Christmas Tree Arrives for Dresden's Striezelmarkt

The first sign of the Dresden Striezelmarkt has arrived at the venue. The Christmas tree for one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets arrived quite late. The 23-meter-tall Nordmann fir was erected in the early evening. The city had originally expected the tree to arrive around noon. The Striezelmarkt is celebrating its 592nd edition this year.

This year’s Christmas tree comes from a private property in the Neundorf district of Pirna. According to the plan, the tree was to be cut down on Saturday morning and then transported by heavy-duty truck to Dresden’s Altmarkt. A crane had been waiting there since noon to lower the fir tree into its mounting sleeve on the market square’s pavement. 

Striezelmarkt opens on November 25

Onlookers were warmly welcomed and treated to mulled wine and bratwurst to get them in the Christmas spirit. After that, however, patience and stamina were required. The erection of the tree marks the start of all further setup work. Starting on November 11, the more than 200 Striezelmarkt vendors will set up their market huts, decorate them, and stock the stalls with their goods. 

The market opens on November 25. That’s when the Striezelmarkt fir tree is set to sparkle—the 2,160-meter-long LED light chain is equipped with approximately 260,000 lights. At the top, a Herrnhut star visible from afar shines brightly.