Christmas Markets in the Eastern Ore Mountains 2026: Altenberg, Geising, Dippoldiswalde and the Steam Train

There is no single big Christmas market in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Osterzgebirge). Instead there are lots of small ones, most lasting a weekend and some only an afternoon. Geising sets its Christmas pyramid turning on the first weekend of Advent, Schellerhau holds a miners' procession through the village on the same Sunday, and Dippoldiswalde has its "Dippser Weihnacht" two weeks later. We have sorted the 2026 dates by Advent weekend. We only list dates that appear on an official 2026 page. Where nothing has been published yet, we say so and tell you when the market usually takes place.

Advent 2026 at a glance

Distances are rounded driving distances from our two houses: Dresdner Straße 10 in Altenberg and Bahnhofstraße 15 in Dippoldiswalde.

Sources: Erzgebirge tourism association, Weisseritz Valley Railway, municipality of Seiffen, City of Dresden, as of October 2026. Individual programme items may still change.

First weekend of Advent (27–29 November): the busy one

This is the weekend with the most going on. If you can only come once in Advent, come now, but book early. The bobsleigh and skeleton World Cup at the Altenberg ice track also finishes that weekend (23 to 29 November), so rooms in town are in demand.

Geising im Lichterschein

Geising is now part of the town of Altenberg, a little over four kilometres from our house and one stop away on the Müglitztal railway. According to the regional tourism association the market takes place on 28 and 29 November 2026, with stalls along Hauptstraße in front of the Ratskeller. Traditionally the pyramid is set turning on Friday evening and the market proper starts on Saturday. In 2025 the programme included cutting a giant Stollen, a lantern walk for children, Christmas cantatas in the church and a "Swedish fire" log torch in the evening. The tourist information in Altenberg publishes the 2026 programme.

Schellerhau: the miners' procession on the first Sunday of Advent

In Schellerhau, another part of Altenberg, the market runs on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 1:30 pm to 7 pm. The highlight is the "Great Christmas miners' procession" (Bergaufzug) from the Oberer Gasthof inn to the Rümmler grocery store. The Schellerhau village association counts more than 70 participants, among them the Altenberg miners' club, the Freiberg miners' band, an angel and a miner, and a basket maker. It is a small market, more village fete than shopping trip.

Bimmelbahn & Lichterglanz on the Weisseritz Valley Railway

On 28 and 29 November 2026 the Weisseritztalbahn, a narrow-gauge steam railway, turns into a "Christmas market you can ride". Trains run between Freital-Hainsberg and Kurort Kipsdorf, and the stations at Rabenau, Malter, Dippoldiswalde, Obercarsdorf, Schmiedeberg and Kipsdorf host small markets, craftspeople, incense cones you can make yourself and mulled wine by the fire. Get off wherever you like and catch the next train. On Sunday St Nicholas walks through the train.

A special day ticket covers the trains and the shuttle buses along the line. The railway's event page will announce the price later. Children up to 14 travel free with an adult. More about the line itself is in our guide to the Weisseritz Valley Railway.

Glashütter WeihnachtsZEIT

Glashütte, the watchmaking town, opens its market on Friday 27 November 2026 at 5 pm. It runs until Sunday (Saturday 12 noon to 8 pm, Sunday 12 noon to 7 pm), and entry is free. It opens with the pyramid being set in motion, plus brass music from the tower and a children's programme. Glashütte is on the Müglitztal railway between Altenberg and Heidenau. If you plan to visit the watch museum anyway, combine the two; tips in our guide to Glashütte.

Second weekend of Advent (5–6 December): lights on the hill

As far as we know, there is no market in Altenberg or Dippoldiswalde itself this weekend. There are still good reasons for an outing:

• Seiffen, Saturday 5 December, from 4:45 pm: the 21st "Lichterzug auf Bergbaupfaden", a torchlight walk along old miners' paths. Three processions start at different hotels and meet in the Binge, an old mining crater. Torches are handed out free at the meeting points, and anyone can join.
• Freiberg, Saturday 5 December: the Freiberg Christmarkt always holds its torchlit miners' parade, followed by a miners' sermon, on the Saturday before the second Sunday of Advent. The Freiberg tourist information gives the time.
• Evening steam rides: On some Advent evenings the Weisseritztalbahn runs "Adventszauber" trips from Freital-Hainsberg to Dippoldiswalde and back (departing 5:35 pm, returning 7:17 pm), including 3, 4 and 5 December. No reservation is needed.

Third weekend of Advent (11–13 December): Dippser Weihnacht and the great parade

Dippser Weihnacht in Dippoldiswalde

"Dippser Weihnacht", organised by the local traders' association, usually takes place on the third weekend of Advent on the market square and in the old town. In 2025 it ran Friday to Sunday (Friday from 2 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon, until 8 pm each day) with a historical market on the church square: archery, herbalists, leatherworkers. In October the 2026 date was not yet in the town's events calendar. Expect 11 to 13 December, but check before you travel.

From the apartments on Bahnhofstraße to the market square is about 500 metres. For guests staying with us in Dippoldiswalde it is the easiest market of the whole season.

The great miners' parade in Seiffen

On Saturday 12 December 2026 at 3:30 pm more than 400 people in traditional miners' dress march through Seiffen. It is one of the biggest parades in the Ore Mountains and crowded accordingly. How to plan the day, where to park and why the village centre is closed to cars on Advent weekends is covered in our Seiffen day trip.

And Altenberg?

The Christmas market on the square in front of Altenberg station is a one-day affair. In 2025 it was held on the Saturday before the third Sunday of Advent: a giant Stollen arrived by horse-drawn carriage, nursery and school children sang, the youth fire brigade led a lantern walk and a brass band played in the evening. The 2026 date was still open in October. Ask at the Altenberg tourist information in the station building, or ask us. From our house on Dresdner Straße it is about a ten-minute walk.

Fourth weekend of Advent (18–20 December): the last few days

Most village markets are over by now. The big ones stay open: Seiffen until Sunday 20 December (lantern walk with Father Christmas on Saturday 19 December at 5 pm), Freiberg until 22 December and Dresden's Striezelmarkt until Christmas Eve, when it closes at 2 pm. Evening steam rides still run on 17, 18 and 19 December and on New Year's Eve.

Open all through Advent: Seiffen, Freiberg, Dresden

• Seiffener Weihnacht, 27 November to 20 December 2026: more than 40 stalls in the village centre, Monday to Friday 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 11 am to 6 pm (municipality of Seiffen). Weekdays are usually quieter.
• Freiberger Christmarkt, 24 November to 22 December 2026: around 90 wooden huts on the Obermarkt square, decorated in mining style. About 35 minutes by car from Dippoldiswalde.
• Dresden Striezelmarkt, 25 November to 24 December 2026: the 592nd Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt, daily 10 am to 9 pm, from 4:30 pm on opening day (City of Dresden). How to get there without hunting for parking is in our Dresden day trip.

Miners' parades, pyramids, candle arches: a quick guide

If this is your first Advent in the Ore Mountains, you may wonder about all the miners in uniform. Many Christmas customs here have their roots in mining. The miners' parades recall the processions miners held on feast days, and since 2016 they have been recognised as intangible cultural heritage in Germany.

• Bergparade or Bergaufzug: miners' associations in their parade uniform (Habit) march through town with banners and brass music. In the Eastern Ore Mountains you can see one on the first Sunday of Advent in Schellerhau.
• Pyramid: a carousel of carved figures, turned by the warm air rising from candles. Markets have outdoor pyramids several metres tall, and "pushing" the pyramid into motion often opens the market.
• Schwibbogen: the arch of candles in the window. After dark you will see them in many houses, Altenberg included.

What people eat at this time of year, from Stollen to the nine-course Neunerlei on Christmas Eve, is in our guide to Ore Mountains food.

Practical tips for Advent

• Mulled wine mugs: many markets serve Glühwein in mugs with a deposit. Since 2019 Seiffen has had its own "Seiffener Dippl" mug with a relief of the village church.
• Cold: up on the ridge around Altenberg, Geising and Schellerhau the evenings are much colder than in Dresden, and there can be snow here while it is raining in the city. Warm boots matter more than a smart coat.
• Roads: in snow, the minor roads to Schellerhau or Seiffen are slower than your satnav thinks. Allow extra time, especially for the drive home in the dark.
• Parking: car parks in Geising and Schellerhau fill up quickly on market weekends. From Altenberg it is easier to take the Müglitztal train to Geising or to walk.

Staying with us in Advent

For the markets around Geising, Schellerhau and Altenberg, the shortest trips are from our rooms in Altenberg: eight rooms at Dresdner Straße 10, each with its own bathroom and WC, seven for up to two guests and one for up to three, from €70 per night. The World Cup weekend at the end of November is busy in town, so ask early.

If you want to combine Bimmelbahn & Lichterglanz, Dippser Weihnacht and the Striezelmarkt, our apartments in Dippoldiswalde are a good base: two apartments with their own kitchen for up to four and five guests respectively, also from €70 per night, with the station and the market square within walking distance.

You book directly with us by phone or WhatsApp on +49 1514 1213283 or +49 1525 1644356. Feel free to ask about dates that are still missing here; we will look them up for you.

Frequently asked questions

• When is the Altenberg Christmas market in 2026?

  The 2026 date had not been published by October. In 2025 the market ran on a single day, Saturday 13 December, from 12 noon to 8 pm on the square in front of the railway station. The tourist information office in Altenberg publishes the current date.

• Do I need to reserve seats for Bimmelbahn & Lichterglanz?

  No. The railway operator says there are always enough seats on 28 and 29 November 2026. A special day ticket applies, with the price still to be announced; children up to 14 travel free with an adult.

• Are the Christmas markets in the Eastern Ore Mountains open on weekdays?

  The markets in Geising, Schellerhau, Altenberg and Dippoldiswalde are weekend events only. Open throughout Advent are the Seiffen Christmas market (27 November to 20 December 2026), the Freiberg Christmarkt (24 November to 22 December) and Dresden's Striezelmarkt (25 November to 24 December).