Griffel- und Weihnachtsmarkt Steinach

A Slate Region Celebrates Its Craft

For centuries, Steinach am Rennsteig was a center for making slate pencils (Griffelmachen) – that fine craft which produced writing pencils and slates for schools throughout Europe from slate. Even though the craft is now industrially obsolete, it lives on in the Griffel- und Weihnachtsmarkt: it combines the memory of the regional craft tradition with the atmospheric Advent market format.

Castle as a Backdrop

The venue is the castle courtyard with the festively illuminated Steinach Castle and the adjacent market square. A special feature of the market is the life-sized, hand-carved nativity scenes made from regional wood, which illuminate the castle grounds and give the market a contemplative, traditional character.

Steinach – District of Sonneberg in the Thuringian Forest

Steinach is located in the District of Sonneberg in the southeastern Thuringian Forest, on the border with Bavaria. The town with around 3,500 inhabitants has a compact but distinctive identity with its castle, slate museum, and pencil-making tradition.