Dresden - Augustus the Strong would be delighted: the Augustusmarkt, Dresden's youngest and most international Christmas market, opens its doors on November 27 - and will have a royal companion. In addition to the famous Golden Horseman, visitors will now also be welcomed by a Golden Horseman. This year, 23-year-old Lilly Baumann from Dresden is taking on the role.
Lilly, a passionate horsewoman from Nickern, combines her love of horses with her profession as a police officer. After gaining her first riding experience in the Lüneburg Heath and on farms in Saxony, she now combines her horse and her profession through a riding partnership in Möhrsdorf near Kamenz. For the Augustusmarkt, she will be riding the golden gelding Apollo, who has been specially trained for this special event.
The grand opening of the Augustusmarkt will take place on November 27 at 5 p.m., directly after the opening of the Striezelmarkt. From the Neustadt side of the Elbe, Saxony's longest Christmas boulevard invites you to marvel and stroll until January 5, 2025. With almost 100 traders, restaurateurs and showmen, the Augustusmarkt attracts visitors from near and far - be it with international specialties, cosy Christmas parlours or new attractions such as a nostalgic chain plane.
In addition to the daily opening hours, which make the market an experience until late in the evening, New Year's Eve with music and fireworks is a highlight. The Augustusmarkt thus presents itself as a modern counterpart to the traditional Striezelmarkt and offers Neustadt a Christmas flagship.
The organizers Matteo Böhme and Holger Zastrow are confident about the new season. After the pandemic-related break, the Augustusmarkt has not only reached the pre-corona level, but also surpassed it with new international offerings from countries such as the Philippines, Georgia, Ukraine and India.
The Augustusmarkt was launched in 2012 and has since established itself as a unique Christmas market. With its 500-metre-long Christmas avenue of white and gold pagodas, the famous Blue Tree and numerous attractions, it is a magnet for Dresdeners and tourists alike. While Augustus the Strong once shaped the splendor of Dresden, the Augustus Market continues this tradition with modern elegance - now also with a living Golden Horseman.
