Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt
Bautzener Wenzelsmarkt51°11′ N 14°26′ EBautzenfrom Nov 27Seasonal
The Wenzelsmarkt suits travellers who want a mid-sized market in a towered old town east of Dresden, and with around 80 traders it's smaller than the Dresden markets. The 643rd market runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026, from the Hauptmarkt along the Reichenstraße to the Kornmarkt.
Photo Julian Nyča · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt runs November 27, 2026 to December 22, 2026 · confirmed by the organizer (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
The city lays its market out along a single line through the old town, starting on the Hauptmarkt by the town hall and running down the Reichenstraße between Baroque houses to the Kornmarkt and the museum forecourt. About 80 traders take part. You'll find Bratwurst and roasted almonds, mulled wine from the region and further afield, and craft stalls with wool from sheep and alpacas, German honey and Christmas pyramids.
Bautzen names its market after King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia, who gave the town a free meat market in 1384. The city calls the Wenzelsmarkt the oldest Christmas market in Germany named in a chronicle. Dresden makes the same claim for the Striezelmarkt on the strength of its 1434 grant.
Worth knowing
- Walk the whole length from the Hauptmarkt to the Kornmarkt; the stalls follow one street, so you won't miss a section.
- Group organizers can find coach parking and group offers on the city's group-travel page.
Quick answers about Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt
When is the Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt in 2026?
The 643rd Bautzener Wenzelsmarkt runs from Friday 27 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026, the city confirms. Stalls open from 11:00, until 20:00 Sunday to Thursday and until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Is Bautzen's Wenzelsmarkt the oldest Christmas market in Germany?
Bautzen calls the Wenzelsmarkt the oldest Christmas market in Germany named in a chronicle and dates it to a market right of 1384. Dresden makes the same claim for its Striezelmarkt, first granted in 1434.
When does Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt open in 2026?
Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt opens on November 27, 2026 and closes on December 22, 2026. Those dates are confirmed by the organizer.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt
Guide · 10 min read
When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026?
Totensonntag falls on 22 November in 2026. Most German markets open in the week after it, and the date of a city's market comes from a rule you can read ahead.
Guide · 23 min read
When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026?
Vienna and Copenhagen open first, on 6 November 2026, and Cologne's Heumarkt keeps its stalls up until 10 January 2027. Every row below names who published the date.