Dresden Christmas Markets 2017

Christmas Market – Dresden Striezelmarkt
24.11 – 24.12.2016
Centre – Piazza Altmarkt
daily from 10.00am to 9.00pm
24.12 from 10.00 to 14.00

03.12.2016: Stollen Festival

During the Advent time, the city of Dresden turns into one of the capitals of Christmas Markets as Dresden Christmas Markets 2017 . The most famous market (Striezelmarkt ) occupies a length of 1 mile, from the cathedral Frauenkirche to the famous Münzgasse restaurant. Dresden market dates its origin back in 1434, and since then it has always fought to maintain its character untouched, becoming one of the reference Christmas markets in Germany, with 2 and a half million visitors!

Lately, the stalls disposition was reviewed in order to give the market its ancient medieval aspect. The red tiles of the stalls make a pleasant contrast with the colors of the city, and the warm lights create magical visual effects.

One of the highlights of Dresden Christmas Market is the great Christmas pyramid, towering over the market with its stunning 14.62 meters, gaining in 1999 a place in the Guinness records.

Christmas market in Dresden is known as Striezelmark, from the wordStriezel, which indicates the typical Christmas bread made in Dresden, prepared with flour, dry fruit and candied fruits. The bread is today an IGP product.

The first market, ordered by Frederick II in 1434, was actually only a meat market, but with the successive sale of Striezel it turned into a larger market.

Today an inaugural ceremony celebrates the market opening, with the cutting of a huge slice of bread, followed by a procession of the Striezel toward the baroque city.

Another typical product in Dresden is the Pflaumentoffel, a little man representing a chimney sweeper made with plums, given as good luck gift.

The commercial and gastronomy offer of Dresden Christmas Markets is not limited to this. The craftsmanship of the Monti Metalliferi is very valuable. In this area of Germany, when mines began to dry, the economy was shifted toward the realization of Christmas products: toys or decorations. Beside craftsmanship we can also find the precious Lausitz ceramics. As for gastronomy, in addition to the Striezel bread there is also the famous ginger biscuit Pflaumentoffel (typical Christmas biscuit from Pulsnitz, which origins date from the 16^th century).

Children

Dresden Christmas market offers to children a carrousel and a little train. Moreover, every year a rich program of activities for children is organized in the city, including workshops, visits, and narration of tales. Santa Claus, accompanied by a puppet theatre, opens every day a window on the Dresden Advent calendar

 

 

How to get there and car parks

By plane

Dresden is served by the Dresden International, situated approximately 8 km from the city. The airport is connected with the city centre by means of a shuttle service, reaching the city central station, and the underground S-Bahn, offering a connection with the city main railway stations.

For all info on European Airports see: Airports in Europe

By train

There are two railway stations in Dresden: the central station andNeustadt station.

By car

Dresden is served by the highways A4, A9, A13, A17.

Highway A9 connects Dresden with Munich.

Car parks

There are several indoor car parks in the city centre. During Christmas Markets some additional temporary parkings are created, and some private parkings in hotels and commercial centres are also opened to public use.

The parking management system allows to check the availability of car parks, in order to be addressed to the nearest available one.

To access some cities in Germany it is necessary to purchase a mark, the Feinstaubplakette”, to be exhibited on the windshield. This rule is now about to extend all over the country.

Further information on the driving mark, as well as a list of locations where it is required can be found on the following webpage : http://www.umwelt-plakette.de/

 

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