As one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany, the Dresden Striezelmarkt has opened its doors. The opening is traditionally celebrated with an ecumenical church service before the congregation parades to the Altmarkt together with angels, miners and the Dresden Kreuzchor. There, the almost 15-metre-high Erzgebirge pyramid is symbolically pushed into place and the Dresden Christmas stollen is cut.
By 24 December, around 200 festively decorated stalls and numerous program items await visitors - including miners' orchestras, choirs and puppet shows. One of the highlights is the Stollen Festival with giant stollen and a parade, which is celebrated on 7 December with thousands of visitors.
