At around five in the afternoon in December, the lights come on in Sibiu’s Large Square and the whole square changes. The smell of mulled wine and chimney cake drifts between the wooden chalets, the Council Tower glows above the roofs, and you hear more Romanian carols than pop songs. This is the moment most of our guests remember, and it is why the Christmas markets in Romania have become one of the best reasons to visit the country in winter.

Romania’s markets are smaller and less crowded than those in Vienna or Prague, the prices are lower, and the setting is often a medieval square that has looked roughly the same for centuries. In this guide we cover the three markets we visit most often with our guests (Sibiu, Brașov and Bucharest), the 2026 dates announced so far, what to eat and buy, and how to see several of them in one trip.

Christmas Markets in Romania: 2026 Dates at a Glance

Most Romanian Christmas markets open between mid-November and early December and close around New Year. These are the dates announced so far for the 2026 season:

One detail many visitors miss: in recent years, the Bucharest market has closed just after Christmas (26–28 December), while Sibiu and Brașov stay open into early January. If you are travelling between Christmas and New Year, plan your Bucharest evening for the start of the trip rather than the end.

Sibiu Christmas Market: Romania’s Original

Sibiu opened Romania’s first modern Christmas market in 2007, and it is still the one most people mean when they talk about Christmas markets in Transylvania. It fills the Large Square in the heart of the Old Town, surrounded by the colourful Saxon houses with their “eyes” in the roofs.

What to expect

The 2026 edition runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, open Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 22:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 22:00. Entry is free. In 2026 the market received the “Excellent European Christmas Market” quality seal from the European Christmas Market Association, one of only twelve markets in Europe to get it.

Beyond the stalls, there is an open-air ice rink, a Ferris wheel in most editions, and Santa’s Workshop with creative activities for children (booked in advance). Card payments are accepted at the chalets, which makes things easier for international visitors.

Our advice for Sibiu

• Go twice if you can: once in daylight to see the square and the stalls properly, and once after dark, when the market is at its best.
• Weekday evenings are calmer. Weekends, and especially 1 December (Romania’s National Day), draw large crowds from all over the country.
• Combine it with the Old Town: the Small Square, the Bridge of Lies and the Evangelical Church are a few minutes’ walk from the stalls.

If you want to explore beyond the market, our Transylvania travel guide covers the towns and villages around Sibiu.

Brașov Christmas Market: Under the Black Church

Brașov’s market sits in Council Square (Piața Sfatului), with the Black Church on one side and Tâmpa Mountain rising behind the rooftops. With the mountains so close, Brașov is also the market most likely to have real snow on the ground.

What to expect

The 2026 market is scheduled from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It is smaller than Sibiu’s, and in recent editions the city has reserved most of the chalets for producers and craftspeople from Brașov and the surrounding county. That gives it a more local character: honey, cheese, jams, wooden toys, ceramics and handmade decorations rather than mass-produced souvenirs.

Our advice for Brașov

• Walk the side streets. Republicii Street and the lanes around Council Square are decorated too, and quieter than the square itself.
• See the Black Church in daylight. It is the largest Gothic church in this part of Europe, and it is worth a visit before the market gets busy. Read more in our article on the Black Church in Brașov.
• Use Brașov as a base for day trips to Bran Castle and Peleș Castle, both about an hour away.

Bucharest Christmas Market: The Biggest in Romania

Bucharest’s main Christmas market is held in Constitution Square, in front of the Palace of Parliament, and is the largest in Romania by size. The scale is impressive: a tall Christmas tree, a Ferris wheel, concerts on weekend evenings and more than a hundred wooden chalets in recent editions.

What to expect

The official 2026 dates had not been announced at the time of writing, but the market has usually opened in the last days of November and closed between 26 and 28 December. In recent seasons, Bucharest has also had several smaller markets around the city, including one in University Square.

Our advice for Bucharest

• Go in the evening, when the Palace of Parliament and the boulevards are lit up. A short drive along the main boulevards is the easiest way to see the city’s Christmas lights.
• Visit the Village Museum if you have time during the day: its traditional houses are especially atmospheric in winter.
• Remember the early closing date if you are travelling after Christmas.

You can find more ideas for the capital in our guide to Bucharest’s old city centre.

What to Eat and Buy at Romanian Christmas Markets

Food is a big part of any Christmas market in Romania. These are the things our guests ask about most:

• Vin fiert (mulled wine): red wine heated with cinnamon, cloves and orange. Many stalls also sell a white version.
• Kürtőskalács (chimney cake): a sweet dough spiral baked on a spit and rolled in sugar, walnuts or cinnamon. Especially popular in Transylvania.
• Sarmale: cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, often served with polenta and sour cream. The traditional Romanian Christmas dish.
• Cozonac: a sweet bread filled with walnuts, cocoa or Turkish delight, baked in almost every Romanian home before Christmas.
• Local cheese and smoked meats, especially in Brașov, where many stalls belong to producers from the nearby mountain villages.

For gifts, look for hand-painted ceramics, wooden toys, embroidered textiles and traditional Christmas ornaments. They are easy to pack and genuinely made in Romania.

Romanian Christmas Traditions You May See

Romanian Christmas has its own customs, and the markets are a good place to see some of them:

• Colinde (carols): groups of carollers, often in traditional costume, perform on the market stages. On Christmas Eve, children and young people go from house to house singing.
• Saint Nicholas (6 December): the night of 5 to 6 December, children leave their boots out to find small gifts in the morning.
• National Day (1 December): not a Christmas holiday, but it falls in market season and brings concerts and very large crowds.

How to Visit Several Christmas Markets in One Trip

Sibiu, Brașov and Bucharest are close enough to visit in one trip, and the route between them passes some of Romania’s best-known sights. Bucharest to Brașov is about a 3-hour drive through the Prahova Valley, past Peleș Castle in Sinaia. From Brașov, the road to Sibiu runs through the Saxon villages of Transylvania, with Sighișoara and the fortified church of Biertan along the way.

A practical order is Bucharest first (because its market closes earliest), then Brașov, then Sibiu, which has the longest season. On the way back, the Olt River Valley takes you across the Carpathians to Curtea de Argeș Monastery and back to Bucharest.

This is exactly the route of our 6-day Christmas Markets Tour of Transylvania, which combines the three markets with Peleș Castle, Bran Castle, Sighișoara, Biertan and a winter excursion to Bâlea Lake, weather permitting.

Practical Tips for Visiting Romania in December

• Dress for real cold. Temperatures are often below zero in the evening, especially in Brașov and the mountains. Waterproof boots, a warm coat, gloves and a hat are worth bringing.
• Watch the holiday closures. Many museums and castles close or shorten their hours on 25–26 December and 1 January. Peleș Castle’s interior is also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays all year. See our guide on how to visit Peleș Castle for current opening hours.
• Book hotels early. Rooms in the old centres of Sibiu and Brașov fill up quickly on December weekends.
• Mountain excursions depend on the weather. In winter, the high section of the Transfăgărășan road is closed to traffic, and the cable car to Bâlea Lake runs only when conditions allow.
• Bring a card and a little cash. Cards are widely accepted, but small amounts of Romanian lei are handy for toilets, parking and small stalls.

Is Romania Worth Visiting for Christmas?

If you like Christmas markets but not the crowds of the big Central European capitals, the answer is yes. In Romania you get the lights, the food and the music in medieval squares, at lower prices, and you can combine the markets with castles, fortified churches and snowy Carpathian landscapes in the same trip.

The simplest way to see the best of it is to plan your route around the markets’ dates and give each town at least one evening. If you would like us to organise it for you, our Christmas Markets Tour of Transylvania covers Bucharest, Brașov and Sibiu in six days, or you can contact us for a custom winter itinerary built around your own dates.

FAQ: Christmas Markets in Romania

When do the Christmas markets in Romania open in 2026? The Sibiu market opens on 13 November 2026, Cluj-Napoca on 20 November and Brașov on 27 November. Bucharest’s main market usually opens at the end of November.

What is the best Christmas market in Romania? Sibiu is the oldest and best-known, and in 2026 it received a European quality seal for Christmas markets. Brașov is smaller and more local, and Bucharest’s is the largest.

How long is the Sibiu Christmas Market open? In 2026 it runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, from 11:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 22:00 at weekends.

Is entry to the Christmas markets in Romania free? Yes. Entry to the main markets in Sibiu, Brașov and Bucharest is free. You pay only for food, drinks, shopping and attractions such as the ice rink.

Can you visit Sibiu, Brașov and Bucharest Christmas markets in one trip? Yes. The three cities are on one route through Transylvania and can be combined comfortably in five or six days, with stops at Peleș Castle, Bran Castle and Sighișoara along the way.

Is the Bucharest Christmas Market open after Christmas? In recent years, the main market in Constitution Square has closed between 26 and 28 December, earlier than Sibiu and Brașov. Check the official dates before travelling.