27th Colditz Fairy Tale Castle Christmas

Colditz Castle — 1000 Years of History

Colditz Castle was first mentioned in a marriage certificate in 1046 — when King Henry III transferred the castle to his wife Agnes of Poitiers. Wiprecht von Groitzsch began expanding the fortress from the 11th century onwards. After a fire in 1504, which destroyed the castle and a large part of the town, Elector Augustus of Saxony had it rebuilt in the Renaissance style from 1577 onwards — creating one of Saxony's most impressive Renaissance complexes. The castle served as a widow's seat for the Wettin dynasty and later as a hunting lodge for centuries. During World War II, it was a high-security prisoner-of-war camp for Allied officers, Oflag IV-C — the escape attempts, especially the escape of British officer Airey Neave on January 5, 1942, have become the subject of books, films, and television series in Great Britain, making Colditz better known in the English-speaking world than in Germany.

27th Edition 2026

Since the year 2000, Colditz Castle has been transformed into a magical fairy tale setting every first weekend of Advent. In 2026, the 27th edition will take place on December 5th and 6th — as every year, the weekend before St. Nicholas Day. The event is organized by the town of Colditz in cooperation with the castle administration. The event is one of Saxony's most traditional Advent markets and attracts visitors from the entire Mulde Valley, Leipzig, and Chemnitz.

Hofstube, Stalls, and Vaulted Cellars

Three areas characterize the Fairy Tale Castle Christmas: In the historic Hofstube — the castle's former banqueting hall — you can warm yourself comfortably by the tiled stove, linger with mulled wine and candied almonds in the historic atmosphere, and listen to musical performances. Illuminated wooden stalls line the castle courtyard — each a small house with a pointed roof and fairy lights — offering culinary delights: bratwurst, roasted pork neck, stollen from the traditional Ore Mountains, mulled wine, Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with rum), children's punch. The vaulted cellars of the Renaissance outer bailey — the "Fassgewölben" — showcase arts and crafts: glassblowers, wood carvers from the Ore Mountains (incense smokers, Schwibbögen candle arches, pyramids), potters, felt artists, candle makers, jewelers.

Fairy Tale Readings, Mother Hulda, and Santa Claus

The children's program is the heart of the event — hence the nickname "Fairy Tale Castle Christmas." Over the two festival days, fairy tale readings are held in the castle chapel and the Hofstube: Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, East Saxon folk tales. Mother Hulda — the fairy tale character who shakes out snow — greets the children in the castle courtyard. Santa Claus distributes gifts and listens to wish lists. Puppet shows complement the program. School choirs, brass choirs, and folklore groups from the region perform on the stage in the castle courtyard.

Lighting and Atmosphere

As night falls, the unique charm of the event comes into its own: The entire Renaissance castle is illuminated in warm colors — amber yellow, deep red, white. Fairy lights connect the stalls, torches line the paths, stars and illuminated fir wreaths hang from the walls. Candles glow from every window of the castle facade. Accompanied by quiet Advent music, an atmosphere is created that brings even skeptical adults back to a little bit of magic.

Saxony, Leipziger Land, and Colditz

Colditz is located in the Leipzig district, on the Zwickauer Mulde river between Leipzig (north), Chemnitz (south), and Grimma (west) — in the so-called Mulde Valley, one of the most scenic regions of Central Saxony. With just under 8,000 inhabitants, the small town is characterized by the striking castle, which towers over the town on a rocky outcrop, and by the climate of a Saxon small-town idyll. Besides the summer castle festival and the concerts of the State Academy of Music, the Fairy Tale Castle Christmas is the most important event of the year.