Pirna

Today I took the Schenllbahn (fast train) from Dresden to the neighboring city of Pirna.  Pirna is considered to be the gateway to Sachsen Switzerland, an area of mountains very popular with rock climbers and backpackers.  I went there to see the officers casino at the old soviet military barracks, which was originally built for the Royal Sachsen Field Artillery Engineers from 1901-1906.  It was a really nice looking group of brick buildings on the edge of town, heading into the mountains.
The old city was almost completely under renovation, including the castle Sonnenstein which was basically being gut renovated.  Napolean stayed in a house on the market square in the old town while he was besieging Dresden.  Today was the Stadtfest in Pirna, so photographs in the old town were a bit hard to take because of all the stages and booths being set up there.  If it weren't for having plans to go to the Buntes Republik Neustadt festival in Dresden tonight I would have probably stayed in Pirna for their festival which is also beginning tonight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirna