FIELDTRIP! to the Striezelmarkt

Frohe Weihnachten, Freunde! Merry Christmas, friends! Prepare to be overwhelmed with alcohol-induced jolliness and a craving for fruitcake because today we visit the Striezelmarkt, Dresden's world famous annual Christmas market.

You will notice from the above sign that this year is the 573rd annual incarnation of the Striezelmarkt. Yes, you read that right. The first recorded instance of the Striezelmarkt was in 1434, about 60 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue and well over 300 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I know I've mentioned this before, but I cannot get over how old stuff is over here. We Amerikaners have no concept of old.

The monthlong Striezelmarkt is among the largest in Germany, which is to say it's among the largest in the world. It's been estimated to receive 2 million visitors a year.


The market gets its name from the original name of Dresden's equally famous Christmas fruitcake, now called Stollen but formerly called Striezel. I'd tell you all about it, but honestly it's such a huge part of Christmas tradition here, it warrants its own entry. So we'll talk about it more later. Suffice it to say, it's really tasty. Tastier than any fruitcake you've likely ever encountered, which probably means very little to you. But trust me, you'll love it.

Not surprisingly you will find mountains of Stollen at the Striezelmarkt.


Other wonderful things you will find at the Striezelmarkt are ...


... gorgeous German-made, light-up paper star decorations (you see these hanging in every other window here this time of year and I adore them) ...


... and all manner of wooden things.


Germany, and specifically this corner of Germany, is the world capital of cute Christmas wooden things. Namely, nutcrackers, Schwibbogen (arch-shaped candle holders displayed in windows during the Christmas season), candle pyramids (we'll see a giant example later), and ...


... Räuchermänner! Aren't these guys adorable? They are little incense burners. They melt my insides.

You will also find lots of weird stuff, like these sporty fur hats and opium-scented candles. I didn't even know opium had a scent.

As you wander the market, you may find yourself itching for a festive drink. Never fear! You have many options, including hot chocolate, eggnog, coffee, and GROG. Yes, apparently people actually drink grog. I thought it only existed in Middle Earth and that it was drunk primarily by trolls. I'm learning so much here!

Another German-specific drink on this list is Glühwein, a mulled red wine served hot in mugs with cloves and cinnamon. It looks pretty tasty and makes me wish for, like, half a second that I drank alcohol.

While you're getting smashed on grog and hot wine, give the kids something that will make them feel like they are, too: a train ride through Christmastown-on-LSD!


And what German Christmas market would be complete without a gigantic Pyramide? None! That's what!


This is a monstrous, electric version of the candle pyramid I was talking about earlier. You put little candles in the base and the heat from the flames rise and push the propeller on top, which turns the platforms on the inside of the pyramid, creating this mini, slowly spinning parade of wooden characters. They are a German Christmas decor staple.

But although the Striezelmarkt is certainly the biggest and most well known Christmas market in Dresden, it is not the only Christmas market and it is not, according to the reporters here at American Dresdner, the coolest market. That title goes to the Altstadt market, which Jake and I wandered to after visiting the Striezelmarkt.


This intimate little occasion is located in the courtyard of King Augustus' palace and feels like wandering medieval Dresden. Everyone working there was dressed in medieval garb and among the handmade items for sale was a full suit of armor. The lantern-lit booths offered handmade wares ranging from baskets and hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn to steel viking helmets.


And, in case you get hungry here, there's plenty of meat on spits. Including this pig.


But I think the most noteworthy thing we saw at this market was a little band of possibly quite inebriated older Germans in a steaming wooden bathtub wearing nothing but Santa hats and smiles. They had a sign requesting 1 Euro per look and had collected quite a crowd of whooping and hollering onlookers. We tried to get a picture of one gentleman getting out of the tub (thankfully covering his front with a towel), but we were laughing so hard that the photo unfortunately didn't turn out. But the image of his wet, rumply butt will live in our memories forever, and judging by the screams and cheers of the crowd, we're not alone.

And on that note, I wish you all and all of yours a lovely Christmas season from Dresden. May it be free of drunk, wet, rumply German butts. Unless you're into that sort of thing.





JEM