Idea

It was love at first sight. “The Äußere Neustadt is more than a district of pubs and bars,” architecture student Katrin Jödecke said about Dresden’s first redevelopment area in the year 2000.  She found her way into her then living environment in astonishment. In the context of her diploma thesis, she shared her unusual perspectives with others. The idea of the adventure trail was born.

In an exciting and humorous ways, residents and visitors have been invited to perceive typical or concealed things at these special points of view. For those who get inspired by the district’s unique diversity and individuality will appreciate these as preconditions for living democracy in other contexts, too.

Those who live here and are attentive enough will love this district and identify with it and find a home. The Neustadt residents are proud of “their” Panama, a piece of country life in the middle of the city, proud of “their” art court arcades with the numerous creative fronts and walls, proud of “their” backyards where oases are allowed to develop. Be it the hidden, revived corners, or be it the obvious witnesses of a rich cultural and building history – it is quite certain that “The Äußere Neustadt is more than a district of pubs and bars,” – it just depends on the point of view.  

What is special about it?

To begin with, it wasn’t meant to be an end-to-end route, let alone a trail with an overload of facts. Instead, the attentive eye will perceive interesting details everywhere, little sensuous eye-opener moments. Whoever is in the mood of discoveries will virtually stumble across all the things that invite to look closely, listen, or play along. Young and old will thus become adventure trail scouts on their own.

The stations that have been implemented so far allow for a different point of view on the peculiarities of the district. For they address the senses. Tongue-in-cheek, they play at the curiosity, the imagination, the explorer’s delight, and the element of surprise.

Development until today

The residents of the “Äußere Neustadt” were involved in the process of selecting the stations; 27 out of initially more than 30 stations were chosen and developed. To date, ten stations have been realized and described in detail online. Presentation boards with short and concise texts and QR-Codes point at individual, eminent places.

Katrin Jödicke envisioned the trail as an extendible network. If ways and means open up, new stations can be added again and again. Residents and visitors are meant to simply “stumble” across the plates embedded in the ground. All the stations can stand on their own and can be explored individually.

Meanwhile, the society “Stadtteilhaus Dresden – Äußere Neustadt” has enhanced the concept. In the context of an EU micro-project with the regional museum Děčín, a route was developed as an app with playful puzzle elements. Thus, the trail can really be experienced as a connected ensemble and additionally allows for the exploration of more places of interest along the way.