The Dresden Striezelmarkt, Christmas of stollen and the pyramid.

Dresden's Striezelmarkt is one of the most traditional Christmas markets in Germany and is set up on the Altmarkt, right in the centre. Its name comes from the Striezel, the sweet Christmas bread that in Dresden is called stollen.

Dates and hours

The 592nd edition in 2026 runs from Wednesday 25 November to Thursday 24 December. On the first day it opens from 16:30 to 21:00; the rest, from 10:00 to 21:00, and on 24 December, from 10:00 to 14:00. In those weeks, the city also has other markets, such as the Frauenkirche one, a few minutes from the Altmarkt.

What you see

It advertises the world's largest stepped Erzgebirge pyramid that you can walk into, at 14.61 metres, and the Stollenfest, with a parade of a giant stollen, held on an Advent Saturday; check the exact dates before you go. It is a craft market from the Ore Mountains, with wooden figures, nutcrackers and paper stars, as well as sausages, mulled wine and stollen.

How to combine it

From the Altmarkt you can walk to the Frauenkirche and the Brühl Terrace; the Zwinger and the Green Vault fill the morning. Save the market for dusk, with the lights on.

Getting there and what else to see

The Altmarkt is in the historic centre, a short walk from the Frauenkirche and the Neumarkt, so it is easy to reach on foot from almost any hotel in the old town. If you come from elsewhere, Dresden has a central station with trains from Berlin and Leipzig. Allow an hour and a half to two hours at the market and leave the rest of the day for the museums, which in winter are a good alternative to the cold.

What to try

The dish of the season is stollen, the sweet bread with dried fruit and icing sugar, which in Dresden has its own bakeries. There are also grilled sausages, mulled wine and Advent sweets. Always ask about the origin of what you buy: the Erzgebirge craft stalls are an important part of the market.