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The Best Christmas Markets in Romania

Craiova won the European Best Destinations vote, Sibiu tops the Index, and both open on 13 November and stay open over Christmas.

This season 
  

Craiova hasn't published its 2026 hours for 24 to 26 December yet, and food and drink prices are from 2025.

Plan a trip across RomaniaCompare two markets →Trains between them →
Craiova Christmas Market

Top of the Index in

Craiova6.5/10 · № 155 of 195
The short answer

If you only go to one Christmas market in Romania this year

Our pick, and the runner-up worth the detour.

Our pick beyond Craiova

Sibiu

Sibiu · 13 Nov–3 Jan · 120+ exhibitors

Sibiu scores highest in Romania, and it's one of 12 markets in Europe with the 2026 Excellent European Christmas Market seal, alongside Dresden and Vienna. More than 120 exhibitors from 36 counties fill Piața Mare under the Council Tower, with a 22-metre wheel and a rink. Prices run high for Romania, with mulled wine up to 25 lei at the Christmas Chalet in 2025, and every stall takes cards.

Timișoara is the Index's runner-up, scoring 9 for value, and its five zones from Piața Victoriei to Parcul Central stay open until 7 January.

This is the shortlist

It's ranked on atmosphere, stall quality and how well the city works as a base.

Sibiu
Best overall
Craiova
Over two million lights
Brașov
26-metre tree on the square
Timișoara
Runs to 7 January
Cluj-Napoca
Best for concerts
Bucharest
Capital, closes 27 December
Oradea
Three squares, ends 26 December
Arad
Open longest, to 10 January

Still torn? Take the market quiz and get your top three →

This season

When does every Romania Christmas market open and close?

This list is updated as official dates land

Romania · opening dates
MarketOpensClosesSizeEntrySince
Craiova
Târgul de Crăciun Craiova
Fri 13 Nov
Sun 3 Jan
MediumFree
Runs into January Closes before the New YearDates change from year to year, so check the market’s own page before you book.

Going further? Every market’s dates in one place, in the market calendar →

Browse by country

One Christmas season, country by country

Every market, ranked

All Christmas markets we visited in Romania

Craiova Christmas Market

Craiova

6.5

13 Nov – 3 Jan · Free

Atmosphere7
Food and drink7
Value6
Elbow room4
Read the guideFind hotels
Planning the trip

Christmas markets you can pair by train

Pick a day and you get that day’s real trains, the last one back and where to buy the ticket.

Bucharest Nord → Brașov
How often2h15 · about 51 trains a day
Brașov → Sibiu
How often2h48 · 6 direct a day, or 2h15–2h41 by bus
Bucharest Nord → Sibiu
How often5h30 · 2 direct a day
Bucharest Nord → Craiova
How often3h45 · 2h52 non-stop on the evening InterCity from 13 Dec
Sibiu → Craiova
How often4h54–5h07 · 1 direct a day, plus 1 on some days
Craiova → Timișoara Nord
How often6h47 · 4 a day
Timișoara Nord → Arad
How often1h29 · about 20 a day
Sibiu → Cluj-Napoca
How often4h03 · 2 direct a day
Budapest Keleti → Timișoara Nord
How often6h18 · 1 direct InterCity a day

Fastest train that day, station to station. Last back is the last train back to where you started. Check the exact train before you pay.

Trip planner

Got a few of these in mind? We’ll build the days.

Pick your dates and the markets you want. The planner checks every market is open on the day you’re there, saves the lit-up squares for after dark, times the trains between them and lists what to book, in the order it sells out.

  • Open on your dayNo turning up the day after a market has closed.
  • Real trains, timedFrom the timetable for your date, with the last one back.
  • Bookings in the right orderHotels, trains and tours, with the ones that sell out first at the top.

Your trip

About a minute. Nothing to sign up for.
Nights
Markets
Who’s going
Build my trip →

Opens the trip planner with your days already built. From there you can print the trip pack or save it as a PDF, add the trip to your calendar or share the link.

A ChristmasWanders pocket guide, a street map of every market on one side and hours, prices and transport tips on the other

A pocket guide, both sides

Free pocket guide

Every market in your city, on one sheet of paper

Tell us which city you’re going to and we’ll email you its pocket guide. It’s a real street map with every market on it, plus the opening hours, what things cost and how to get from one market to the next. Print it, fold it, and it still works when your phone dies in the cold.

Two A4 pages, made to print on both sides of one sheet. After that, a few emails a season, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

Quick picks