‘Striezelmarkt’ is Germany’s oldest Christmas Market which dates to 1434. Its name comes from Hefestriezel, a sweet pastry which evolved centuries later into the ‘Dresden Christstollen’ (German Christmas Cake).
Dresden’s Christmas Market is located on the Altmarkt Square, and continues up to the main railway station and Albertplatz in the historical city centre. Traditional Christmas decorations, gifts and toys that are sold at the market were invented hundreds of years ago in the Ore Mountains, or Erzgebirge, located just outside Dresden. This region still supplies to most Christmas markets all across Germany today.
Browse Christmas pyramids and candleholders from Erzgebirge Mountains, indigo-dyed textiles and pottery from Lusatia, gingerbread from Pulsnitz, filigree lace from Plauen, Herrenhut Advent stars, blown glass Christmas tree decorations from Lauscha and much more. Don’t forget the traditional ‘Pflaumentoffel’, a chimney-sweep figure made of dried prunes, and head to the crafts market to see bakers, glass blowers and carvers at work.
The highlight of the Dresden Christmas Market is without doubt the giant Christmas pyramid, the world’s tallest at 14 metres, as well as the world’s largest nut cracker. One of the biggest stars of the market is fresh-out-of-the-oven Dresden Christstollen, the event’s namesake sweet treat.