If you are Dresden or in the area of Saxony, I highly recommend a visit to the Moritzburg Castle which was once the hunting lodge of August der Stark or August the Strong, who was the Elector of Saxony and the King of Poland among his many other titles. This hunting lodge is really more like a hunting castle than anything. It is so huge with very masculine touches. Theres is an impressive man-made lake around it that is teaming with duck and fish. We decided to have lunch here during our stay in Dresden and we were not disappointed.

Walking through the gates the lodge grows larger and larger before our very eyes.

Augustus’ great physical strength earned him the nicknames “the Strong”, “the Saxon Hercules” and “Iron-Hand.” He liked to show that he lived up to his name by breaking horseshoes with his bare hands and engaging in fox tossing by holding the end of his sling with just one finger while two of the strongest men in his court held the other end. – August II, Wikipedia

The restaurant is right by the entrance of the lodge and is perfect for enjoying some sunshine and the breeze. We were lucky that the weather was wonderful when we went.

We ordered local seasonal beer called Schwerter Bräu (pronounced broy) which is from Meissener Schwerter a private brewery nearby. It was very special and refreshing – only available during summer.

We don’t eat seafood much in Europe but we heard that seafood was delicious here because of the body of water that is available. We were very happy with this risotto with prawns and the 3 kinds of pan-seared fish. Fresh and tasty!

Our friends loved their lunch special which was beef with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes.

We topped off lunch with a caramel coffee and apple strudel. Yummy.

Be sure to walk around the grounds after to work off the calories. It’s so beautiful and it’s nice to feed the ducks, walk your dog, or even just to sit by a bench if you are tired from walking around and taking pictures.

Do you see the couple taking a picture? If you look behind them you can see another Schloss or palace in the distance. Isn’t it amazing?

This is the lodge from the back. Doesn’t it look so dramatic with the clouds in the background?

There is a museum inside but we didn’t have time to see it because we had to get back to Berlin before dinner time.

If you find yourself in the area of Dresden or Meissen, this is such an interesting castle with beautiful gardens to have a walk around. So idyllic! If you don’t have much time, then a quick coffee break in their gorgeous restaurant is still a fabulous experience.