Dresden Striezelmarkt 2026: dates and times

The Dresden Striezelmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany – 2026 is its 592nd edition. The short answer: the market on the Altmarkt runs from Wednesday 25 November to Thursday 24 December 2026. It opens at 16:30 on the first day, is then open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, and on 24 December it closes at 14:00.

Dresden Striezelmarkt 2026: dates and opening times

Dates and times from the City of Dresden, which organises the market (call for stallholders for the 592nd Striezelmarkt, published 9 April 2026; see sources). The city awards 216 stall places in 47 groups of goods.

The Striezelmarkt is a classic pre-Christmas market: it opens at the end of November and ends on Christmas Eve. Compared with other markets whose 2026 dates are official:

Season: calendar days from the first to the last day.

What makes the Striezelmarkt special

The name. "Striezel" is the old word for the Dresden Christstollen, the fruit bread dusted with icing sugar that the city is famous for. You can buy it at the market, and a Stollen festival with a giant stollen is part of Dresden's Advent tradition; the date is published on the city's website.

Crafts from the Ore Mountains. The stalls are known for wooden crafts from the Erzgebirge, the mountains south of Dresden: nutcrackers, smoking men (Räuchermännchen), candle arches and small Christmas pyramids. The market's own landmark is a huge step pyramid in the middle of the square, a walk-in version of the rotating Christmas pyramids made in the region.

Food. Besides stollen, look out for Pulsnitzer Pfefferkuchen (gingerbread from Pulsnitz near Dresden), potato fritters, and Glühwein in the special Striezelmarkt mug, sold with a deposit.

When to go

• The opening evening, 25 November from 16:30, is atmospheric but crowded.
• Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the calmest time to browse the craft stalls.
• Saturday afternoons and evenings in December are the busiest.
• 24 December is a short day – the market closes at 14:00, and there is no Striezelmarkt after Christmas.

Dresden has other Advent markets in the old town too, for example on the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche; their dates are announced separately by the organisers.

Getting there

From Dresden main station (Hauptbahnhof) it is a 10 to 15-minute walk along the pedestrian street Prager Straße to the Altmarkt. Dresden Airport is linked to the main station by the S-Bahn. Dresden is well connected by rail, and Prague is about two and a half hours away by direct train, which makes the two cities a classic Advent combination; compare train connections between Dresden and Prague^* on Omio.

On a day trip, you can use luggage storage near Dresden station^* (Radical Storage).

Where to stay

The old town (Altstadt) between the Altmarkt, the Frauenkirche and the Elbe puts you within a few minutes' walk of the market. Across the river, the Äußere Neustadt is livelier in the evening and cheaper, about 20 minutes on foot or a few tram stops from the Altmarkt. For the Advent weekends, book early.

More than the market: a weekend in Dresden

Dresden's baroque old town is a short walk from the Altmarkt: the rebuilt Frauenkirche, the Zwinger with its Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Semperoper and the Brühl's Terrace above the Elbe. Tickets for museums and guided tours in Dresden^* are on Tiqets. Our three-day plan for Dresden combines these sights with the Neustadt and fits well around a market evening.

Weather in December

Dresden is cold and fairly dry in December: on average about 5.9 °C by day and 1.2 °C at night, with 60 mm of rain and snow over the month (2015–2024, see our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe). Frost at night is common. YesTrip shows the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests warm clothes in the packing list.

If you want to see more markets on the same trip, the Prague Christmas markets 2026 run into January, the Nuremberg Christmas market 2026 is on a similar schedule, and the Munich, Cologne and Vienna Christmas markets 2026 open earlier.

Dresden trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Also for the same trip: Wrocław Christmas market 2026, Erfurt Christmas market 2026.

* Ad – Partner link: if you book there, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same.