Dates and opening times:Saturday, december 8th, until sunday, december 16th, 2012 daily from 11 am to 8 pm Site :Pedestrian precinct downtown around City Hall and Basilica(Schloßstraße, Fruchtmarkt, Balduinstraße, Mott, Luisenstraße)
Parking:
City-Garage on work days 6.30 am until 10 pm, on sundays 11 am until 10 pm
The attractions:
Christmas pyramid (Schloßplatz)
Fairy castle (Mia-Münster-Haus, Mott)
"Heavenly mile" with human-size sculptures from the 'Erzgebirge' and crèches made by the artist Karl Heindl
Medieval market activities to look at and to participate in for instance the spinning room or at the writers' desk, at wood turning, dyeing, weaving, wickerwork and making of candles (near the City Hall)
Huge crèches-exhibition (in the Mission House)
The charm of ´the decorated stalls in the historical part of town (pedestrian precinct around the basilica)
Childrens' paradise with:
Toboggan on real snow (Mott)
Nostalgic merry-go-round (Mott)
Oriental Market
Giant crèche made by the artist Karl Heindl (Mott)
Living crèche with donkey, goat, sheep, lamb (Mott), Forest of the dwarves (Balduinstraße)
Package offers for groups:
Our Tourist Info has very interesting arrangements for your visit of the Christmas market
Even Santa Claus is surprised by the splendor and the festive mood:
At last, Christmas time has come again: The city of pilgrimage St. Wendel is transformed into the 'Advent capital', into the center for seasonal craftsmanship and seasonal family recreation activities. For ten days St. Wendel changes with over 100 marvellously decorated wooden stalls and a multitude of extraordinary attractions into a fairy Christmas village. The nice little houses are open every day from 11 am to 8 pm and invite pre-Christmas discovery tours. This year as well, you will find some new surprises in addition to the already well-known attractions like the giant Christmas pyramid, the dwarves forest , the toboggan course or a 'living' crèche. The plane trees on the Schloßplatz will be clad in a dress of a thousand glittering lights, the desk of a public writer will supplement the medieval market by another traditional handicraft. This exciting mixture of old and new gives the market its particular atmosphere. The wide range of treasures crafted individually with glass, wood or ceramics marks the big difference between the St. Wendel Christmas market and other comparable events.
Efficient contribution of the municipal marketing
In several years of permanent work, the municipality has created a Christmas market of a remarkable character which, according to many media and many enthousiastic visitors, is one of the most worthwhile seeing in the Southwestern part of Germany. The enormous popularity of the market has motivated the team around Mayor Klaus Bouillon to continually bring forward improvements at considerable financial and personnel costs. The tradition of St. Wendel as a city of markets is herewith confirmed again.
Mayor Klaus Bouillon: " The Christmas market is not managed like a museum, but rather continually developed. Thousands of visitors come here for many days and the local trade takes advantage of this fact." Bouillon wishes to safeguard that the fans - the number of which increases steadily - are at ease in St. Wendel and he hopes that many private persons and traders follow the initiative of the municipality and decorate their houses according to the season.
On an extensive stroll through the Christmas village, 
far from shopping stress and seasonal highlife, the visitors can admire handicrafts, try out Christmas specialities and discover an endless multitude of extraordinary and individual Christmas presents. The agony of the choice however remains with the visitor. Success is guaranteed by the admission criteria. In St. Wendel, the quality comes first.
The dwarves are the stars
near the old city wall, they are only 30 cm high, but anyhow the big stars of the St. Wendel Christmas market. Busloads of visitors arrive in order to take a look at the miniature people in their fourteen little houses and many children come daily to see them working. It is difficult to stop watching this charming miniature world. Nearly 200 lively little fellows in their pointed caps move, hammer, plane, celebrate in the pub an go hunting. The "parents" of the little fellows, a group of enthousiastic hobbyists, has created this attraction, which is unique in Germany, in thousands of hours of their free time. The scene is illuminated by the magic gleam of the 12 m Christmas tree.
The Christmas pyramid, 
revolving on the Schloßplatz, is rather gigantic. As an oversized edition of the filigran pyramids from the 'Erzgebirge' so well known, it has a height of 12 meters and thus is unique in the Southwestern part of Germany. The pyramid has wonderful hand-cut wooden sculptures, magnificiently arranged show-cases and a generous light decoration and is mostly the focus of interest.
On the "heavenly walk",
life-size nut-crackers from the 'Erzgebirge' are greeting the visitor, and the crèches created by the artist Karl Heindl from St. Wendel will let the admirers forget the time. An enterprise from the 'Erzgebirge' presents handicraft Christmas decorations in the Old City Hall.
In the actions area for families 
'in der Mott' we have mostly thought of our youngest visitors. Snow, toboggan - somehow this belongs to Christmas. But where to find it, so far from the Alps ? In the childrens' winterworld with its snowcovered toboggan course, the kids can dash down the 30 meter track. If many children are radiant with happiness in all the lights during a tour on the nostalgic merry-go-round or during pony-riding, then Christmas in fact already begins. From the 4th to the 7th December, the Mia-Münster-House is transformed into a fairy castle. Fantastic fairytales are told by a real narrator who is taking away the children into a magic world.
There also is an over-life-size crèche, as well as a 'living' crèche, with donkey, sheep, goat and lamb, who present the birth of little Jesus.
The medieval market
inside the idyllic court of the Dom-Hotel is rather exciting as well for big children. Irregardless of the mad rush of modern times, the hand crafters show their art and abilities and know how to tell stories in medieval dialect. Whether in the spinning room or for turning on the turning lathe, in the dyeing shop, on the loom or for weaving or writing with a goose feather: the little hand crafters can do things themselves and manufacture their own Christmas gifts. The making of candles at the hot wax pots is a particular fun: simple, white wax rods are quickly transformed - with the support of the specialists from the candle manufacture Pazen - into multi-coloured art objects. The visitor has to accept the fact that he is travelling across the centuries.
Santa Claus
of course, is coming as well to St. Wendel: on saturday, Dec. 8. As instructed by the action association "In St. Wendel tut sich was", he will distribute small sweet gifts. And with a little luck, you will perhaps meet one of his four angels during your stroll over the Christmas market, who like to give a treat to well-behaving children.
Local trombone and wind players 
surprise the visitors with festive music in a historical surrounding.. At the end of each market day, the music of the wind players at the entrance of the basilica can be heard all over the city.
The crèches-exhibition in the Mission House
is, with over 300 exhibited objects from all over the world, one of the most complex of its kind in the area and is remarkable for its variety and its expressiveness. Karl Heindl is exhibiting his collection, which is continually supplemented, since 18 years. Many objects are brought by the Steyler missionaries from all the continents to St. Wendel. The hobby-artist has been making crèches for 30 years and with the time, he has added many individual details to his objects. Nearly all of the crèches are installed behind glass and provided with painted backgrounds. The eye-catcher is the big crèche which is 4,50 m large and 2,50 m deep. It has been developed over years and gives a fascinating panoramic view over the seasonal events around the stable at Bethlehem. The exposition is accessible to the public from November 13 , 2011 - Feb. 2nd, 2012 daily from 10 am to 12 noon and from 2 pm to 6 pm.
The Christmas gamble of the action association
foresees fantastic prices for the happy winners. Every day, a little door of the calendar opens and gives access to a present from the traders of St. Wendel. All the tickets take part in the final lottery.
Longer opening times of the City-Garage:
During the time of the Christmas market, the City-Garage is open as follows: on workdays 6.30 am - 10 pm, on sundays 11 am - 10 pm. In order to render the shopping tour more perfect, parking on the saturdays with the long opening hours is free of charge.
