Auer Raachermannelmarkt

Smoker Market — the Trademark of the Erzgebirge

Few terms are as strongly associated with the Erzgebirge as «Raachermannel» — the Erzgebirge dialect word for Räuchermännchen, the small carved wooden figures in miner or artisan attire, inside which incense cones burn, releasing smoke from their mouths. They are as much a part of an Erzgebirge Christmas as candle arches, pyramids, and miner figures. The Auer Raachermannelmarkt celebrates precisely this tradition and is named after this trademark. The market takes place on the first Advent weekend in the city of Aue-Bad Schlema in the Erzgebirge district — on the Altmarkt, the city's central square.

Lighting Ceremony and Stollen Cutting

The program begins on Friday evening (November 27th, 2026, 6 PM) with a special ceremony: the lighting ceremony — the festive ignition of the oversized incense cone on the Altmarkt — and the Stollen cutting. The traditional Erzgebirge Christmas Stollen is cut and distributed to visitors, accompanied by brass music and the opening of the market. This opening ceremony combines tradition, market symbolism, and the culinary identity of the region.

Pyramid Lighting and Pyramid Parade

On Saturday (November 28th, 2026, 5 PM), the pyramid lighting ceremony takes place — the equally festive activation of the large Erzgebirge pyramid on the Altmarkt. Before that, the Pyramid Parade winds through the city: floats and participants in traditional Erzgebirge costumes, small miners, carvers, and lacemakers march to the Altmarkt, where the pyramid is then ceremoniously lit. The pyramid can be admired throughout the entire Advent season.

Grand Miners' Parade with 500 Habit-Bearers

The highlight is the Grand Miners' Parade on Sunday (November 29th, 2026, 5 PM). Approximately 500 habit-bearers — miners from mining associations throughout the Erzgebirge in full ceremonial habit (black uniforms, white feathered hats, sabers, and pickaxes) — march in the glow of hundreds of candles onto the Auer Altmarkt. The habit is a UNESCO World Heritage element as part of the Ore Mountain Region UNESCO World Heritage site. The Auer Altmarkt can barely accommodate the 500 miners — it is one of the most densely packed and impressive miner parade experiences in the entire Erzgebirge. After the parade, the market stalls remain open late into the evening.

Erzgebirgsensemble and Carolateich

Throughout the three market days, the Erzgebirgsensemble performs a cultural program on the market stage — folk music, Erzgebirge songs, brass music, and theater. The market extends from the Altmarkt to the Carolateich, where visitors can linger after the miners' parade. Aue itself — one of the centers of mining tradition alongside Schwarzenberg and Schneeberg — is surrounded by numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, making a visit to the market easily combinable with mining-themed hikes.