Christmas 2018 in Dresden Elbland

Source: Dresden Marketing GmbH, Press Office

584st “Striezelmarkt” on the Altmarkt / More than a dozen Christmas markets in Dresden Elbland / Numerous Christmas concerts and events

Just like in every other year the historic town centre of Dresden will be transformed into a giant Christmas market from the advent season on. The main attraction is the oldest continuous Christmas market in Germany which is also one of Germany’s biggest and most beautiful: For the 584st time the Dresden “Striezelmarkt” rouses Christmassy feelings during the Advent season. This year’s “Striezelmarkt” will take place on the Altmarkt again, which is the traditional spot for this market. Over 230 festively decorated booths invite all guests to a relaxing stroll. The sweet smell of roasted almonds, mulled wine and Dresden Christmas cookies will fill the streets from 28 November to the 24 December 2018 daily from 10 am until 9 pm.

To pay tribute to the “Striezel” (“Stollen”), the special cake that gave the Christmas market its name, there will be a special event on the 8 December. A group of people will carry a big “Stollen” (weighs four tons) along the Dresden Zwinger, the Semper Opera House, the Hofkirche and the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) to the “Striezelmarkt” where it will be cut in pieces and offered to the visitors.

Not only the Dresden baking tradition but also the craftsmanship from all kind of regions will be taking into consideration on the “Striezelmarkt”. On the 15 December 2018 numerous singers will be singing at the pyramid festival of the “Striezelmarkt”. The 14 meters high step pyramid is the world’s biggest pyramid of this kind.

Dresden Striezelmarkt is surrounded by 10 more themed Christmas markets within the city. The maybe most romantic one is on Neumarkt Square in front of the Frauenkirche. The official closure will be already December 23rd with an open-air Christmas Vesper.

From the end of November until Christmas Eve on the 24 December, there will be lots of other booths on the Prager Straße starting from the Main Station along to the other side of the Elbe River to the “Neustädter Advent”. More Christmas atmosphere can be experienced during a walk on the Hauptstraße within the baroque quarter and the Wilhelminian style part of the city. The booths of the “Striezelmarkt” and the other Christmas markets offer miniature Christmas pyramids and other traditional, handmade Christmas decoration from the Ore mountains (Erzgebirge) and Lusatia (Lausitz).

Visitors, who like medieval times, will be entertained by craftsmen, impostors and carneys at the stable yard of the Royal Palace. Moreover, old handcraft techniques will be brought back to life during the Advent spectacle.

Those who want to get even deeper into local atmosphere should visit the Christmas markets in the towns, villages and castles of the surrounding Elbland. The renaissance shaped market squares in Meissen (Nov 26- Dec 24), Pirna (Nov 27- Dec. 23 and Dec 27-30), Grossenhain (Nov 30-Dec. 22) and Torgau (Nov 30 – Dec 16) give the for cosy atmosphere. Festive Christmas mood can be experienced at the noble wineries of Proschwitz Castle (Nov 29 – Dec 2) or Wackerbarth Castle (Dec 8-9).

There are plenty of possibilities to combine the sizzling shopping experience at the Christmas Markets with cultural highlights or moments of contemplation. The Christmas Oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, first performed in 1724 in Leipzig will have more than a dozen performances by different ensembles in various locations. The most popular are in the Frauenkirche, where Bach himself gave the very first Christmas organ concert in 1736, and the Kreuzkirche with the Kreuzchor. This boys choir has a more than 800years long tradition. Also, the Dresden Zwinger is inviting to baroque afternoon Christmas concerts by the Dresdner Residenzkonzerte. Exhibitions of various museums such as the traditional Christmas exposition “Christmas at the Jägerhof” offer an interesting overview of how Christmas is celebrated in Germany. Those who like sports can visit the skating rink in the romantic courtyard of the Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais which is regarded to be the world’s most romantic ice rink.

A brochure with detailed information in English can be downloaded at www.mediaserver.dresden.de/dresden-winter-highlights1819-en.html. It gives also a preview of the upcoming events and attractions until March 2019.

More information: www.dresden.de/christmas, or www.dresden.de/events