Hohnstein Fairy Tale Sparkle

Fairy Tales in Saxon Switzerland

Hohnstein is a small castle town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district (Saxony state) — the gateway to Saxon Switzerland National Park and a popular starting point for hikes to Lilienstein, Pfaffenstein, and Schrammsteine. Hohnstein Castle, one of Saxony's oldest and best-preserved castle complexes (first mentioned in 1353), sits enthroned on a sandstone rock 240 m above the Polenz valley. It currently serves as a youth hostel, conference centre, and event venue. During winter, the castle becomes the setting for a new festival: the Hohnstein Fairy Tale Sparkle. The 2nd edition takes place from January 30 to February 1, 2026 — three days of fairy tale world in a combination of castle, town, and Polenz valley.

Programme Structure — Fairy Tale Dinners, Walks, Cinema

The programme offers an unusual range of fairy tale formats: multi-course fairy tale dinners with stories served between courses, guided fairy tale walks through the castle and castle town with storytellers reciting tales at prominent locations, fairy tale cinema featuring classic film adaptations (Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel), participatory theatre where the audience influences the fairy tale plot, drawing workshops for children to illustrate their own fairy tale characters, and puppet shows for the youngest. The castle itself is festively illuminated in the evenings, so the 'sparkle' is not just metaphorical.

Winter Stars Saxon Switzerland

The Fairy Tale Sparkle is part of the regional cultural festival “Winter Stars Saxon Switzerland”, which aims to bring life to Saxon Switzerland, often perceived primarily as a summer destination, during the winter months. Other “Winter Stars” events in January/February take place in Bad Schandau, Königstein, Sebnitz, and other locations in the region. The concept: indoor and outdoor experiences that creatively utilize the special atmosphere of the sandstone rock landscape in winter (often foggy, sometimes snowy, with crisp cold).

Castle Town and Polenz Valley

The small castle town of Hohnstein itself — with just under 3,000 inhabitants — offers its own programme points during the festival: shop windows are decorated in a fairy tale style, cafés offer fairy tale menus with evocative names ('Snow White's Apple Tart', 'Cinderella's Wild Roast'), and the Hohnstein Marionette Theatre (one of Saxony's oldest marionette theatre stages) hosts performances of traditional fairy tale plays. Hohnstein is also famous for its 'Hohnstein Marionettes' — a marionette tradition dating back to the 1920s with worldwide reputation. This cultural heritage is integrated into the Fairy Tale Sparkle.

Getting There and Accommodation

Hohnstein is located about 35 km east of Dresden. By train from Dresden Hbf (main station) take the S1 line to Bad Schandau (45 min), then a bus via Sebnitz to Hohnstein. By car, take the A17 (Dresden–Prague) motorway, exit Pirna, then follow the B172 / B172a to Hohnstein. Snow chains may be required in winter. Accommodation is available at the castle itself (youth hostel with conference rooms), in guesthouses and holiday apartments in the castle town, or in hotels in Bad Schandau (8 km away).