image
1

Dresden's centre is getting a makeover , Source: Michael Paraskevas on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Iconic Christmas market square in Dresden to close for two years of renovation

Iconic Christmas market square in Dresden to close for two years of renovation

Considered to be the oldest of its kind, it was cancelled in 2020 and in 2021

The German city of Dresden announced that on Monday, 25 April, they will close down the city’s central square, the Altmarkt, until 2023. According to a statement by the city, the idea behind the redevelopment is to make the square more accessible and to introduce climate adaptation measures.

The redevelopment will cost authorities around 11.1 million euros and will be done in two phases, one in 2022 and one in 2023.

The Altmarkt is home to Striezelmarkt, or what many consider to be the first Christmas market in the world as it was established as far back as 1434. Striezelmarkt is also one of the biggest seasonal markets of its kind and it attracts around 3 million visitors every year.

The news for the redevelopment, though, may sound somewhat disheartening for some as the last two editions of the Striezelmarkt, in 2020 and 2021, were cancelled due to COVID-19. However, local authorities have decided to briefly re-open the square after the first phase of redevelopment, at the start of December. After that, construction in phase 2 will start in mid-January.

At the same time, the city says that all shops and restaurants will be accessible during renovations. This includes outside dining and, in some cases, deliveries.

Accessibility and climate adaptation

A cornerstone of the renovation plan is to expand the supply and disposal lines on the square, including water, waste and fibre optic capacities. At the same time, according to the city, the current cobblestone pavement makes the square very inaccessible to people with disabilities, particularly, those in wheelchairs. Thus, they have planned to repave the Altmarkt with smooth cut granite stone.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Altmarkt in the summer is that it is relatively open to the sun and lacks a sufficient layer of greenery, making it the perfect heat island. The city plans to change that by planting 20 trumpet trees.

Newsletter

Back

Growing City

All

Smart City

All

Green City

All

Social City

All

New European Bauhaus

All

Interviews

All

ECP 2021 Winner TheMayorEU

Latest