Schneeberg Mining Parades 2026

Erzgebirge Customs in Their Finest Form

The Schneeberg Mining Parades are among the most emotional and atmospherically dense traditional events in Saxony. They are rooted in the centuries-old mining tradition of the Erzgebirge — when the Schneeberg miners marched into town from their shafts during Advent to celebrate church services, mining music, and parades in their historical miner's uniforms. Today, the Mining Brotherhood «Schneeberger Bergparade» e. V. and the Schneeberg Mining Town Brass Band keep this tradition alive. Schneeberg is the only mining town in the Erzgebirge where this custom is celebrated with two mining processions in one weekend.

Saturday, December 5th — Festive Mining Procession

On Saturday at 5:30 PM, the first festive mining procession starts on Schneeberg's market square. The Mining Brotherhood «Schneeberger Bergparade», accompanied by the Schneeberg Mining Town Brass Band and other mining music ensembles, marches in full regalia (with black jacket, white apron, and miner's hat) through the festively decorated city center. Miner's songs like the «Steigerlied» (‘Glück auf, Glück auf, the miner is coming’), traditional mining marches, and Advent carols accompany the procession.

Sunday, December 6th — Grand Night-time Mining Parade

The highlight is the grand night-time mining parade on Sunday evening. At 4:30 PM, the procession starts in the Neustädtel district — as darkness falls, atmospherically illuminated by hundreds of torches carried by each participant. At 5:00 PM, the parade reaches the festively illuminated market square, where the procession forms up in front of the Town Hall and St. Wolfgang's Church. At 5:30 PM, the grand finale concert by all participating mining musicians follows — a jointly performed concert featuring the ‘Steigerlied’, traditional Advent songs, and festive marches. Thousands of visitors from Saxony, the Czech Republic, and all over Germany experience the spectacle.

«555 Years of Berggeschrey»

2026 is a special year for Schneeberg: The mining town celebrates its 555th city anniversary under the motto «555 Years of Berggeschrey». The Berggeschrey — the cry that announced the rich silver discoveries at Schneeberg in 1471 — marks the beginning of mining, to which Schneeberg owes its existence. The 2026 mining parades are a central element of the anniversary year.

Schneeberg During Advent

Schneeberg (approx. 14,000 inhabitants, Erzgebirgskreis district) is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region. Visitors attending the mining parades should plan for several days: The Schneeberg Christmas Market on the market square, St. Wolfgang's Church with its Cranach Altar, the «Glück Auf» Mining Museum, and the nearby mining towns of Aue, Bad Schlema, and Eibenstock form an unparalleled Advent landscape.