Saxony has seen many popular Christmas markets during the holiday season, whether it is in big cities like Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz, or in smaller ones, like Annaberg-Buchholz (AB), Oberwiesenthal or the world’s oldest in Bautzen. All of these markets I have visited with family and written about them minus AB. The popular ones usually open for the entire holiday season and are well spread out.
There is one market that should definitely be on the list of those that should be open for the entire season and not for part of the time. It’s known by locals as the pearl of the Ore Mountains and the gateway to the Fichtel Mountain region, located only 20 km away. Its market is set in the castle on the hill and has a Medieval flair. We’re looking at the Christmas market in Schwarzenberg.
Located 10 km SE of Aue and 35 km S of Chemnitz, Schwarzenberg is located on the River Schwarzwasser, while the River Mittweida flows into that river in town. . The city on the hill was first mentioned in 1150. It was once a fortified town with a castle and church on the hill. But after the changing of hands of royalties and with that, the explosion in population, the city expanded by building houses, mills and the like beginning in the 16th century. Over the years, the city annexed several small towns along the rivers and has maintained its population of more than 15,000 residents. The historic Old Town, with its market square, houses, castle and St. George’s Church (the tallest building in Schwarzenberg) has remained intact through the years and are considered historic sites by the state and national governments. The name Schwarzenberg was coined as Black Mountain because of its black rock color by the Ottonian dynasty in the 10th century and has become the Pearl of the Ore Mountain.
Schwarzenberg was largely untouched during World War II and was one of the last relics from the Third Reich. An island surrounded by American and Soviet troops, locals created the Free Republic of Schwarzenberg on May 11, 1945, four days after Germany surrendered. It lasted for just over a month until the Soviet troops entered on June 21, and the government surrendered peacefully. Historians have long discussed the Free Republic, especially as it was first coined in 1987. The city is one of only a handful in Germany that was unaffected by military conflict, especially with regards to World War II.
Enough of the history lesson. Let’s take a look at the Christmas market.
Schwarzenberg has one of the largest Christmas markets in Saxony, as it covers much of the Old Town, including the castle, church and market square. During our visit in 2025, we found as many as 75 booths and stages throughout the Christmas market, as you can see in the map below:
First mentioned in 1534 in the history books, the market is laid out in a way that booths were found not just at the market square and the courtyard by the castle, but also along the narrow streets and alleys. I was there in 2017 and revisited the market with my family in 2025 and could tell the difference when it comes to crowds, which was noticeable. The best time to visit is in the daytime, for the nighttime can be crowded, the latter speaking from experience from my 2017 visit.
The market itself is a cross between Medieval and Ore Mountain culture. Medieval because some of the huts in and around the castle and church offer some handmade products that date back to that period, focusing on Schwarzenberg’s heritage. Some performances can also be found there. Ore Mountain because many of the products being sold at the market are handmade and typical of the region and to a certain degree, the town itself. This include Christmas Arches (Schwipbogen) made of iron or wood, wooden figures that are carefully carved to look life-like, Chess sets, Manger sets, candle holders, and one of my favorites, the Schwarzenberger Lantern, a metal lantern with a beige, paper-like lamp shade with drawings depicting either Christmas, Ore Mountain culture, the town’s heritage or even a combination of the three. It is different from the Seiffen Lanterns for these lanterns are lit in their entirety; the Seiffen Lanterns only through their carved wooden templates.
There are several places along the streets of Schwarzenberg that are worth visiting, whether they are the historic houses, the churches and castle or even a gallery of fairy tales and the history of Schwarzenberg that are depicted in paintings. However, the biggest treat is the Christmas Pyramid, located at the Lower Gate on the eastern side of the Old Town. Built in 1934, the six-meter-tall pyramid was conceived by Emil Krauss, who wanted to build a pyramid tall enough to be seen from kilometers away. The pyramid was mainly built of steel with five stories filled with figures depicting the Manger Set, starting with the Birth of Jesus at the very bottom, followed by the animals at the site of His birth, the Three Kings, the Shepards and lastly the Angels. The wings of the pyramid are 3 meters wide and when turned, the bells ring the song of Silent Night. The pyramid was stored away when the East German government took over the region in the 1950s, yet it returned to its original spot in 1996 with newly built figures that mimic the original ones that can be found in the city museum.
Food products served there are typically Ore Mountain, with venison, and wild boar meat being a popular specialty, along with potato dumplings and cabbage. They also had alternative specialties, including street food and burgers, which we tried at one of the stands by the Krauss Pyramid. The town also has its own mulled wine and other beverages, many of which are made and served by locals. This includes its signature Eierlikör (Egg nog liquour). Tasty despite the alcohol content, which is why one should decide between taking a bottle and driving sober or drinking and taking the train. Schwarzenberg has its own signature Christmas market cups, depicting paintings of the town at Christmas time, done by local artists. We didn’t buy one for the collection as I had one from my 2017 visit, which was enough.
Schwarzenberg’s market takes place during the first half of the holiday season, namely the first two Advent weekends. Yet given the large amounts of traffic passing through the town, one wonders if having the market during the entire holiday season would make the most sense. The market is visited by tens of thousands of visitors per year, putting it up there with the market at Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria in terms of layout, history and heritage. This puts a lot of strain on the parking for the town has limited parking possibilities. As popular as the market is, one could argue for extending the market and competing with other well-known markets, such as Chemnitz, Leipzig and even Schneeberg, located 25 kilometers away. Even Oberwiesenthal (15 kilometers from the town) has a market that runs during the entire season. The question is whether such an extension would make sense in terms of generating revenue, having the vendors that would help, and being in the interest of residents living in the historic old town. From my perspective, it does for it could alleviate the traffic and still attract the crowds who prefer not rushing to the markets just to see every one of them. It’s something to think about, given Schwarzenberg’s history and heritage, plus what it has to offer.
If there is a market that is definitely worth the visit while in Saxony, it’s not necessarily the ones in the big cities and places where tourism is the norm. Sometimes, it is the smaller ones that are diamonds in the rough where people should check out. Schwarzenberg is one of those places that a tourist should check out. Arguments favoring visiting the Schwarzenberg Christmas market include its traditional products one can find there, its Ore Mountain and Medieval flair and its beautiful location- on the hill looking in all directions, even towards the Czech border, which is only ten kilometers bird’s flight away. One can go skiing during the daytime and eat something at the market in Schwarzenberg, while enjoying the entertainment that people in the Ore Mountains are proud of. And even without the market, Schwarzenberg has a history that runs deep in the veins of its residents and when visiting the Old Town on the hill, one will walk back into time to see what the city looked like, from its beginning all the way to the present. If one wants to learn about history and heritage, Schwarzenberg is the place.
And for Christmas, the market is a must-see for the holiday season. Who knows, you might find something there that will be the souvenir of your visit and you can share with your loved one.
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I took many photos of Schwarzenberg’s Christmas market, which you can see in the Files’ facebook page. Click here to have a look. Also included is the album of my visit in 2017, which you can click here.
THE FLENSBURG FILES 