Erzgebirge folk art is a traditional craft from the Erzgebirge region, known especially for handcrafted wooden figures such as nutcrackers, incense smokers and candle arches.
It is particularly popular during the Christmas season – as a decoration or gift idea.
Ore Mountain Folk Art – Crafts with History
Manufacturers of Erzgebirge folk art such as candle arches, pyramids, smokers, nutcrackers and other wooden figures have Saxony Tradition. In other words, the region in Saxony is known for its Erzgebirge wood art and handicrafts.
These are a Christmas tradition along the Czech border. However, this folk art can now also be found at Easter, birthdays, and anniversaries. We visit woodcarvers in Saxony and learn more about their work and the tradition.
👉 Check out our Christmas market tips for the Ore Mountains as well.
From miners to wood art: How the tradition originated in the Ore Mountains
As early as the 16th century, miners used their free time or periods of unemployment to work the region's timber. Woodcarvers in the Ore Mountains earned a supplementary income through woodcarving.
Apart from that, there were miners who switched entirely to the production of miner figures, candle arches, Christmas mountains, miniature mines or nutcrackers.
What makes Erzgebirge folk art so special
Later, other crafts were added, such as lacemaking and glassblowing. Incidentally, there are craftspeople in the Ore Mountains who are already practicing their trade in the eighth generation.
The craft is often passed down from father to son. Folk art in the Ore Mountains has a long tradition.
We therefore set out to find woodcarvers, lacemakers, wood sculptors and craftspeople in the Ore Mountains.
This resulted in a tour that provides insight into life in the Ore Mountains and offers contact with locals. A trip that is exciting not only during Advent.
Find your accommodation in the Ore Mountains using this map
Seiffen – The heart of Erzgebirge wood art
Christmas angel
We begin our journey to the Erzgebirge folk art manufacturers in Grünhainichen. There you will find the Wendt & Kühn manufactory. Grete Wendt founded this company in 1915.
Together with "Olly" Sommer (later Wendt), she created the angel figurines that laid the foundation for the success of the wood manufactory. The angels' smiles have conquered the Christmas world ever since.
Inspired by fairy tales, Grete Wendt then designs fairy tale characters. Cinderella, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and other fairy tale heroes are part of the manufactory's repertoire. The figures now also depict modern themes.
My favorite idea is the one about the angel going on a journey. However, the angel figurines are the most popular. You can visit the manufactory's shop in Grünhainichen all year round.
Wendt & Kühn world
in Grünhainichen
Chemnitz street 40
09579 Grünhainichen
Tel. 0049 37294/86 128
The Wendt & Kühn world in Grünhainichen is open Monday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 17.00 p.m.
December 24th: 10:13 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m
December 25th: closed
December 26: closed
December 27 to 30: 10 a.m. to 17 p.m.
New Year's Eve: 10 a.m. to 13 p.m.
January 01st: closed
Wendt & Kühn figure world in Seiffen
Hauptstraße 97
09548 Seiffen
Tel. 0049 37362/87 80
The world of figures in Seiffen is open Monday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 17.00 p.m.
December 24th: 10:13 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m
December 25th: closed
December 26 to December 30: 10 a.m. to 17 p.m.
New Year's Eve: 10 a.m. to 13 p.m.
January 01st: closed
Where can you buy Erzgebirge folk art?
Regional shops & workshops on site
- Wendt & Kühne Figurine World in Seiffen
- Shop Kontrastreich in Seiffen
- To the Weihrichkarzl in Sehmatal
- Wiesenthaler Klöpplstub in Oberwiesenthal
Online shops for authentic wood art
- You can get original Seiffen folk art here* (Advertisement)
- Buy folk art from the Ore Mountains at the Ore Mountains Palace* (Advertisement)
- Discover pyramids, candle arches and Christmas decorations from the Ore Mountains* (Advertisement)
How do I recognize genuine Erzgebirge handcraft?
Genuine Erzgebirge handicrafts can be recognized by the loving details and the quality seal "Genuine Erzgebirge - Wood art with heart".
During a visit to a workshop in Seiffen, the woodcarver showed us how much patience goes into each figure. Hand-carved faces, neatly glued parts, and natural colors are clear indicators of originality.
Machine-made products often appear rougher and more uniform. Paying attention to regional origin and certifications ensures quality. Items from small family businesses appear particularly authentic – there, tradition lives on.
Once you've watched how a smoking man is made, you immediately see the difference to mass-produced goods.
If you're looking for a hotel away from the Christmas hustle and bustle in Seiffen, then you've come to the right place. Instead of being disturbed by traffic and the crowds at Christmas markets, we enjoy the view of hills and frosted trees in the morning.
Typical products of Erzgebirge wood art: candle arches, nutcrackers & Co.
Traditional wood art in the Erzgebirge when turning tires
Seiffen is known as a toy town for good reason. Many folk art manufacturers from the Ore Mountains settled here. You'll find traditional wooden crafts from the Ore Mountains on every corner.
Aside from the figurines by Wendt & Kühn, there's much more to discover in Seiffen. That's why we're spending a whole day with the craftspeople of Seiffen and the surrounding area.
What does a tire turner do?
At the Seiffen Open-Air Museum, we first visit the wood turner. At first, we can't imagine what his profession entails. We only know that he is one of the Erzgebirge folk art producers.
However, it quickly becomes clear what he does in his workshop. It is located in an 18th-century house.
This stands next to a pond at the museum. Water power powers the machines in his woodturning shop. With a twist of the belt, he controls their speed, stops them, or restarts the wheels.
Ingenious craftsmanship
Wooden hoops are stretched across metal supports, which he sands, notches, or polishes. What initially appears to be an haphazard approach proves to be ingenious craftsmanship.
After some time, he takes the wooden hoops off the machine and places them on the table in front of him. It's still unclear what they're going to become.
But then he takes a knife and begins splitting the wooden rings. "This is spruce," he explains. "It's the only wood you can easily split with a knife. Any other wood has to be sawn."
Then he cuts a whole herd of elephants out of the wooden hoop with skilled hands. One after the other. "Each of them is unique," he says. "I cut by eye. It happens that they are of different thicknesses.
Open-air museum with tire turning plant
Hauptstraße 203
09548 Seiffen
The mountain church Seiffen
Erzgebirge folk art is represented by candle arches. Hardly any motif appears more frequently in Erzgebirge candle arches than the mountain church in Seiffen.
They are now more popular as Christmas decorations than Christmas trees. At least that's the impression we get from our drives through the cities of the region.
Many of the mining towns were built on the steep slopes of the Ore Mountains. As a result, the houses are often stacked on top of each other, offering a view of festively decorated windows.
We see houses where each window has its own Schwibbogen (or even two).
This creates a Christmas atmosphere in the region's towns. Entire towns display the Seiffen Church in their windows. We also discover it in the restaurant of our hotel in the Sayda Forest.
Mountain church Seiffen
Deutschneudorfer Str. 4
09548 resort Seiffen
Visit to the woodcarver – How a real work of art is created
Because of the large crowd in front of the church, we continue on to our next destination. A few kilometers outside of Seiffen is the workshop of Markus Füchtner, one of the Erzgebirge folk art producers.
He is the eighth generation to make wooden figures. His ancestors were carpenters. As such, they worked on construction sites in the summer. In winter, however, they were unemployed.
These tools are used by a traditional carver
Instead of complaining, they turned necessity into a virtue. Carving knives and turning tools ultimately provided the family with a living. Therefore, it's no surprise that Wilhelm Füchtner—Markus Füchtner's great-great-great-grandfather—is considered the creator of the Seiffen nutcrackers.
Markus Füchtner, however, also keeps up with the times. Instead of just making nutcrackers, he also accepts commissions.
For example, a small army of decorative figures sits in his workshop, waiting to be packaged. "It's an order from Disneyland Paris that we've been receiving for several years now," our host explains.
"They serve as table decorations at the year-end celebration. After the evening, guests are allowed to take these figures home as souvenirs."
You can discover the nutcrackers and other wooden figures by Markus Füchtner in his shop in Seiffen:
Retail store High-contrast
Hauptstraße 4
09548 resort Seiffen
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Do you like to travel by motorhome?
- Do you want to rent a mobile home? Then you will find information and a selection of booking options here. Or do you prefer to travel with a roof tent on the car? In addition, the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
- Be sure to check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
- An example of a campsite is the camping and holiday park in Seiffen. However, there are others in the region. There you can, for example, relax in one after a day trip Dutch Oven on the portable grill . You can also find Dutch oven accessories .
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- Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
Typical figures of Erzgebirge folk art
Nutcrackers, smokers & Co. – classics with character
We see even more nutcrackers later at the Nutcracker Museum in Neuhausen. This museum was created from the collecting passion of Jürgen Löschner.
He was enthusiastic about Erzgebirge craftsmanship and the works of Erzgebirge folk art manufacturers.
Therefore, in 1966 he began collecting nutcrackers. Initially, he collected the grim types that mocked the local authorities and their mercenaries.
The oldest and the smallest nutcracker
The oldest Seiffen nutcracker from 1870 is among them, as are the earliest nutcrackers from Switzerland. Then there are the more modern ones, depicting the common people.
Finally, there are the exotic ones, embodying cowboys, comic book heroes, or Mexican caballeros. More than 5000 nutcrackers can now be admired in Neuhausen.
Of course, you'll also find the world's largest nutcracker (10,10 meters) in the museum. However, it's no match for hazelnuts or walnuts. It prefers cracking coconuts.
You can also find the world's smallest nutcracker in the museum. At just 4,9 millimeters tall, however, you'll have to search for nuts it can crack.
Nutcracker Museum
Str. 20-24
09544 Neuhausen
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At the Sow Sawyer of Blockhausen – Modern motifs and reinterpretations of tradition
In stark contrast to the fine woodwork of the manufacturers are the enormous wooden sculptures by carpenter Andreas Martin and his chainsaw friends from all over the world.
He too is one of the Erzgebirge folk art producers, only on a different scale. Amazing things were created in Blockhausen.
In the middle of the forest, Martin built a log cabin village where he pursues his passion—chainsaw carving. This passion has now taken him around the world, where he participates in chainsaw championships all over the world.
Do you like hiking?
- With this packing list for hikers You will definitely never forget anything on your pleasure hikes again.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes for wide feetwhere you can walk well even on rough paths
- Winter starts early in the higher elevations in the Ore Mountains. Therefore we recommend Winterstiefel to take with you on the trip.
- A large backpack is definitely practical for everything you need on the go.
Venue of the World Chainsaw Carving Championship
That gave him the idea: Blockhausen is now closed every year Pentecost Venue of the World Championship in Chainsaw Carving.
The very best from all over the world then gather at the world's longest table. What is created during the Husky Cup remains in Blockhausen.
Impressive wooden sculptures line the path from the parking lot to the log cabin village. You can also try your hand at chainsaw carving. Martin offers regular courses.
Walderlebnisdorf Blockhausen
Mordsteinweg 1
09619 village Chemnitz
After our visit we leave the region of Seiffen and continue to Annaberg-Buchholz. In the museum we get further insight into the craftsmanship of the Erzgebirge.
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A museum for handmade Christmas decorations from the Ore Mountains – The Manufactory of Dreams
Not far from the town square is the "Manufaktur der Träume" (Factory of Dreams). There, the town of Annaberg-Buchholz displays a collection of handmade Christmas decorations from the Ore Mountains.
The collection is on loan from Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher. Over decades, she collected everything from angels and miners to nutcrackers and toys, resulting in a unique presentation of folk art from the Ore Mountains.
Not only will I become a child there again. I keep hearing from visitors: "It reminds me of my doll's kitchen" or "Do you remember ...". A visit to the factory of dreams is not only nice at Christmas time. And it's guaranteed not just to please children.
Manufactory of dreams
Buchholzer St. 2
09456 Annaberg-Buchholz
The miners' manger - today's Erzgebirge folk art
During Advent, the miners' nativity scene in the mountain church of St. Mary depicts scenes from the Christmas story. Life-size figures represent local people and their professions.
This makes the presentation of the birth of Jesus very vivid. Sculptors from the Ore Mountains have been realizing this project since 2000.
The mountain church of St. Mary
Münzgasse 5
09456 Annaberg-Buchholz
With the Fichtelbergbahn from Oberwiesenthal to Neudorf
In keeping with our motto of traveling slowly, we take the Fichtelberg Railway from Oberwiesenthal to Neudorf.
This is a narrow-gauge railway, still operated with a steam locomotive. We can see its plume of steam from afar. Its hoarse whistle also reminds us to be on time.
For a good hour, it chugs, steams, and rattles us over the mountains to Neudorf. The railway has been running on this route since 1897.
However, we won't be going all the way to the final stop in Cranzahl. Instead, we'll get off in Neudorf. They'll already be waiting for us there.
Station Oberwiesenthal
Bahnhofstrasse 7
09484 Oberwiesenthal
Weihrichkarzle for smokers - Erzgebirge folk art
Right next to the Neudorf train station, a sign points to "Zum Weihrichkarzl" (To the Incense Cone). There you can buy incense cones for incense smokers.
If you like, you can watch them being made in the workshop. Or you can do what the students who are with us here are doing and try it yourself.
However, one thing you should be aware of before you start: you won't keep your hands clean. The reason for this is the main ingredient in incense cones: charcoal.
As a result, the palms of the course participants soon become coal black. Nevertheless, they are working with great enthusiasm.
That's why the first perfectly formed "incense candles" for incense smokers will soon be appearing on their countertops. Depending on the scent, these smell particularly good when lit.
To the Weihrichkarzl
Karlsbader Str. 187 / 189
09465 Sehmatal
The Soup Museum
After a quick lunch in the "Leffelstub" that I covered in our post Saxon specialties After introducing you, we'll make a quick stop at Neudorf's second attraction. Opposite the Weihrichkarzl is the Soup Museum.
There, they have collected everything related to cooking soups. Kitchens from three decades, including one from East German times, show how life in the village has changed.
People in Neudorf love eating soup so much that the town now even calls itself the "soup village".
Annual fair in Soup Country
Every year in October, the village celebrates its annual "Soup Land" fair. During this time, soups are cooked up a storm. A soup competition takes place, with participants bringing their own homemade soups. A jury of locals, visitors, and professionals then judges them.
The winning recipe is eventually added to the collection of soup recipes. In 2018, the beetroot soup won.
Visitors to the soup festival also have a lot of fun with the soup pot pulling game. It works similarly to finger wrestling in Bavaria, except that in the Saxon version, knuckles aren't used.
Here, the participants scramble for a soup pot, which they have to pull to their side. Plenty of laughter is guaranteed.
Neudorfer Soup Museum
Karlsbader Str. 164
09465 Sehmatal
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Erzgebirge folk art - bobbin lace
To conclude our tour of the craftsmen of the Ore Mountains, we visit Heike Lautner in Oberwiesenthal.
She is a lacemaker and runs the Wiesenthaler Klöppelstub, a craft shop specializing in lacemaking. Here she sells her products and offers courses in her craft.
Heike shows us how bobbin lace making works. "You loop the threads around each other," she explains. I can imagine there's more to it than that.
Bobbin lace making requires skill.
However, I can't see it because her hands work so quickly with the bobbins that it's difficult for me to follow her movements.
She skillfully and quickly twists the fine yarn between her fingers, creating beautiful lace. Her specialty is bobbin lace, which she incorporates into wooden frames and wooden figures.
"I get the wooden frames delivered," she explains. “They are particularly popular with visitors in Oberwiesenthal. They like to buy them as Souvenirs“Heike Lautner learned the trade as a child.”
"That's why I'm so quick at bobbin lace. I taught it to my mother. She can't do it that quickly."
Wiesenthal bobbin stub
Markt 10
09484 Oberwiesenthal
Experience the Ore Mountains – On the trail of folk art
Seiffen – The heart of Erzgebirge wood art
Anyone strolling through the streets of Seiffen immediately feels the magic of the Ore Mountains. Candle arches glow in the windows, and artistic figures are created in workshops – often right before the visitors' eyes.
In this small town, the craft tradition lives on just as it did a hundred years ago. Here, you can not only watch, but also participate yourself: in a woodcarving course, in the workshop, or in the toy museum.
Events & Christmas markets with tradition
During Advent, the Ore Mountains transform into a winter wonderland. Christmas markets like those in Annaberg-Buchholz or Freiberg are filled with the scent of mulled wine and incense.
Craft demonstrations, miners' parades, and concerts allow visitors to immerse themselves in the regional culture. There's hardly a more authentic way to experience Erzgebirge folk art.
Travel tips for culture travelers and connoisseurs
A road trip through the Ore Mountains is particularly worthwhile outside of peak season. Quiet villages, inns serving regional cuisine, and warm hospitality make the region the perfect destination for slow travelers.
Those seeking genuine craftsmanship and wishing to experience regional culture will find a treasure here – away from the major tourist crowds.
Conclusion: an experience of a special kind - Erzgebirge folk art
This concludes our journey through the folk art of the Ore Mountains, visiting the artisans there. We discovered many surprises and experienced a wealth of tradition.
Folk art from the Ore Mountains is certainly something special. But even more special are the people who carry on this art.
Passion is just as important as skill. But so are innovation and motivation, and we've discovered plenty of both in the Ore Mountains.
What impressed us most were the people who are carrying this heritage of Erzgebirge life into the future. We thank you for the welcome and the fascinating insights into a world we didn't know before.
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Looking for more Advent experiences? Check out this post:
Frequently asked questions about Erzgebirge folk art
What counts as Erzgebirge folk art?
Traditional Erzgebirge folk art includes handmade wooden items such as candle arches, nutcrackers, incense smokers, Christmas pyramids and angels.
These artistic figures and decorations are mostly created in small family businesses in the Ore Mountains and are known worldwide for their quality and attention to detail.
Why is Erzgebirge folk art so popular?
Folk art from the Ore Mountains represents coziness, craftsmanship, and Christmas tradition. Many people associate it with childhood memories or a special atmosphere during the Christmas season.
The combination of genuine craftsmanship, regional origin and loving details makes them unique.
Where can you buy Erzgebirge wood art?
You can buy original wooden art from the Ore Mountains directly from local artisans, at traditional Christmas markets or online.
Platforms such as the “Erzgebirge Palace” or regional manufacturer sites from Seiffen, the center of Erzgebirge wood art, are particularly well known.
Are there differences between genuine and imitation folk art?
Yes, genuine Erzgebirge folk art is always handmade and usually carries a certificate of authenticity, such as the "Echt Erzgebirge® - Holzkunst mit Herz" seal.
Counterfeit products are often made from machine-made wood and are not locally sourced. Therefore, it's worth checking the origin and any seals of approval before buying.
Which figures are typical of Erzgebirge folk art?
The most famous figures are the nutcracker, the incense smoker, and the angels in white robes. The candle arches with illuminated scenes from life in the Ore Mountains, as well as the pyramids, are also classic examples of this craft.
Travel Arrangements:
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Hotels in the Ore Mountains:
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Do you like folk art? Then take a look here:
Do you know this?
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- Saxony travel destinations
Source Folk Art: On-site research for Folk Art Seiffen. We would like to thank Erzgebirge eV for the invitation to this trip. However, our opinion remains our own.
Text Volkskunst Seiffen: Copyright Monika Fuchs and TWO
Photos Folk Art Seiffen: Copyright Monika Fuchs and TWO
Videos Folk Art Seiffen: Copyright Petar Fuchs and TWO
