Dynamo Dresden

Who are yer? Dynamo Dresden

Dynamo Dresden, a name that immediately takes you back to the communist days of East Germany.

The club's heyday was without doubt from the late sixties through the seventies and into the eighties. They were one of the giants of East German football, winning eight league titles and enjoying epic runs on the European stage.
They even reached the semi finals of the UEFA Cup in 1989, edged out by West Germany's Stuttgart - and made it to the European Cup quarter finals three times.

They played Liverpool on three occasions too. Each time they lost - and Liverpool went on to win the trophy.

When German football was reunified Dresden were dining at the top table for a few years, but struggled and times have been tougher since. The club has bounced between the second and fourth tiers for the past 15 years.

Things could be on the up though - a completely rebuilt stadium, and the team is now back and competing well in the second division.

Where do you come from? The Glucksgas Stadion

The Rudolf-Harbig Stadion, or the Glücksgas Stadion as it is now called after picking up sponsorship from an energy supplier.

Up in lights: The stadium by night.

There has been a football ground on the site for a century but the stadium was completely rebuilt and reopened in 2009, in time for the Women's World Cup in 2011. It holds 32,000 fans, with 21,000 seats.

It's modern, and although grey and imposing on the outside Dresden's yellow is the dominant colour inside.
The first impression is of the very steep sides, with fans feeling right on the pitch. And this enclosed feeling makes for a feisty and good atmosphere, particularly at night games.

Prawn sandwich brigade: The main stand.

The main stand is largely taken over with hospitality, with the main home terrace to the right. Home seats dominate opposite and behind the goal to the left, with guests given a small terrace and portion of seating in the far left hand corner.

We're on our way: Getting to the ground

The stadium is handily sited in parkland to the east of Dresden city centre. It's all of a 15 to 20 minute walk from the middle, but you can also hop on Tram 10 from the Hauptbahnhof, or 13, which both go right past the ground. Trams 1, 2 and 4 from Altmarkt take you to Strassburger Platz, and from there it's a 400 yard walk to your right along Lennestrasse

To walk from Dresden Hauptbahnhof just turn right immediately outside and follow Weinerstrasse for 800 yards, then turn left into Gellerstrasse - the stadium is on the left.

From the Frauenkirche in the city, exit the pedestrian square via Landhaus Strasse to Pirnaischer Platz. From there cross the main road and either head right, then left round Burger-weise Park Strasse (the quickest way to the visitor end) or go straight ahead along Grunaer Strasse and right at the next crossroads. There are also some short cuts through the estates.

Who ate all the pies? Eating and drinking

The stadium is sited in a park area and there are limited refreshment options outside. The closest home bar is located 400 yards north at Strassburger Platz, at the junction of Lennestrasse and Grunaer Strasse, with punters spilling out on to the street. We popped in here by accident and the welcome to us English was very warm. It's handily placed at a main junction for a number of Tram lines include 1, 2 and 4 from Altmarkt.

It's busier when it's a matchday. And open: The nearest bar to the stadium.

Other than that it's a relatively short stroll from the centre where many of the bars are sited. One of the more popular bar areas runs from the Frauenkirche down to the riverfront, certainly buzzing in the evening.

The Irish bar I can vouch for having visitied is The Shamrock Irish bar, centrally located in Kleine Brudergasse right across the pedestrian square from the Frauenkirche. It shows live sport as well as having live music.

Bar life: The busy bars in the shadow of the Frauenkirche, left.

I understand there is also the Irish Fiddler in Louisenstrasse, close to Dresden Neustadt station north of the river,  Meanwhile the Dubliner is in Gewandhausstrasse, close to the Rathaus and Pirnaischer Platz. This is on the side of the city centre towards the stadium.

Inside the stadium you are well catered for with food and beer readily available, the case in the away end too on my visit.

Grab a souvenir: Club shop

The main club shop is sited on the Lennestrasse side of the stadium - the main stand side - and stocks a healthy selection of gear in the club colours of yellow and black. It is open from 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm Saturday and from 10am until one hour after the game on matchdays.

Or go online, of course: http://www.dynamo-dresden.de/de/verein/shop.html

Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

Dynamo is one of the best supported teams on the eastern side of Germany and regularly attract 20,000+ crowds to the stadium.

However, with a capacity of 32,000 that means you can usually snaffle up a seat reasonably easily.

Give me a D: The Dresden home end.

However, if you would prefer to be safe and book in advance it's easy enough via the official club website: http://www.dynamo-dresden.de/de/startseite.html

Tickets are reasonably priced with seats often available for around €25.

For more high profile games, or for peace of mind, we have ticket and hotel packages here.