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Christmas belongs to Dresden in a very special way,
since here, at Germany’s oldest Christmas market, traditions live on
that can be traced back to the year 1434.
As always, the market will be characterised by
traditional crafts of the city and its surrounding region, the stalls
being full of Christmas pyramids, smoking figures and candleholders from
Erzgebirge Mountains, indigo-dyed printed textile products and pottery
from Lusatia, gingerbread from Pulsnitz, filigree lace products from
Plauen, Herrenhut Advent stars, blown glass tree decorations from
Lauscha, and of course specialities from Dresden itself, such as the
traditional ‘Pflaumentoffel’, a chimney-sweep figure made of dried
prunes. Visitors can also watch the carvers, glass-blowers and bakers in
action at the crafts market. The focal point of the market is the
Christmas pyramid, with a height of 14 metres. The culinary attraction
of the market, however, is the Dresden Christstollen, originally known
as ‘Striezel’, which accounts for the market’s name. |
