The oldest Christmas market in Germany
The Striezelmarkt on Dresden's Altmarkt was first documented in 1434, which makes it one of the oldest Christmas markets anywhere. Its name comes from Striezel, the old word for the fruit loaf we now call Stollen, and that is not a marketing story: the market grew out of a one-day meat and baking market before Christmas.
It usually runs from late November until Christmas Eve. Come on a weekday afternoon if you want to move; Saturday evening in December is shoulder to shoulder.
What to eat and drink
Dresdner Christstollen is the thing to buy. The genuine local version is a protected product with a seal, dense with butter, raisins and candied peel, and it keeps for weeks, so it travels home well.
Pflaumentoffel is the Dresden oddity worth seeking out: a small chimney sweep figure made from dried plums, sold as a good-luck charm. Children used to sell them at the market.
Then the standards: Glühwein served in a mug you pay a deposit on and can keep, Feuerzangenbowle if you want the version with a burning sugarloaf over it, Bratwurst, roasted almonds and Quarkkäulchen, small fried cakes of quark and potato.
The wooden things from the mountains
Half the stalls sell carved wood, and it is not generic tourist stock. This is Erzgebirge craft, from the mountain villages south of Dresden where miners carved through the winter: Räuchermännchen that smoke incense cones, nutcrackers in soldier uniform, and Schwibbögen, the arched candle holders whose shape recalls a mine entrance.
The market's centrepiece is a huge wooden Christmas pyramid, its tiers turned by the rising heat of the candles, and it is often described as the tallest in the world. Look at the base and you will see the same mining and village figures repeated across the whole market.
The Stollen festival
On the Saturday before the second Advent, Dresden parades a giant Stollen weighing several tonnes through the city on a cart, escorted in historical costume, and cuts it on the Striezelmarkt with an oversized ceremonial knife. Slices are then sold, with proceeds usually going to charity. If your dates allow it, arrange them around this.
The other Dresden markets, and why you want them
Do not stop at the Striezelmarkt, because the smaller ones are better in different ways.
Advent on the Neumarkt sits directly in front of the Frauenkirche and is the most beautiful setting of the lot.
The medieval market in the Stallhof, in an arcaded courtyard of the royal palace, goes full historical: open fires, mead, wool and metalwork. It charges a small entry fee and it is worth it.
The Augustusmarkt, across the river on Hauptstraße in the Neustadt, is where locals go, and it is markedly less crowded.
And out at Pillnitz palace park, the Christmas Garden is a ticketed evening walk through illuminated grounds, which works especially well with children who have had enough of standing around.
The city behind the markets
Dresden was destroyed in February 1945 and much of what you see has been rebuilt, most famously the Frauenkirche, reconstructed after reunification and reopened in 2005. Look at its façade: the dark stones are salvaged originals, set back where they were found, so the building carries its own history on the outside.
Add the Zwinger, the Semperoper, the Fürstenzug, a long wall mural of Saxon rulers made from porcelain tiles, and a walk along Brühl's Terrace above the Elbe. In December it all gets dark by four, which is when the city looks best.
Seeing Dresden by playing it
Between markets you need something to do that is not shopping. A city game gives you a route through the old town with clues to solve, so you actually look at the Fürstenzug rather than walking past it, and you warm up by moving. It works well with family groups and with colleagues on a Christmas outing.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Striezelmarkt open?
Usually from late November to 24 December. Check the year's exact dates and daily hours before travelling.
How many Christmas markets does Dresden have?
Several. The main ones are the Striezelmarkt, the Neumarkt, the medieval Stallhof market and the Augustusmarkt, plus the Christmas Garden at Pillnitz.
Is it worth staying overnight?
Yes. The markets are at their best after dark, and doing four of them in daylight hours alone is rushed.
Can I bring Stollen home?
Yes, that is the point of it. Genuine Dresdner Christstollen carries a seal and keeps for weeks.
Is it good with children?
Very. The Striezelmarkt has a children's area and rides, and the Christmas Garden is built for walking rather than queuing.
Come and play in Dresden
If you want the city as well as the Glühwein, walk it with a playing route. Here is how it works, and for team outings and larger groups we have formats on this page. Questions about dates, group sizes or routes? Get in touch. An easy train ride away: Leipzig.
