During our stay, Dresden coincided with the Christmas market season, and the entire city was enveloped in a festive atmosphere. In particular, the Striezelmarkt—known as Germany’s oldest Christmas market dating back to 1434—was held from November 26 to December 24, 2025. The market featured Dresden’s traditional Stollen, Herrnhut stars originating from the Saxony region, and finely crafted wooden goods, attracting numerous visitors in a warm and historically rich setting.

At night, the city was illuminated with magical lights, transforming Dresden into a truly enchanting space and highlighting its status as one of Germany’s most iconic Christmas markets.

In addition, Dresden is the capital of Saxony and a city where history, culture, and engineering tradition are deeply intertwined. During our stay, we had the opportunity to visit the watchmaking town of Glashütte, guided by Frank Kaulfuss. Glashütte is known as the center of Germany’s high-end watch industry, whose development dates back to the 19th century, when Ferdinand Adolph Lange established the foundations of the industry with support from the royal court.

The philosophy of watchmaking—where precision engineering and craftsmanship are seamlessly integrated—resonates strongly with our own research, in which material functionalities are designed at the nanoscale. This visit left a lasting impression on us.

Furthermore, we had the opportunity to attend a performance by the Dresden Philharmonic, kindly arranged by Volker Weihnacht and Frank Kaulfuss. Dresden is renowned worldwide as a city of music, where a rich tradition of performance continues to thrive.

Experiencing such highly refined musical expression allowed us to appreciate the depth of European culture, where science and art coexist. It was also a valuable opportunity to reflect on the importance of creativity in scientific research.