Definitely Ingo, but probably not for a couple of years, I wished I could go this year.
Right now I'm collecting info for a cousin who's looking to spend a traditional German Christmas holiday with his young family. He's thinking of Dresden as he has always been impressed by your city during his business travels. He's looking for a direct flight from Paris to Dresden but couldn't find any and unfortunately he doesn't like Berlin even for flying into. Do you know of any direct flight from Paris?

Thanks Ingo for answering on my behalf. I'm back!
I'm afraid Ingo is booked solid by yours truly for this December, LOL...

The Lenten cloths are on my schedule this time. No. 1 reason to visit Zittau. There was a big discussion about them a while ago on a convention I attended and I really wish to see them.
Bautzen - let's see if I manage to fit it in again. I was very impressed when I visited the old town last year in Advent (guess who was the guide) on a glorious snowy winter's day.

Note to self: read about the church in Cunewalde. That one is new to me. Thanks for the hint!

Too many places, too little time - as usual!

DAX, hope all is going well. Glad to hear about your cousin's high opinion of Dresden.

Air France has nonstop flights CDG into Leizig/Halle (LEJ). There's a direct bus express bus service from LEJ to Dresden Central Railway station (via Autobahn). These flights seem to be quite expensive, though.

Another option is Prague airport. They have several nonstop connections with Paris. EasyJet, Smart Wings are quite inexpensive, Czech Airlines and Air France of course more pricey. But Prague ...?

Your cousin doesn't have to fly into Tegel - easyJet has nonstop flights Paris-Orly to Berlin-Schönefeld. From there your cousing doesn't have to go into Berlin city, in no time they're in Dresden.

Hi quokka, welcome back!

Ingo: Thanks for those flight suggestions! It's too bad that Air Berlin stops flying Paris- Dresden as of Dec 13, the alternatives are too complicated for them who want a simple, user friendly getaway. They are beginning to consider Strassbourg for the direct access after Paris.

Makes sense, unfortunately

Oooh, glad I found this! Such good information. We are making plans for a short notice trip to Dresden for the first weekend of Advent. Will things be a bit less crowded then?

Less crowded than what? It's the first weekend the markets are open and everyone will go. Especially on Saturdays the big city markets are best avoided - anywhere. On Saturday I would definitely hop over to one of the smaller places in the surroundings, or check if there is some festival or miner's parade somewhwere - which means crowds, of course, but a special experience.

Let's wait for Ingo to return home after work...

Agree with quokka - each Advent weekend will be crowded. I think second and third are the worst. One thing you must know, however, is that most of the regular shops are closed on Sundays. A high court in Saxony decided that recently. Maybe this means that it won't be that crowded on Sundays this year as the big shoppers will go somewhere else. But Saturday? Definitely to avoid!

And quokka's advice to hit the smaller markets is spot on!

I.

So, "IngoQoukka";

Would you recommend Bautzen, Goerlitz, Meissen, or Freiberg, for the market on Saturday, the 12th?

I suppose Bautzen and Goerlitz could be done together for a LONG day?

Aramis, glad you came back to your thread. You mean either Saturday Dec 11 or Sunday Dec 12 ... umm? I guess Saturday? And will you drive or take the train?

It's a tough decision. I don't think you can do Bautzen and Görlitz justice doing them together, even on a loooong day. Of course, if you concentrate on the Christmas markets in each town then it is doable. You'd probably have time for one museum and one church or one other sight in each town.

However, I personally like the Christmas markets in the Erzgebirge mountains most. Thus I'd probably say Freiberg, which has the most influence from the mountains. And there is the 5 pm organ concert in the cathedral that day.

Tough decision, indeed. I'm glad I don't have to make it.

The market in Görlitz is likely to be most different from the markets in Dresden because it has those Silesian traditions. It is new to me, too, so I am referring to what Karasek said above.
Both Bautzen and Görlitz together would indeed make a very long and rushed day. Both towns are worth far more time. If you go to Bautzen make sure you are there in daylight to enjoy the unique townscape with the walls and towers above the steep valley.
I'd rather pick one of them and see not only the market but also a bit of the town. It is a win-win situation, you can't go wrong with either.

I stopped in Freiberg for a brief visit of the Christmas market last year but have to admit that I had expected it to be bigger and more varied. The town is a gem, though, and there are reasons why I am going again this year.

Meißen is a quick half-day hop over from Dresden. It won't fill a day (ok if you include the castle and the cathedral and the china manufacture and the town museum and a long walk of the town then maybe it will). But you could maybe fit it into another afternoon. So this is the one among the four I'd vote no.

Bookmarking for future reference.

To be honest, the market in Görlitz isn't *that* good. They reinvented the market after years of mixed results and hope to be more successful with the Silesian theme now. The best market in Upper Lusatia is definitely Bautzen.

I would choose Freiberg in the Ore mountains too. They simply do Christmas better than any other region.
BUT: a Bergparade happens at that day, in Marienberg. Marienberg is interesting too, a planned mining town with a huge market. Maybe Ingo know a bit more about the Christmas market there. The Bergparade in Marienberg looks like this:
http://www.bergbautradition-sachsen....b09/index.html

Agree with Karasek that the market in Görlitz is different, but not as good as the typical Christmas markets in the Erzgebirge (or Dresden).

I haven't been to the Bergparade (miners' parade) in Marienberg, sorry. The town is IMO not *that* exciting. If going somewhere farther away that weekend it *must* be Schwarzenberg which has the best Christmas market I've ever been to - and there's a parade that Saturday in Schwarzenberg, too.

Ingo - Please tell me a little more about the Schwarzenberg market since I will be in Annaberg for a couple of days. Maybe I can convince my travelling compnions to make a little detour. Thanks!! CJ

Sorry for the terrible sentence structure above. But I think you get the idea. CJ

CarolJean - Schwarzenberg is really not far from Annaberg - 20 km, a half hour drive. Would be a shame to miss it. Here are a few pictures from a visit in 2008:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/a658f/#TL

Please note the Christmas market in Schwarzenberg takes place 3 - 12 Dec.

Schwarzenberg's old town with castle and Baroque church is located on a hill. Down by the train station (a bit north of the old town) is usually a carving exhibit. From the northern foot of the hill a walking path leads up to the old town. You pass wooden huts with woodcarved figures depicting household scenes, craftsmen's workshops and legends from the area, then a beautiful pyramid. The Christmas market is spread all over the old town's alleys between castle and market square and beyond. The booths sell the usual Christmas items, food and glühwein etc. Watch out for the small wooden boxes where scenes from German fairy tales are depicted (the figures move).

Highlights are the Fairy Tale parade 5 Dec and the Miners' Parade 11 Dec.

Sounds good Ingo!

Ingo - Thank you so much! I will certainly try to get there. The church is amazing. Such a contrast from St. Annen (which is amazing in itself.) Thanks for the lovely pictures.

I love the woodcarved figures in Annaberg and hope to see the ones in Schwarzenberg. I will miss the parades but that's ok. CJ