Naunhofer Adventszauber

Small but nice — the Naunhofer Adventszauber

Naunhof, a small town with around 8,500 inhabitants east of Leipzig, has a Christmas market that gains its character from its manageable size. Instead of an anonymous big-city market, the Naunhofer Adventszauber offers a dense, almost familiar program over three days on the first Advent weekend. The combination of the market square, the Bürgersaal craft fair, and the Stadtgut courtyard turns the market into a parcours that visitors stroll through — from stall to stall, from courtyard to courtyard.

Market square with stage program

The central market square with the Naunhofer town hall forms the heart of the Adventszauber. Here you'll find stalls with grilled specialties, mulled wine, and pastries, as well as ham smokers and smoked salmon from regional production. Choirs, brass ensembles, children's groups, and school choirs perform on the market stage. The pyramid on the market square is the meeting point for the festive opening on Friday evening.

Craft fair in the Bürgersaal

A special feature of the Naunhofer Adventszauber is the craft fair in the Bürgersaal of the town hall. Here, regional artisans present their work — pottery, wood carvings, jewelry, textile art, glass art, felt art, gingerbread bakers from Central and Western Saxony. Unlike at the large Christmas markets, where industrial goods dominate, here the exhibitors are almost exclusively the artists themselves — visitors can talk to them about techniques and materials.

Campfire in the Stadtgut courtyard

In the Stadtgut courtyard — a historic four-sided farmstead that is now used for cultural purposes — a campfire burns during the Adventszauber. Children can bake stick cake over the fire, families sit on hay bales and benches, and brass ensembles play Advent songs. This courtyard is the most intimate atmosphere of the festival — those who leave the crowds on the market square behind will find a much quieter atmosphere here.

Naunhof in the Leipzig district

Naunhof is located in the Leipzig district in the state of Saxony, east of Leipzig in a region characterized by dense forests and the Parthe river. In the 19th century, the town was an important hub on the Leipzig-Dresden railway line and today, with the Naunhofer Wald (Naunhof Forest) and the Albrechtshainer See (Albrechtshain Lake), it has tourist appeal even outside the Advent season. Those traveling from Leipzig for the Adventszauber can get there in half an hour and combine their visit with a walk in the forest or a sled ride.