Chemnitz Christmas Market 2023
From 1 to 23 December
Today, Mayor Knut Kunze and the staff of the Public Order Office, Department of Trade, Events and Markets presented this year's Christmas market. Traditionally, it opens its doors on the Friday before 1 Advent, this year on 1 December.
Set-up:
Set-up begins on Saturday, 11 November.
Opening:
On Friday, 1 December at 4 pm, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will open this year's Chemnitz Christmas Market together with Father Christmas. Both will hand out tickets for the rides to the children in front of the stage.
Opening times:
Friday, 1 December, 4 pm to 9 pm,
Monday to Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm,
Friday, 11 am to 9 pm,*
Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm,
Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm
Stalls:
There will be a total of 148 stalls on the market square, Neumarkt, Rosenhof and Jakobikirchplatz, and 16 stalls on Düsseldorfer Platz - with the Erzgebirgsdorf and the new two-storey pyramid house.
In Innere Klosterstraße, which traditionally once again hosts the Chemnitz Klosterweihnacht with its medieval market, there will be 22 historically themed stalls.
Product ranges:
The product range of the stalls is divided into: Christmas articles, food, hot drinks, baked goods, confectionery, fruit, vegetables and nuts, food, gifts, textiles and clothing, showman's shops, charity (associations take turns at a stand).
Traders travelling the longest distances:
Some traders come from further afield, including from Finland (1,267 kilometres), Austria (563 kilometres) and Stralsund (487 kilometres).
Regional retailers:
125 dealers come from Saxony.
New registrations:
35 dealerships are new this year.
Mulled wine cup and children's crockery:
The 2023 Christmas market mug is light blue with gold lettering and a snowman. Children's crockery with an Abrafaxe motif is also available for purchase this year.
Design:
A total of 16,000 lights illuminate the Christmas market. This year, Chemnitz day-care centres will be decorating small Christmas trees, which will be distributed throughout the Christmas market. On Friday, 23 December, from 4 pm, the Christmas trees set up at the Chemnitz Christmas market will be handed over to interested parties free of charge.
Ten signposts provide orientation at the Chemnitz Christmas Market.
Once again this year, one of the special visual attractions of the Chemnitz Christmas market is the twelve-metre-high Christmas pyramid created by the "8th of May" carving circle in 1986 on its site between Neumarkt and the market: 24 figures depict everyday life in the Erzgebirge mountains on five floors. In 2016, the pyramid ("Peremett" in Erzgebirge) was given a new body and the figures have been replaced piece by piece over the past few years based on the originals. The original figures can still be seen in the foyer of the town hall on the market square.
The original Ore Mountains candle arch , measuring five by two metres and weighing 200 kilograms, made by craftsman Claus Döhler from Sosa, also pays homage to the Christmas land and has been adorning one of the festively decorated entrances to the Christmas market at its regular place since 1993.
The large music box also has its place at the Christmas market again. In 2013, it was reissued by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH on behalf of the town. The original was the music box, which has been a feature of the Christmas market since 2002. The scene "Bescherung in einer Weihnachtsstube" ("Giving presents in a Christmas parlour") revolves on a plate with a diameter of 4.40 metres.
The well-known traditional Erzgebirge figures in the decorated area also include: the miner and angel (each 1.80 metres tall), the snowman (also 1.80 metres tall) and the 1.90 metre tall smoker. All four figures were made by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH.
Cultural offerings:
The figural carillon can be heard every day (Mondays to Saturdays at 11 am, 4 pm and 7 pm; Sundays at 10 am, 4 pm and 7 pm). The tower brass band plays on Saturdays at 10.15 am. Carillon concerts can be heard on Wednesdays from 10 am to 10.30 am, Fridays from 4.30 pm to 5 pm and Saturdays from 10.05 am to 10.35 am.
In addition, two historic fairground organs can be heard daily from 4.30 to 4.50 pm. The two organs, built in 1904, will be played on the Neumarkt (at the Super 8 double loop) and on the Rosenhof (at the sports carousel).
Stage:
Every evening at 5 pm, Father Christmas (impersonated by Thomas Landgraf and Thomas Hillmann in rotation) visits the stage and brings a fairytale surprise, performed by the Fritz Theatre.
Christmas tree:
A spruce about 25 metres high and around 40 to 50 years old is still standing in the Adorf forest district, Tannenbergtal district, Sachsenforst state enterprise. The tree will be delivered to the Chemnitz market on Saturday 11 November in the late afternoon and put up.
From 11 a.m., the waiting time for the tree will be shortened with grilled sausages and mulled wine. A carousel awaits the youngest visitors.
Lights shine:
Every year, eins and inetz create a Christmassy atmosphere in the streets of Chemnitz city centre, install around 7,000 lights in Chemnitz and decorate the Christmas tree with around 800 lights.
This year, the large Christmas tree on the market square will be decorated on Monday, 13 November. At the same time, the fairy lights on the deciduous trees on Jakobikirchplatz and the strings of lights on the market square will also be put up. On Monday, 27 November, the ornaments will then be put up and all other work will be carried out. The Christmas tree, the fairy lights and the ornaments will then light up from 4 pm on Friday, 1 December.
Chemnitz Monastery Christmas area
One of the attractions is the historical market organised by Bibow Communications GmbH since 2005 as part of the Chemnitz Christmas market programme with the "Chemnitzer Klosterweihnacht" on Innere Klosterstraße with 22 historically designed stalls. The bakery and tavern, Schießburg, Lederer and much more have a long tradition.
Ore Mountain Village area
The "Erzgebirgsdorf" is located on Düsseldorfer Platz with 16 stands, including the two-storey pyramid house and the mulled wine pyramid. The organiser is SEG Unternehmensgruppe. Reservations for the pyramid house can be made by calling 0371 4640311.
Preventive measures for general safety
For several years now, the Chemnitz Christmas Market has had a security concept agreed with the police, which is updated and updated annually. This includes a risk analysis of all possible situations. Measures are planned for potential hazards to minimise the security risk. For example, containers filled with sand and large planters are placed on some of the access routes to the Christmas market.
Big mountain parade
One of the impressive highlights of the pre-Christmas period in Chemnitz is the 43rd Great Mountain Parade through Chemnitz city centre on Saturday, 2 December, starting at 2 pm.
This year, 995 participants will present this tradition: 605 people in uniform, 370 mountain musicians and 20 mountain singers will be seen in the always impressive parade, opening the Christmas season in the Ore Mountains.
There will be a pre-concert on the theatre square from 1.30 pm. Mayor Sven Schulze will open the mining parade with words of welcome to the mining brothers and sisters and the spectators. The parade will start at 2 pm as usual. The route leads from Theaterplatz via Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Richard-Tauber-Straße, Straße der Nationen and Brückenstraße, then back to Theaterplatz.
The grand closing ceremony will take place again on the Theatre Square at around 3 pm.
All information about the Chemnitz Christmas Market 2023.
* changed on 7 November 2023