Christmas Markets Guide for Dresden
Christmas City- a Christmas Markets Overview
There are at least (I believe there are more) 10 different Christmas Markets in town. You can literally walk from the New Town straight to the Old Town until the Main Station, without really leaving the Christmas Markets (1 hour of walking), so you will be really drunk if you reach the Main Station if you drink a „Glühwine“ at every Market (we Germans always drink a Glühwine: Drink Drank Drunk!). Dresden calls itself to be the “Christmas City” and for outsiders this can be a bit confusing, nobody knows, where a market ends and the other starts. So I made a guide for you guys with all the Christmas Markets worth seeing in Dresden.
Happy Christmas time!
„Neustädter Gelichter“ in front of the Scheune Restaurant in the Neustadt area (Alaunstrasse). Open daily from 30.11. – 23.12. from 4pm to 10pm during week days and weekends from 2pm to 10pm.
pro: it is very small, it is just 5 minutes from Lollis Homestay Hostel, German „Kräppelchen“ for only 2,50€ – our special Lollis- recommendation!, Glühwein and Feuerzangenbowle for 2,50 € only- it is the cheapest hot wine in whole of Dresden and it is good, local handicrafts, open fire place, the most alternative Christmas Market in Dresden in the most alternative part of town. Dresdeners go there, if they are annoyed by the “standart” Christmas Markets
con: it is very small, but who cares, it is the coolest underground christmas market! They have a self costructed wooden bench which is heated- awesome and there is a roof in case of rain!
special events:
30.11. at 4pm- Grand Opening with „Stollen“ and „Glühwein“, 6pm famous „Kneipen- Choir concert“
1.12. Eze Wendtoin Concert at 7:30pm
2.12. Korean Karaoke Night at 8pm
5.12. Mens Quartett at 7pm
8.12. Public Choir Concert at 5:30pm
9.12. T- Shirt Festival at 1pm
10.12. T- Shirt Festival at noon and Hutzenabend at 7pm (Story Telling/ get together- typical traditional evening in „Erzgebirge“ style)
15.12. concert with Enna Miau at 7pm
19.12. Dresdens famous „Kneipen- Choir concert“ at 8pm
20.12. Open a Advent- Window (German Tradition) – the living Christmas Calendar at 6pm
21.12. Short Movie Night at 19:00
23.12. Public Choir Concert at 5:30pm
„Nikolaus Market“ inside the „Kunsthof“ in the Neustadt area. It is a very small but beautiful market organised by the arty shops there. Only open from 8.12. until 10.12. / 4pm until 8pm
pro: meet locals, arty, small
con: small and only for 3 days
Special events:
daily: Clown Lulu, Tarot Reading (fortune telling), fire place,…
8.12. live concert, traditional christmas songs at 4:30pm
9.12. Mens Quartett at 4pm, Choir at 4pm and 5pm
10.12. live concert at 11am- 6pm
„Augustusmarkt“ Dresdens’ international Christmas Market at Hauptstrasse (next to the old Baroque Quarter) open daily from 30.11. until 23.12. from 11am to 9pm
pro: second biggest Christmas Market in Dresden, all kind of European Christmas beverages and food like: Danish Glögg, Swedish Julskinha or Italian Pandoro. You pass it, when you wanna get to the more alternative markets in the Neustadt area. So use I use this market to heat up with a “Glühwine” again.
con: very kitschy and blink blink…crowded and sometimes just too much (especially the blue crystal- tree…but you may like it) and no special events as far as I know.
„Striezelmarkt“ on the Altmarkt in the centre of the Altstadt. Open daily from 29.11. until 24.12. from 10am to 9pm (on the 29.11. from 4pm on / closes on the 24.12. at 2pm)
pro: one of the oldest Christmas Market in whole of Germany (583 years old!!), it is the typical Christmas Market which tourists really like to see. It is very beautiful at nights. Also lots of entertainment and concerts, puppet theatre, and traditional and free events aaand the biggest Christmas Tree in town!
con: very crowded, especially on weekends – see all kinds of visitors at their worst behaviors, if you do not like too many people, we recommend a visit during day time (but then you miss the lights- atmosphere), the „Glühwine“ is very expensive and sometimes it is too much water inside, you also pay a big deposit for the cups, bring a lot of cash if you wanna drink and eat! Pickpocketing- watch your values!
special events:
– aytime and recommended: climb the tower (92 meter) of the „Kreuzkirche Church- Church of the Holy Cross“ next to the market (open from Mon to Sat from 10am to 6pm, Sun from 12am next to the market and have an awesome photo-view on the Old Market square and the famous Church of our Lady (only 4 €)!
– from 1.12. until 24.12. „der Weihnachtsmann“ (Santa Claus) opens the Advents Calendar daily at 4:15pm on the main stage
1.12. „Trombone Night“, starts at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm
2.12. „Advents Calendar Day“- 6pm: Dancing, 7pm: concert, 8pm: King August the Strong visits the Christmas Market
3.12. „Pfefferkuchen Day“ – eat the typical local and traditional cake: the Pfefferkuchen. Meet the Pfefferkuchen Princess at 2:30pm, free Organ concert at „Kreuzkirche“ Church at Old Market at 5pm, concerts at 6pm and 7pm and 8pm: King August the Strong visits the Christmas Market
8.12. „Pitmen Day“ concerts with traditional Pitmen songs at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm
9.12. „Stollenfest“ (try the world famous Dresden Stollen- Christmas Cake) – see the biggest Stollen in the world at 10:30am! Stollen Parade at 11am, noon: arrival of the Big Stollen, 12:25pm: buy a piece of the biggest Stollen in the world! At 5pm: live concert of the famous 800 years old „Choir of the Cross“, diverse programme from 6pm until 9pm
10.12. „Pflaumentoffelfest“, At 5pm live concert at Church of our Cross with the famous 800 years old „Choir of the Cross“, live concerts at 6pm and 7pm on the Old Market
16.12. „Pyramid Day“ celebrate the biggest pyramid from the „Erzgebirge“ in the whole world, day of the handycrafts and toy producers, Christmas Concerts at 6pm and 7pm and Singing Competition at 2pm and live concert at Church of our Cross, next to the Old Market at 5pm: Johann Sebastian Bach
17.12. „Schwippbogen“ Fest: celebration of the handycrafts and also typical dancing as well as a brass instrument concert (6pm and 7pm), At 5pm live concert at Church of our Cross: music from Johann Sebastian Bach
22.12. Gospel Night, live concerts at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm
„Romantic Christmas Market anno 1900“ in front of the Church of our Lady at Neumarkt
29.11. until the 24.12. from 10am to 10pm, on the 24.12. until 2pm
pro: probably one of Dresdens most beautiful Christmas Markets, everybody is dressed like people from 1820 to 1900, the whole market is designed after historical pictures from local artists, who draw the Christmas Markets decades ago, only traditional food and handycrafts here: book printing, Bell Smith, Gold Schmith, woodcraft, handwriting painter, gilders, most less crowded Christmas Market in the Old Town, living animals you can pet- be nice to them!
con: it is not very known nor famous
special events:
live music, nativity play, production of handycrafts like bell founder, engraver,…
„Middle Age Christmas Market“ One of the oldest stables in Germany from our Saxon kings inside the castle in the Old Town, on Schlossstrasse (there is a little door inside the tunnel, this is the entrance)
open from 23.11. until 23.12. from 11am to 9:30pm, entrance fee of 3 € (events and live music) on Fridays and Saturdays, but worth it.
pro: small and very beautiful in a original Renaissance flair, feel like a person who lived 500 years ago. Cool programme on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (stilt walkers, different live bands, fire-breather, hot bath tub, different handycrafts, live music: Brass Quintett from St. Petersburg every day
con: entrance fee (3€) on Fridays and Saturdays, but they offer a special programme with live music, theatre and more.