Hotel Burgberg-Garagen, Dresden

I first noticed this ghost sign near Dresden's Blaues Wunder (the common name of the 1893 Loschwitz Bridge) while being driven to Bautzen. Since I wanted to take a few photos in the area I didn't ask my mother-in-law to make an emergency stop on that occasion. Two days later I was back, and just as I alighted from the tram, the rain started. Bad luck.

The design of this ghost sign for the garages of the Burgberg Hotel is not amazing but I just love the red letters on the fading pastel orange of the façade. Great colours!

Hotel Burgberg-Garagen.
<--- Einfarht hier [Entrance here]

The Burgberg Hotel was located on the wooded hill behind the garages. The lane leading to the hotel was rather steep and narrow and that may explain why cars were left in a building by the main road. A path must have linked the two and it is possible the hotel operated a shuttle for its patrons.

The hotel and its restaurant were built by wine grower Gottfried Bormann in 1853 and enlarged six years later. In the late 19th century Loschwitz became extremely popular and at weekends people flocked to the hills dominating the valley of the River Elbe. The Burgberg was famous for its gastronomy and its restaurant, with its terrasse overlooking the river and the Blaues Wunder, was very often full.
The hotel was completely rebuilt in 1926-1927. A ballroom was added to the delight of visitors.

Sadly the hotel burnt down during the bombing of Dresden between 13 and 15 February 1945. If the city centre bore the brunt of the bombing, with more than 90% of the buildings reduced to rubbles, the suburbs were also hit. Lack of resources and the new political situation after the war meant the Burgberg Hotel was never rebuilt. In 1967 the few walls still standing were pulled down.
Nowadays trees have reclaimed the area and few traces of the hotel remain. The building that housed the garages is one of them.

Zimmer Frei [Rooms Available]
Hotel Burgberg
<----

The passageway to the left of the building leads to a courtyard, with six garages arranged on two sides. This may sound rather small but, at weekends at least, most patrons would have arrived by public transport, taking either a tram or one of the popular steamboats that cruised along the Elbe.

Location: Grundstraße, Loschwitz, Dresden, Sachsen / All pitures taken in October 2011