Dresden Striezelmarkt: one of Germany's oldest Christmas markets

The Striezelmarkt fills Dresden's Altmarkt square with wooden stalls, lights and the smell of baking every Advent. Set against the rebuilt baroque old town, it is a classic German Christmas market with deep local traditions.

Fun facts

• The Striezelmarkt dates back to the 15th century and is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany.
• Its name comes from Striezel, the old word for the Dresden Christstollen fruit bread.
• A giant Stollen is baked and paraded through the city during the annual Stollen Festival in Advent.

What to see

• The tall wooden Christmas pyramid in the style of the Ore Mountains.
• The Frauenkirche, rebuilt after the war and reopened in 2005.
• The Zwinger palace and the Semper Opera, a short walk from the market.

What to taste

• Dresdner Christstollen, rich fruit bread dusted with sugar.
• Glühwein, served in mugs that change design every year.
• Pulsnitzer Pfefferkuchen, soft gingerbread from a nearby Saxon town.

What to do

• Buy hand-carved wooden figures and smoking men from the Ore Mountains.
• Walk between the smaller themed markets spread around the old town.
• Stroll along the Brühl Terrace above the Elbe river at dusk.

💡 Tip: An S-Bahn train runs from Dresden Airport to the city centre; Prague and Berlin airports are also within reach by train or bus. Weekday evenings are calmer than weekends, and hotels near the old town fill up early in December.