Bautzen
51°11′ N 14°25′ ETownPop. 37,306Saxony and the Ore Mountains
Bautzen suits travellers who want a mid-sized market in a towered old town between Dresden and Görlitz, and the stalls close at 20:00 on most nights. The 643rd Wenzelsmarkt runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026.
Photo Juri Kowski · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
A night in Bautzen lets you walk the Wenzelsmarkt from the Hauptmarkt to the Kornmarkt after dark and pair it with Görlitz or Dresden the next day.
Bautzen dates its Christmas market to 1384, when King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia granted the town a free meat market up to Christmas, and it names the Wenzelsmarkt after him. The city sets out about 80 stalls in a single line from the Hauptmarkt down the Reichenstraße to the Kornmarkt.
Santa opens the Advent calendar with the children every day, and the stage adds puppet shows and story hours. The city has already fixed its market dates through 2029, so you can plan years ahead.
Worth knowing
- Two Advent Sundays are shopping Sundays in Bautzen's old town.
Quick answers about Bautzen
When is the Bautzen Christmas market in 2026?
The 643rd Bautzener Wenzelsmarkt runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026, the city confirms. In 2027 it runs from 26 November to 22 December.
Is Bautzen a good place to stay?
A night in Bautzen lets you walk the Wenzelsmarkt from the Hauptmarkt to the Kornmarkt after dark and pair it with Görlitz or Dresden the next day.
