Berlin is a city where families will feel welcome.
21.07.2023 - 07:43 / roughguides.com
In Saxony, Christmas is like a fifth season. Come the end of November, German Christmas markets pop up all across the region. As there are so many picturesque historic towns, you can imagine the scene is perfectly set for “glühweining” and roast sausage eating against the backdrop of beautiful architecture.
However, it is not just the Christmas markets, including Germany’s oldest in Dresden, but also all the unique festive traditions and customs born in Saxony that make the region a Christmas wonderland.
Dresden’s famous Striezelmarkt goes back to the 15th century and is very much connected to what is, for many, the most important Christmas tradition of all: Christstollen – stollen, German Christmas cake, whatever you want to call it.
This seasonal bake has been sold and eaten there since about 1500 and to this day, the Stollenfest as part of Striezelmarkt celebrates this signature treat by parading a giant version of it through the city.
It’s quite a sight and makes very clear that stollen is not just a piece of cake in its city of origin.
Striezelmarkt, Dresden © Sebastian Rose
Only Dresdner Christstollen, registered as a trademark, can claim to be the original version, which can be traced back to around 1400. Made by hand, it does not contain any margarine, artificial preservatives and flavourings.
To receive the so-called „Stollen seal“, the product must contain ingredients specified by the Stollen Protection Association (yes, that’s a thing!), including rum-soaked raisins, butter, sweet and bitter almonds, candied orange peel and candied lemon peel.
At the same time, every stollen produced by about 110 bakeries in Dresden has its own distinctive taste. This is due to individual spice mixtures used, whose recipes are closely guarded and passed down from one generation to the next.
Tip: Take a Dresden Stollen tour featuring a bakery and Stollen Museum visit, tasting included. And don’t miss browsing the many smaller Christmas markets in town, alongside their “big brother” on the Altmarkt square. These include a very atmospheric medieval version in the Stallhof courtyard!
Dresdner Christstollen, traditional at German Christmas markets © SSV_K. Grottker
If Dresden, together with Leipzig and Chemnitz, are Saxony’s urban Christmas market hotspots, the Ore Mountains are an entire area dedicated to the festive spirit. They are a must for travellers on the Christmas trail.
The former mining region has a long tradition of wood turning and wood carving, including very specific and unique items that have become much loved Christmas decorations. Handmade wooden pyramids, candle arches, incense figures, angles and nutcrackers decorate the houses in the Ore Mountains. They have, in fact, become collector’s items
Berlin is a city where families will feel welcome.
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