Updated 13 November 2026. All 2026 dates and opening hours below were checked on the organizers’ and the city of Dresden’s own websites on 13 November 2026.
Short answer: The 592nd Dresden Striezelmarkt runs from Wednesday 25 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 on the Altmarkt, open daily 10:00 to 21:00 (opening day from 16:00, Christmas Eve until 14:00). The Dresden Stollen Festival is Saturday 5 December 2026. Four more Dresden markets run alongside it, three of them into January.
The Striezelmarkt is Germany’s oldest Christmas market, and Dresden’s old town has a cluster of other markets within walking distance of it, each with a different feel. It’s a long way from us (we live in a small German village near the Austrian border, south of Rosenheim), so for us Dresden is a “plan a weekend around it” trip, not a day trip. Here’s what I’d want to know before going.
Dresden Christmas markets at a glance (2026)
| Market | 2026 dates | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striezelmarkt (Altmarkt) | 25 Nov to 24 Dec | Daily 10:00 to 21:00 (25 Nov from 16:00, 24 Dec to 14:00) | The classic: crafts, Stollen, the big pyramid |
| Advent auf dem Neumarkt (Frauenkirche) | 25 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Daily 11:00 to 22:00 until 23 Dec; closed 24 to 26 Dec and 1 Jan | Historic 1900s look, right by the Frauenkirche |
| Mittelalter-Weihnacht im Stallhof | 25 Nov to 23 Dec, then 27 to 30 Dec and 2 to 6 Jan | Daily 11:00 to 21:30 (shorter in January) | Medieval market, live music, fire pits |
| Augustusmarkt (Hauptstraße, Neustadt) | 25 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Mon to Thu 11:00 to 21:00, Fri 11:00 to 22:00, Sat 10:00 to 22:00, Sun 10:00 to 21:00 | Street food, Ferris wheel, open late on New Year’s Eve |
| Elbhangfest-Weihnachtsmarkt (Loschwitz) | 5 to 20 Dec | Mon to Thu 13:00 to 20:00, Fri 13:00 to 21:00, Sat 11:00 to 21:00, Sun 11:00 to 20:00 | A small village market by the Blue Wonder bridge |
For markets in the rest of the country, our 2026 Christmas market calendar has every date in one place, and the Christmas market map shows where they all are.
The Striezelmarkt: Germany’s oldest Christmas market
2026 is the 592nd Striezelmarkt, which puts the first one back in 1434. It fills the Altmarkt in the middle of the old town, across from the Kulturpalast and right on Wilsdruffer Straße. The name comes from Striezel, the old local word for Stollen, and Stollen is still a big part of the market.
Dates and opening hours
- Wednesday 25 November: opening ceremony at 16:00, stalls open from 16:30 to 21:00
- 26 November to 23 December: daily 10:00 to 21:00
- 24 December (Christmas Eve): 10:00 to 14:00
Entry is free. If you want to see the lights before the market even opens, the city does a lighting test (Beleuchtungsprobe) on Friday 20 November at 16:45.
What’s special about it
This is the market to come to for Saxon and Erzgebirge crafts. There are more than 200 traders, and in the show workshops you can watch craftspeople at work. The things to look for are the wooden Christmas pyramids, smoking men (Räuchermännchen), nutcrackers, candle arches (Schwibbögen) and Herrnhut stars.
The two big photo spots are the giant step pyramid, which the city calls the largest Erzgebirge step pyramid in the world, and a candle arch you can walk through. There’s also a historic Ferris wheel with a view over the market.
A couple of very Dresden things to bring home: a Pflaumentoffel, a little chimney sweep figure made from dried prunes that’s meant to bring luck, and a Striezeltaler, a coin that’s an official means of payment on the market with a new design every year.
The opening ceremony
On 25 November it starts with a service in the Kreuzkirche at 15:00 with the Dresden Kreuzchor (the city’s famous boys’ choir). Around 16:00 the choir walks over to the main stage with miners and bakers, the mayor switches on the lights, the first Stollen is cut and the pyramid is set turning. Go early if you want to see it; it gets very full.
Theme days on the Advent weekends
Each Advent weekend has its own festival day on the market:
- Saturday 28 November: Advent calendar festival
- Sunday 29 November: Day of the Kreuzkirche
- Saturday 5 December: Stollen Festival
- Sunday 6 December: Gingerbread festival (Pfefferkuchenfest)
- Saturday 12 December: Pyramid festival
- Sunday 13 December: Day of Christmas crafts
- Saturday 19 December: Pflaumentoffel festival
- Sunday 20 December: Striezel kids’ festival
For kids there’s a fairy-tale house where they can drop off letters to Father Christmas, and from 1 to 23 December he even answers the phone (in German) every day from 17:30 to 19:00 on +49 351 4882412. More details are on our Dresden Striezelmarkt event page.
The Dresden Stollen Festival 2026 (5 December)
The Dresdner Stollenfest is held every year on the Saturday before the second Sunday of Advent, which in 2026 is Saturday 5 December. It’s the 31st one. It’s organized by the Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen, the association of certified Dresden Stollen bakers, and the highlight is a parade through the old town with a giant Stollen that’s cut and sold afterwards.
The schedule the organizers have published:
- From 9:45: baroque street entertainment in front of the Kulturpalast
- 10:00: official opening
- Around 11:00: the parade starts, through the historic center past the palace and the Procession of Princes mural to the Frauenkirche
- Around 12:00: the parade arrives back at the stage by the Kulturpalast, and the giant Stollen is cut shortly after
- From about 12:15: the giant Stollen is sold, with music on stage
- Around 15:30: the festival ends
The times are approximate, so don’t plan a tight train connection around noon. For a good view of the cutting, get to the Kulturpalast side well before 12:00.
If you’re buying Stollen to take home, “Dresdner Christstollen” is a protected name and only certified bakers can use it. The Schutzverband’s website lists those bakers if you want to buy from one directly.
The other Dresden Christmas markets worth your time
The markets are close together. You can walk from the Striezelmarkt to the Neumarkt and the Stallhof in a few minutes, and cross the river on foot to the Augustusmarkt.
Advent auf dem Neumarkt (in front of the Frauenkirche)
This market recreates the look of around 1830 to 1920, with historic-style stalls and traditional crafts. With the Frauenkirche behind it, it’s probably the prettiest market in town.
- 25 November: 17:00 to 22:00
- 26 November to 23 December: daily 11:00 to 22:00
- 24 to 26 December: closed
- 27 December: 11:00 to 20:00; 28 to 30 December: 11:00 to 21:00
- 31 December: food and stage 13:00 to 00:30, stalls 13:00 to 20:00
- 1 January: closed; 2 January: 11:00 to 21:00; 3 January: 11:00 to 16:00
Mittelalter-Weihnacht im Stallhof (medieval market)
The Stallhof is the old tournament yard of Dresden’s palace, on the back side of the Procession of Princes mural. It’s low-tech on purpose: no loudspeaker music, hardly any electric light, live music every day and around 50 traders and craftspeople using medieval tools.
- 25 November to 23 December: daily 11:00 to 21:30
- 27 to 30 December: daily 11:00 to 21:30 (the “Dresdner Rauhnächte” market)
- 2 to 5 January 2027: 11:00 to 20:00; 6 January: 11:00 to 18:00
This is the one Dresden market that charges entry, and only at certain times: on Advent weekends from Friday afternoon to Sunday, and from 27 to 30 December. It’s €5 for adults and €3 for kids, and preschool kids are free.
Augustusmarkt (Neustadt)
Across the Elbe, the Augustusmarkt runs about 500 meters along the Hauptstraße from the Golden Rider statue toward the Albertplatz. It’s the city’s second-largest market and feels more modern, with white-and-gold pagoda tents, international food and a big Ferris wheel by the Golden Rider.
It’s open 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027: Monday to Thursday 11:00 to 21:00, Friday 11:00 to 22:00, Saturday 10:00 to 22:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 21:00. It’s closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January, and on New Year’s Eve it stays open until 2:00.
Elbhangfest-Weihnachtsmarkt in Loschwitz
If you’d like something small and local, this one is in the old village center of Loschwitz, right by the Blue Wonder (Blaues Wunder) bridge. It’s about 40 traders in simple wooden huts in front of half-timbered houses, with a small stage program every day. It runs from Saturday 5 December (opening at 11:00) to Sunday 20 December 2026. Hours are Monday to Thursday 13:00 to 20:00, Friday 13:00 to 21:00, Saturday 11:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 20:00. There’s no parking nearby, so take the tram or bus.
One more: the Christmas Garden light trail
It’s not a market, but the Christmas Garden light walk runs from 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, with an ice rink included in the ticket.
Which Dresden markets are open after Christmas?
The Striezelmarkt closes at 14:00 on Christmas Eve, but three markets keep going into the new year: Advent auf dem Neumarkt and the Augustusmarkt (both to 3 January 2027) and the Stallhof medieval market (to 6 January 2027). For the rest of Germany, see our list of Christmas markets open after Christmas.
How I’d plan a visit
One day: Start at the Striezelmarkt in the late morning when it’s calmer, walk to the Neumarkt and the Frauenkirche for lunch, then the Stallhof in the afternoon. Cross the Augustus Bridge to the Augustusmarkt when it gets dark and finish on the Ferris wheel.
A weekend: Add the Stollen Festival if you’re there on 5 December, Loschwitz on the second day, and some of the city itself. Our Dresden travel guide covers the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the rest of the old town.
Advent weekends, especially the festival Saturdays, get very crowded. If you can, go on a weekday.
Getting there and getting around
Dresden Hauptbahnhof is within walking distance of the Altmarkt. The city recommends coming by bus and train rather than car during Advent. If you’re driving in from the region, there’s a free park-and-ride lot (P7 “In der Rinne” at the Ostragehege), with tram line 10 straight into the center. For the markets near the Neumarkt, the closest tram stops are Altmarkt (lines 1, 2, 4 and 12) and Pirnaischer Platz (lines 3, 6, 7 and bus 75).
If you’re staying in Germany a while, the Deutschland-Ticket covers local trams and regional trains. Our Deutschland-Ticket guide for tourists explains how it works. Leipzig is close by too, so it’s easy to combine the two; see our Leipzig guide and the Leipzig Christmas market page.
A few practical tips
- Dress for the cold. Standing around outside in the evening gets chilly fast. Our guide on what to wear to German Christmas markets has a checklist.
- Glühwein comes with a mug deposit (Pfand). Keep the mug or give it back for your money; our Christmas market food and drinks guide explains how it works and what to order.
- Bring some cash. Plenty of stalls take cards now, but not all of them.
For more markets around the country, start with our guide to German Christmas markets. If you’d like dates like these in your inbox, our newsletter is one email a month. Hope you have a great trip!
FAQ
When is the Dresden Christmas market in 2026?
The 592nd Dresden Striezelmarkt runs from Wednesday 25 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 on the Altmarkt. It’s open daily 10:00 to 21:00; on opening day the stalls open at 16:30, and on Christmas Eve it closes at 14:00.
When is the Dresden Stollen Festival in 2026?
The 31st Dresdner Stollenfest is on Saturday 5 December 2026. It opens around 10:00, the parade with the giant Stollen starts around 11:00, the Stollen is cut shortly after 12:00 by the Kulturpalast, and the festival ends around 15:30.
Is the Striezelmarkt the oldest Christmas market in Germany?
Yes. Dresden calls the Striezelmarkt Germany’s oldest Christmas market. 2026 is its 592nd year, which dates it back to 1434.
Which Dresden Christmas markets are open after Christmas?
Advent auf dem Neumarkt and the Augustusmarkt are open until 3 January 2027 (both closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January). The Stallhof medieval market reopens 27 to 30 December and 2 to 6 January 2027.
Do you have to pay to enter the Dresden Christmas markets?
No, except the medieval market in the Stallhof, which charges €5 for adults and €3 for kids on Advent weekends (Friday afternoon to Sunday) and from 27 to 30 December. The Striezelmarkt, Neumarkt, Augustusmarkt and Loschwitz markets are free.
Sources
Checked on 13 November 2026:
- Landeshauptstadt Dresden: Dresdner Striezelmarkt 2026 (dates, hours, theme days)
- Landeshauptstadt Dresden: press release on the 592nd Striezelmarkt (Nov 2026)
- Landeshauptstadt Dresden: Christmas in Dresden (markets, Christmas Garden, Striezeltaler)
- Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen: Dresdner Stollenfest 2026
- Neuland Zeitreisen: Advent auf dem Neumarkt 2026 opening hours
- Mittelalter-Weihnacht im Stallhof 2026: dates, hours and entry
- Augustusmarkt Dresden 2026
- Elbhangfest e.V.: 28. Elbhangfest-Weihnachtsmarkt 2026
Photos: Striezelmarkt at night and the Christmas pyramid via Pexels (Pexels License).