Schwarzenberg Christmas Market with Grand Miners' Parade

Ten Days of Ore Mountain Christmas in the Mining Town

As the Advent wind blows across the slopes of the Western Ore Mountains, the historic old town of Schwarzenberg transforms into a scene of vibrant Christmas tradition. From the Friday before the 2nd Advent Sunday until the 3rd Advent Sunday, the Schwarzenberg Christmas Market brings mulled wine, incense cones, miner romance, and crafts to the listed streets around the market square and castle for ten days.

The 2026 Programme — December 4th to 13th

The opening takes place on December 4th, 2026. Daily from 11 am to 8 pm, the market invites visitors to enjoy stage performances, carefully selected traders in streets and alleys, medieval market activities in the castle courtyard, and numerous exhibitions spread throughout the mining town.

Two Highlights: Fairy Tale Parade and Grand Miners' Parade

On the 2nd Advent Sunday, December 8th, the famous Schwarzenberg Fairy Tale Parade will march through the old town at 2:30 pm — a colourful staging of popular fairy tale characters. The absolute highlight, however, is the Grand Schwarzenberg Miners' Parade on Saturday, December 12th, at 5:00 pm: a torchlit procession of miners in historical uniforms, carrying the centuries-old mining tradition of the Ore Mountains into the dark Advent evening. The Ore Mountains' miners' parades have been recognized as intangible cultural heritage in Germany since 2016.

World's Oldest Large Pyramid and Christmas Nativity Scene

Two unique landmarks give the Schwarzenberg market its special character: the world's oldest surviving large Christmas pyramid, a lovingly carved wooden structure, turns in the winter wind, and a Christmas nativity scene with life-sized figures tells the biblical Christmas story in the Ore Mountains style. The castle courtyard stages medieval life: blacksmiths, jugglers, and taverns welcome guests.

Schwarzenberg, the Western Ore Mountains, and the Erzgebirgskreis District

Schwarzenberg is located in southwestern Saxony, in the Erzgebirgskreis district. The former mining town boasts over seven hundred years of iron mining history — a history that is still reflected today in its Christmas traditions, wood carving, and mining culture. Visitors to the market should plan a stroll to Schwarzenberg Castle and St. George's Church.