Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski

Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, built this palace in the early 18th century as a gift for his favourite mistress, Countess Cosel — which gives you some idea of both his romantic enthusiasm and his budget. The palace was destroyed in the 1945 firebombing of Dresden and lay in ruins throughout the DDR era before being painstakingly reconstructed and opened as a Kempinski hotel in 1995. It sits directly adjacent to the Zwinger, the Semperoper, and the rebuilt Frauenkirche — the entire cultural heart of Dresden is within steps. 214 rooms and a building whose resurrection mirrors that of the city itself.