Christmas Season

Dresden is also – and particularly – worth a visit during the Christmas season. Not only does the state capital boast one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in the Striezelmarkt, but it also offers plenty of other attractions.

For an entire mile, the downtown area is transformed into a winter wonderland. Many institutions put on special events. A particular Advent highlight is the daily operation of Track 0 of the model train in the transit museum. Spanning 325 square meters, this is the largest and most significant model of this track width in Europe. A trip on the Elbe River is enchanting not just in the warm months, but also in the winter. The Saechsische Dampfschiffahrt company offers numerous round-trip tours with various themes.

Many city walks are also specifically designed for the Christmas season, introducing visitors to Saxon Christmas customs and traditions, for instance what a »Striezel« is and what the »Pflaumentoffel« has to say. Christmas on the theater barge has also become a real tradition, with performances of various songs and stories. The »Striezelmarktwirtschaft« is the year-end report published by cabaret performers Breschke and Schuch. A visit to the Semper Opera House is also particularly charming during the Christmas season, and the State Operetta company's performance of Engelbert Humperdinck's fairy-tale play »Hansel and Gretel« has become a tradition for the whole family.

In addition to high-quality concerts and beautiful candlelight organ services in the Frauenkirche, the Kreuzkirche offers annual highlights including Christmas-carol singing, Christmas oratorios and Striezelmarkt concerts.

More detailed information about traditions and history, directions and opening hours, as well as current dates for events, can be found under the following link: