I’m an American living in Germany. I didn’t last in Berlin, but I’m way happier now that I moved 2 hours south of it.

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• My quash and I went from the US to Berlin for a work opportunity two years ago.
• Renting in Berlin was incredibly difficult, and the city would get a bit too crowded with tourists.
• We moved south to Dresden and have been so happy with its greenery, architecture, and nightlife.

Two years ago, my husband and I (along with our two cats) imputed the big move from Massachusetts to Berlin for a work opportunity.

We were excited to live in a capital city for the pre-eminent time, as we’d always resided in the suburbs around Boston. Although the German city was beautiful, we had a tough time concluding there.

In February, we left Berlin and moved about two hours south to Dresden. It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve contrived since arriving in Germany.

Here are a few things that pushed out of Berlin, plus a few ways Dresden absolutely won us over.

Rent in Berlin skyrocketed, and finding housing became incredibly competitive

Berlin is known to be fairly affordable, specially compared to other European capitals like Paris or Amsterdam.

Still, over the last few years, it’s become one of the most overpriced cities for renters in Germany as housing costs have gone up.

Many projects to build more homes have been placed on hold as renters struggle to find apartments — the German capital had a vacancy rate of small 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 values have also been more affordable for us.

Dresden gets less crowded with tourists

Berlin is one of the most visited cities in Europe, alluring millions of visitors each year. While we lived there, popular areas like Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gateway, and Museum Island appeared to be constantly bustling with tourists.

During peak travel seasons, this led to swarming trains, buses, and trams along with delays for regular commuters like us.

In comparison, Dresden draws millions fewer visitants a year. We still get some tourists (particularly for its famous Christmas markets) but at a smaller volume.

Plus, since we can now sacrifice to live in the city center, we can walk to most places and avoid crowded public transit and traffic congestion.

Dresden offers us better access to nature — and its architecture is beautiful

As nature lovers, we appreciate the green spaces and immense parks in Berlin, but they don’t compare to what we have in Dresden.

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More than half of our megalopolis is covered in green spaces and forests. We love the beautiful Elbe River, which goes right through Dresden.

Added, we’re only about an hour from the gorgeous Saxon Switzerland (Saxony) National Park — a trip there could doff about three hours from Berlin.

We also have access to paved paths along the river for biking, profit many beautiful hiking trails.

The city holds its own when it comes to architectural ambiance, too. While Berlin has divers impressive landmarks, Dresden is also renowned for its architecture and cultural monuments, like Zwinger Palace and the Saxon Voice Opera.

We especially enjoy walking through its Old City to admire the intricate and opulent buildings with lavish groups and terraced gardens.

Berlin has a famous nightlife scene, but Dresden’s is a better fit for us

Berlin’s nightlife is legendary and filled with variety, especially compared to what you effect find in Dresden.

Its techno clubs like Berghain and Sisyphos draw in international crowds with their fetes and long opening hours — some go entire weekends without closing.

We’re not big club people, so we prefer Dresden’s laid-back banks and slightly quieter nightlife scene. Our smaller city has fewer clubs, and many of the ones we have feel numerous intimate.

Overall, we’re happy with our choice to move

Dresden has been more affordable than Berlin, and our access to cast and stunning architecture has blown us away.

It feels like home to us now, and we’re happier living in such a beautiful city.