Now?" Black Rock Desert, NV. ©1997 Mike K . Used by permission. Arches Nat'l Park photo: ©2000 Sacha Schrier. Used by permission. We occasionally send out information about new trips, specials and other information by email to people who request it, via our newsletter group on YahooGroups. To receive these newsletters, you can subscribe to our YahooGroups list by submitting your email address here: You can also subscribe by simply sending a blank email to GreenTortoiseNewsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com , then reply to the confirmation email they send. Your email address will be kept completely confidential and only used for our periodic mailings. It will not ever be sold or given away, in accordance with YahooGroups' privacy policy . (Note: If you have a Hotmail account, you need to add GreenTortoiseNewsletter@yahoogroups.com to your Mailing Lists on your Options screen in Hotmail so the newsletters don't go into your Junk Mail folder.) About our catalog... Our full-color catalog contains the same information as this website. If you would like to order a free copy or have one sent to a friend, please use our online catalog request form or call us . Don't trust computers! Your intrepid webmaster does his best to keep our website updated with the most current information available - but in this ever-changing world in which we live in, you can never be too sure. All information on this website is subject to change without notice - please call us to confirm anything you read here before you make travel plans based on it! Even a short ride on the Green Tortoise is a vacation, and the longer adventures will become life-long memories. As we like to say, the Green Tortoise is Back to top Site map Terms and conditions Reservations/general info: tortoise greentortoise.com Technical/internet-related issues: webmaster greentortoise.com ©2003 Green Tortoise Adventure Travel Adventure Travel home - text-only version Hello! You are seeing the site directory below because you either have Javascript and Style Sheets turned off in your preferences, or you are using a very old web browser version (probably either Internet Explorer 3, or Netscape 4.74 or earlier.) You can continue to use the site like this if you wish, but please consider either turning these features on if they are off, or downloading more up-to-date web browser versions. Site Directory Reservations & General Info How to Make A Reservation This is it! Before you reserve How to make your reservation Reservation form Cancellations, credit card policy & fee, general copy of release Cancellantion policy Credit card policy General release form (html or PDF) Yes, we do Charters ! Charter information and online quote request form Traveling by Tortoise : about our food and sleeper coaches About our food About our sleeper coaches Why NOT Green Tortoise Is our style of travel for you? Read me! Frequently asked questions Our Frequent Crawler club : repeat riders get free trips Children riding the Tortoise: Our policies and advice on child passengers Our policy on children Thoughts about traveling on Green Tortoise with a young child, by a parent of a young Tortoise traveler Directions to our office, departure points and hostels Our Address, phone number and email Directions to our San Francisco Office and Hostel, and to our San Francisco bus departures Directions to our Seattle hostel Trips, Dates & Prices All Trip dates and fares listed by Trip name All Trip dates and fares month-by-month listing of departure dates Adventures & Destinations clickable map Alaskan Expedition Alaska Loop Burning Man Festival Best Of The West Canyons Of The West Cross Country Northern Crossing eastbound Cross Country Northern Dream westbound Cross Country Southern Crossing eastbound Cross Country Southern Dream westbound Death Valley National Park Hostel Hopper round-trip shuttle to LA, Las Vegas, Yosemite, and San Francisco -- Mardi Gras National Parks Loop Northeast Loop Northern Pioneer Northwest Loop Pacific Trek Southeast Loop Southwest Loop Western Trail Yosemite National Park Three day Yosemite trips (June thru October) Two day weekend trips (April thru September) Baja Beach Daze / Whale Watching Baja Beach Daze 9 or 15 day adventure trips Baja Beach Whale Watching adventure trip Baja Beach "Fly In" trip Costa Rica (Costa Rica Loop / Costa-Nica / Panama Carnaval) Costa Rica Loop adventure trip Costa Rica/Nicaragua Loop adventure trip Carnaval trip: Costa Rica/Panama Gold Coast Loop Maya Dream Weeks : Yucatan Explorer, Caribbean Cruiser, Jungle Boogie, La Ruta Maya, Tropical Trek, and The Whole Enchilada Maya Trail Pyramids & Playas new! Southern Migration San Francisco to Cancun Check out our current Featured Adventure Trips Last Minute Specials Tell us what you thought! Links, Photos & Chat Boards Fellow Travelers : other sites about Green Tortoise, by passengers and friends Our online Photo Gallery Link to us! free link graphics and text for your web pages Pleased to meetcha! Meet our drivers, naturalists and office staff Meet our drivers Meet our naturalists Meet our office staff Friends Of The Tortoise: Other links of interest to Green Tortoise travelers Tortoise2Tortoise A community bulletin board Tortoise Tales Now it's your turn to talk! Our GuestMap : show us where you're from, and meet our other website visitors! new! 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Japan Travel

Japan Travel Guide, Japanese Popular Culture, History and Japanese Etiquette Japan travel guide, information on Japan and Japanese culture. 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Ring Home # Make 100s of thousands of new friends today, FREE! Japan Zone Features: Chat Room | Quizzes | Games | E-cards Street Fashion Our latest poll: "What's the best way to spend New Year in Japan?" Thursday, 29th December 2005 Today's Japan News | Japan Weather | Japan Stocks | Currency Converter | The latest posts on our Japan Forum Join Japan Zone Friends in December - Win a DVD! - Join Now Everyone who joins Japan Zone Friends between now and December 31st will be entered to win a DVD! It's FREE to join, so why not? Welcome to the bizarre world of an American mannequin family who have recently moved toJapan, and cause quite an uproar. Fashionably hip and gut-splitting funny, this feature was first shown on the Japanese late-night show Vermillion Pleasure Night and now has a cult following. Available from ADV Films (the largest producer/distributor for Japanese anime) from December 20 on DVD. Official website Watch a classic clip, "Lady Tutor": High quality | Low quality (Quick Time) The Latest -- Japan Zone is the only site that brings you regular news and gossip in English from the Japanese entertainment world. Noriko's Fashion Choice Talento Kato Noriko (32) is to get married on New Year's Day, according to her agency yesterday. The lucky man is Wakatsuki Yoshio (43), a creative director in the fashion world. The fax announcement of the engagement caught the media by surprise as the two have only been going out since the spring, though they've been living together for the last couple of months. They have known each other for several years, and met when Kato took a break from showbusiness to study in Paris in 2000. Wakatsuki was working on the Paris Collection at the time. • Rock band Mr. Children finished up their first nationwide "dome tour" with a show last night at Tokyo Dome. They played to 45,000 fans, bringing the tour total to about 390,000. Vocalist Sakurai Kazutoshi (35), who battled with serious illness in 2003 that saw the band take a 6-month hiatus, said 2005 was the best year ever. • Kabuki actor Onoe Matsusuke died of cancer at a Tokyo hospital on Monday. He was 59. • A survey has shown that people are pretty evenly divided about whether national broadcaster NHK should take legal action against those who refuse to pay their license fee. The number of those refusing to pay has increased to over a million following a series of scandals involving NHK employees. December 28, 2005 Recent Headlines • Noriko's Fashion Choice (December 28) • All Eyes on Women Skaters (December 27) • Ryoko Polishing Her Bridal Skills (December 26) • Boyz of Summer? (December 24) More news available on our News page . (powered by Movable Type 3.15 ) Syndicate this site Content Picks Planning a trip to Japan? ROYALTY : With the marriage of Princess Sayako, the Imperial Family lost one of its members. Will one of her nieces ever ascend to the imperial throne? CULTURE : Aromatherapy may be all the rage these days, but kodo , the art of incense, has been around for centuries and is one of the three major Japanese traditional arts. ROMANCE : Are you looking for a partner in Japan ? We have some useful background info and a list of resources to help you on your way. TOURS : Try our selection of half-day and one-day tours in Japan's most popular destinations SIGHTSEEING GUIDES : Browse our extensive sightseeing guide to the whole country, with information on all the major sights. Tokyo Kyoto Hokkaido Kyushu Mt. Fuji Osaka/Kobe Okinawa More... ELECTRONIC DICTIONARIES A must-have item for any student of Japanese or trip to Japan is a pocket dictionary.In our JapanStore, we have chosen some of the best ones around. From the reasonablypriced to the multi-featured, you're sure to find one that suits your study, businessor travel needs. Find out more... We've teamed up with Japan's No.1 online job site for English-speakingprofessionals. Search the Gaijinpot job database now for free. Through our partnership with Amazon.com, we are offering an exclusive JapanZone version of the award winning Alexa Toolbar- FREE! No browser should be without this handy tool! Plus, when you download anduse the toolbar, you'll help support Japan Zone. The Top Sites in Japan -- -- Web Japan Zone The current time in: Hawaii Los Angeles Chicago New York Brasilia London Berlin Paris Milano Israel New Delhi Bangkok Beijing Hong Kong Singapore Tokyo Seoul Canberra Guam Sign up for free & meet... Asia's largest friend finder network. Join FREE today! Sign up for our free newsletter. Keep up with the latest news and gossip from Japan. 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Mexico Travel

Mexico Hotels, Mexico Resorts, Mexico All Inclusive Travel Guide Mexico Vacation Reservations, Information, Maps, Activities Acapulco Hotels Resorts, Cancun Hotels Resorts, Cabo San Lucas Hotels Resorts, Puerto Vallarta Hotels Resorts, Los Cabos Hotels Resorts, Mazatlan Hotels Resorts, Manzanillo Hotels Resorts, Mexico City Hotels Resorts, San Jose del Cabo Hotels Resorts, Playa del Carmen Hotels Resorts, All Inclusive, Online Reservations, Travel Guide, Information, Maps, News, Activities, 6 Star, 5 Star, 4 Star Hotels Resorts in Mexico. Home Airfare Search Hotels-Condos Search City Tours Package Trips Travel Offers Travel Store Travel Tips Travel News Travel Tools Travel Books Message Board RESOURCES Diving Resources Mayan Ruins Mexico Airport Codes Mexico Resources Mexico Rental Resources Reservation Resources Web Travel Resources Contact Si-Mexico Mexico...Beyond Your Expectations! For Airfare & Hotel Packages Check Here! Last Minute Deals To Mexico Click Here! For Last Minute Deals To Mexico Beaches Click Here! Take A Video Tour Of Mexico and Find Out Why it'sBeyond Your Expectations! Visual Tour: Mexico Looking For Adult Only Resorts In Mexico? Click Here! Featured City Puerto Vallarta - "No Limits Bay!" Protected by the second largest bay in the American continent, Baha de Banderas, with over 40 km of golden beaches in the center of the Mexican Pacific and surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental lies Puerto Vallarta, a paradise whose special charm is due to its blend of colonial and cosmopolitan features. The best way to enjoy Puerto Vallarta is to wander through Viejo Vallarta, with its traditional cobbled streets, white-walled houses, wrought-iron balconies and red tiled roofs; visit the Templo de Nuestra Seora de Guadalupe, with its unusual dome, a replica of the crown worn by Empress Charlotte in 1860; admire the original murals by the artist Manuel Lepe in the Palacio Municipal; walk along the jetty with its esplanade of bronze statures and wide variety of shops with something for everyone; explore the galleries displaying contemporary Mexican art; sample the varied gastronomy in one of its open-air restaurants while gazing at a beautiful sunset or enjoy a traditional Mexican evening complete with folkloric ballet. To the north lies Marina Vallarta, the largest sports port in Mexico that attracts luxurious yachts and sailboats from all over the world and is surrounded by deluxe hotels, shopping malls and golf courses. Next to it, in the state of Nayarit, is Nuevo Vallarta, the most recent tourist resort in the bay. In Puerto Vallarta you will find more than one way of recharging your batteries, since there are hundreds of opportunities for recreation, particularly water sports such as diving, sailboat regattas, fishing, skiing and Jet Skis as well as gentle boat rides round the bay to watch dolphins, turtles and humpbacked whales, just some of the natural attractions that make this one of the worlds favorite destinations. ... More... Puerto Vallarta Video Tour! >Re-Opened Hotels In The Mexican Caribbean After Wilma< Top Destinations Acapulco Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Cabo San Lucas Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Cancun Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Ensenada Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Mayan Riviera Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Mazatlan Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Rocky Point Hotels Condos Travel Guide Playa Del Carmen Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Puerto Vallarta Hotels Resorts Travel Guide San Jose Del Cabo Hotels Resorts Travel Guide Destinations Cities Hotels-Resorts-Inclusive Acapulco Hotels Aguascalientes Hotels Akumal Hotels Cabo San Lucas Hotels Cancun Hotels Chichuahua Hotels Cozumel Hotels Cuernavaca Hotels Durango Hotels Ensenada Hotels Guadalajara Hotels Guanajuato Hotels Hermosillo Hotels Huatulco Hotels Ixtapa Hotels Juarez Hotels Kantenah Bay Hotels La Paz Hotels Loreto Hotels Los Cabos Hotels Manzanillo Hotels Mayan Riviera Hotels Mazatlan Hotels Merida Hotels Mexico City Hotels Monterrey Hotels Morelia Hotels Oaxaca Hotels Patzcuaro Hotels Playa Del Carmen Hotels Playa Paraiso Hotels Puebla Hotels Puerto Aventuras Hotels Puerto Escondido Hotels Puerto Morelos Hotels Puerto Penasco Hotels Puerto Vallarta Hotels Punta Bete Hotels Punta Maroma Hotels Rocky Point Hotels Saltillo Hotels San Carlos Hotels San Jose Del Cabo Hotels Tijuana Hotels Tulum Hotels Veracruz Hotels Villahermosa Hotels Zihuatanejo Hotels Xcaret Hotels Xpu Ha Hotels MedToGo Mexico Health & Safety Travel Guide - Where will you be when you wish you had it? $19.95 + tax Home | About Us | Disclaimer-Privacy Policy | Site Map 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Our Partners: World Countries Info | Juarez Travel Guide 2005 Si-Mexico Hotel And Resort Travel Guide. All rights reserved. Site Design & Maintenance Forbes Communications Corp. Hosting Graffic Traffic

Germany Travel

Dresden, Germany - Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Dresden car from Dresden Dresden Railway station (only days after the use of the West German Mark (1990), a mobile Burger King arrived) Dresden , city in east central Germany, capital of Saxony (Sachsen). A port on the Elbe River, near the Czech Republic, it is the focus of one of Germany's largest metropolitan areas and is a major manufacturing, transportation, and cultural center. At the heart of the city is the historic Altstadt (Old Town), on the southern bank of the Elbe, now partly restored after receiving severe damage in World War II (1939-1945). On the northern bank are the Neustadt, Antonstadt, and Albertstadt districts. Suburbs include Loschwitz, Blasewitz, Plauen, and Lbtau. Zwinger Palace The economy of Dresden centers on port activities and the manufacture of high-technology items. Products include specialized optical and medical equipment, business machines, computers, musical instruments, machinery, and tools. Dresden china, a fine porcelain once made in the city, is now produced at nearby Meissen. Dresden Technical University (1828), Carl Gustav Carus Medical Academy of Dresden (1954), Friedrich List University of Transportation of Dresden (1952), and a school of music (1856) are in the city. central part of the Zwinger Palace One of Europe's foremost cultural centers before World War II, Dresden's major landmark is the carefully restored 18th-century Zwinger Palace. The Zwinger houses several noted museums, the most famous of which is the Semper Gallery. The highlight of its collection of more than 2000 paintings is the Sistine Madonna by Raphael. Meissen porcelain, pewter items, scientific instruments, coins, and the crown jewels of Saxony are among other exhibits in the Zwinger museums. a bride Also rebuilt since World War II are the Dresden State Opera House (1878), once associated with the German composers Richard Wagner, Carl Maria von Weber, and Richard Strauss, and several fine churches, such as the rococo Hofkirche (1739-1751) and the Kreuzkirche (in part dating from the 15th century). Also of note in the city are the Dresden Technical Museum, the Dresden History Museum, and museums of transportation and military history. Sachsen Palace with a mural of the Sachsen Rulers More Photos of the Sachsen Palace part of the mural showing the Saxony notables More Photos of the Saxony Rulers First mentioned in the early 13th century, Dresden gained prominence from 1485 to 1918 as the capital of the powerful dukes (later electors and kings) of Saxony. The city emerged as a leading cultural center in the 17th century, most notably during the reign (1694-1733) of Frederick Augustus I, elector of Saxony (also during the reign, 1697-1733, of King Augustus II of Poland). During this period the alchemist John Friedrich Bttger invented the Meissen porcelain technique, making possible European production of the porcelain previously imported from Asia. bridge between sections of the Sachsen Palace Sachsen Palace and the royal church More Photos of the Sachsen Palace The city was partly rebuilt after suffering heavy damage during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and subsequently became known as the Florence on the Elbe because of its magnificent baroque and rococo architecture and its fine museums. Napoleon achieved his last major military success here in 1813. Dresden developed into an important industrial center in the late 19th century. ruins (1990) of the area where the Dresden Frauenkirche once stood Photos of the reconstructed Frauenkirche On the night of February 13, 1945, hundreds of Allied bombers released a firestorm of bombs on Dresden, killing 135,000 people and demolishing 80 percent of the city. Much of the city was meticulously restored after the war. Population (1997) 474,443. Text from Microsoft Encarta Dresden 2004 horse of Saxony the count down to Dresden's 800th anniversary Dresden Philharmonic Gothic fountain in the midst of modern buildings remnant from the Communist era glimpse of a Saxony Castle from the bus window monument to the "War of the Nations" Leipzig, Battle of , called the Battle of the Nations, decisive engagement between the French armies of Napoleon and those of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, fought on October 16-19, 1813, at Leipzig, Germany. Threatened by the Allies with the loss of a vital communications line through the city, Napoleon fought a standoff battle on October 16, but the following day the Allies, vastly superior in strength, closed in with reinforcements. They began their assault on October 18, and early the next day, after some nine hours of fighting, Napoleon ordered a retreat over the Weisse Elster River. In the confusion the bridge across the river was blown up before the retreat was complete, leaving some 30,000 French troops to be taken prisoner in the city. Casualties on both sides were estimated between 90,000 and 120,000. The Battle of Leipzig effectively eliminated Napoleon's power east of the Confederation of the Rhine. Other Photos from Leipzig Return to Germany page Return to Europe page Return to People and Places