Louisa M.
Yelp
On my most recent trip to Europe, I purposely booked a one-night stopover in the little town of Dresden, Germany just so I could visit the Pfunds Molkerei. Why, you might ask? Because this tiny shop provided the real-life filming location and setting for the fictional Mendl's Bakery in the Wes Anderson film "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
I'm a huge movie nerd and an even bigger Anderson fan, so paying this place a visit was a real no-brainer. It's located in the outskirts of town. It technically is walkable from the main train station, but it's pretty far. It took us about an hour but we finally arrived.
Yes, the shop has a ton of signs saying "no photos" are allowed inside, but we broke the rule with a little sleight of hand. The tile work is absolutely gorgeous, and it photographs well. The two women working the evening we arrived were far from friendly, which I found odd for a place that caters to tourists.
The shop sells a few little overpriced touristy things like magnets, kitchen towels, and tote bags, but they also have chocolates and a cheese case with cheeses that are made elsewhere (wait, what?). There's a small area with a few tables where you can stand or sit and enjoy your chocolate or cheese snack. Overcome with curiosity, we decided to try a shot of liqueur that was made with milk. It was delicious, sort of like a more milky version of Kahlua. This isn't a place for foodies, it's a place for movie fans.
We were the only customers in the shop, but I can imagine it would be miserably crowded when the giant tour groups arrive. I wasn't able to get a photo in the main part of the shop (seriously, folks, they will YELL at you if they catch you trying to snap a pic), but I was still a happy camper to have visited the "real" Mendl's Bakery.