Teschenmarkt Hoyerswerda — Romantic Christmas Market

A Christmas Market Named After an 18th-Century Figure

The Teschenmarkt owes its name to Ursula Katharina, Princess of Teschen — a noblewoman who acquired Hoyerswerda Castle in the early 18th century, had it magnificently expanded, and elevated the town to a residential city. Today, her name lives on in the Christmas market, which translates her sense of splendor, conviviality, and representation into an Advent form. For years, the opening ceremony has been the symbolic procession of the "Princess" — a costumed figure who officially opens the market.

Three Venues in the Old Town Core

The festival grounds are compact: spread around the old town market, into the inner courtyard of the Civic Centre, and onto the area around Hoyerswerda Castle. A walk from one venue to another takes only a few minutes. The stalls offer classic Christmas market goods: Erzgebirge wood art, Lusatian pottery, Sorbian Easter eggs (even at Christmas time), Pulsnitz gingerbread, Advent decorations, honey, regional spirits. On the stage, choirs, brass bands, dance groups, and children's programs alternate.

Hoyerswerda and the Sorbian Lusatia

Hoyerswerda — with just under 32,000 inhabitants, one of the largest towns in eastern Upper Lusatia — is located in the middle of the Sorbian settlement area (the town is called "Wojerecy" in Upper Sorbian). This is also reflected in the Teschenmarkt: bilingual signage, Sorbian handicrafts at individual stalls, occasional performances by Sorbian choirs. In addition, there are typical Lusatian specialties — Plinse (pancakes), Pumpernickel, quark from regional dairies. Since the 1950s, the town has been closely linked to the lignite industry — today it is in transition to the tourist-oriented Lusatian Lake District with the nearby Senftenberger See, Bärwalder See, and Geierswalder See.