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Two years ago, my husband and I (along with our two cats) made the big move from Massachusetts to Berlin for a work opportunity.
We were excited to live in a capital city for the first time, as we'd always resided in the suburbs around Boston. Although the German city was beautiful, we had a tough time living there.
In February, we left Berlin and moved about two hours south to Dresden. It's been one of the best decisions we've made since arriving in Germany.
Here are a few things that pushed out of Berlin, plus a few ways Dresden really won us over.
Berlin is known to be fairly affordable, especially compared to other European capitals like Paris or Amsterdam.
Still, over the last few years, it's become one of the most expensive cities for renters in Germany as housing costs have gone up.
Many projects to build more housing have been placed on hold as renters struggle to find apartments — the German capital had a vacancy rate of less than 1% as of 2023.
We've had far better luck finding a place to live in Dresden, probably because it's not a major city. Rental prices have also been more affordable for us.
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Berlin is one of the most visited cities in Europe, attracting millions of visitors each year. While we lived there, popular areas like Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate, and Museum Island appeared to be constantly bustling with tourists.
During peak travel seasons, this led to overcrowded trains, buses, and trams along with delays for regular commuters like us.
In comparison, Dresden draws millions fewer visitors a year. We still get some tourists (particularly for its famous Christmas markets) but at a smaller volume.
Plus, since we can now afford to live in the city center, we can walk to most places and avoid crowded public transit and traffic congestion.
As nature lovers, we appreciate the green spaces and large parks in Berlin, but they don't compare to what we have in Dresden.
More than half of our city is covered in green spaces and forests. We love the beautiful Elbe River, which goes right through Dresden.
Plus, we're only about an hour from the gorgeous Saxon Switzerland (Saxony) National Park — a trip there could take about three hours from Berlin.
We also have access to paved paths along the river for biking, plus many beautiful hiking trails.
The city holds its own when it comes to architectural ambiance, too. While Berlin has many impressive landmarks, Dresden is also renowned for its architecture and cultural monuments, like Zwinger Palace and the Saxon State Opera.
We especially enjoy walking through its Old City to admire the intricate and opulent buildings with lavish sculptures and terraced gardens.
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Berlin's nightlife is legendary and filled with variety, especially compared to what you might find in Dresden.
Its techno clubs like Berghain and Sisyphos draw in international crowds with their parties and long opening hours — some go entire weekends without closing.
We're not big club people, so we prefer Dresden's laid-back bars and slightly quieter nightlife scene. Our smaller city has fewer clubs, and many of the ones we have feel more intimate.
Dresden has been more affordable than Berlin, and our access to nature and stunning architecture has blown us away.
It feels like home to us now, and we're happier living in such a beautiful city.
