Craiova Christmas Market 2026 Guide: Visiting Europe’s Hidden Holiday Gem

I am visiting Craiova’s Christmas market every year now, after deciding that it’s the best in Romania and among the best in Europe. All the praise is real, as you can see in my photos below, and the best news is that it gets even better each year.

As soon as you step in, you can feel the magic of Christmas taking over, even though it’s pretty crowded, especially during evenings and weekends. Due to its size, it still feels relatively airy and you can fully enjoy all the attractions there without having to wait in endless lines.

This year’s Christmas market in Craiova runs between November 13th, 2026 and January 3rd, 2027.

The official theme is “The Land of the Elves” (Tărâmul elfilor). Expect plenty of fantasy, magic, and elf-themed decorations at every turn, which feels a bit more interesting to me than last year, when the theme was the Nutcracker.

Below you can see the map of the area (it has last year’s themes, but the areas are the same):

As you can see, the Craiova Christmas Market will be held in the central areas of the city, as follows:

• Mihai Viteazul Square
• Doljana Area
• Frații Buzești Square
• William Shakespeare Square (National Theatre) – Santa’s Land
• Theodor Aman Street – Christmas Street Food
• English Park

Walking around the entire area will not take long – around 20 minutes if you skip the long photo breaks, rides, and food tasting stops (which you shouldn’t skip, by the way!)

Insider Tip: Be in the main square, Piața Mihai Viteazul, a bit before 6:30 PM each day. That’s when Santa Claus will fly his sleigh over the fair area, but also stop a little to share a message for everybody. Nice to see, but get there early as it gets crowded. And look up!

NOTE: If you’re here for the photos, I have plenty of them at the bottom of this article! I am leaving it last in case you want to experience the magic first hand, and only get the important info first.

Where to stay in Craiova if you visit to see the Christmas Market?

My tip: visit during the weekdays, if possible! We visited during the weekend, when hotel room prices are insanely high. Also, book well in advance or you will not find anything available.

We tried to book a room one week before our arrival and couldn’t find a ANY!

So plan ahead and book your stay as early as possible, especially for the weekends. I recommend three hotels below, all of them keeping you close to the Christmas Market area:

• Hotel 5 Continents (my favorite – we stayed there in the past and we’ll always return here – just minutes away from the Christmas market).
• Hotel Bavaria (budget option, still good although a bit farther away)
• Hotel Splendid 1900 (perfect location, old building, good choice overall)

If you get there by car and wish to avoid paying the premium fees hotels charge during the winter season, I recommend booking your stay at Carul din Stele in Beharca (a 15-minute drive from Craiova’s Christmas market area).

And if you spend more time in the city, check out my recommended things to do in Craiova.

Craiova’s Christmas Market: Prices

Except for the inflated accommodation costs, other prices are relatively decent at the Christmas market in Craiova, even though still a bit higher than your regular costs in Romania.

Here are some of the costs for various things, both in Romanian Lei and Euros:

• Ticket for the rides: 30-50 lei/6-10 Euros (the small roller coaster, the Ferris Wheel, etc)
• Santa’s Elevator: 50 lei (10 Euros) – the little ones can hear a message from Santa himself.
• Mulled Wine: starting at 10 Lei/2 Euros per glass.
• Coffee/Hot Chocolate: 10-15 lei (2-3 Euros)
• Hot tea: 10 lei (2 Euros)
• Chimney Cake – 25-35 lei (5-7 Euros)
• 1 mic (traditional Romanian sausage) – 8 lei (1.5 Euros)
• Sarmale – 10 lei (2 Euros) per 100 grams
• Beans with Pork Knuckles – 55 lei (11 Euros)
• other traditional foods: starting at around 50 lei per portion.

All in all, the prices are higher than what you would pay in any of the nearby restaurants for similar products, with the main difference being that in a restaurant, you’ll sit down in a heated place and your food will be served by a waiter.

So, unless you really want to experience the street food, definitely find a place to grab a coffee or a meal in a nearby restaurant, then continue exploring the area.

If you choose this route, take a look at my recommended restaurants in Craiova (all of them are centrally located, in the Christmas market area).

You can also grab water/soda from any of the nearby shops for half the price, or get a really good specialty coffee from one of the brick-and-mortar coffee places (also cheaper).

My Insider Tips for Visiting Craiova’s Christmas Market

Keep these in mind when preparing for your trip to visit the Craiova Christmas market:

• Arrive Early: Get there by 3 PM to find parking and enjoy the market before it gets too crowded – as you can see in my photo above. The downside is that you have to wait until it gets dark and all the lights are on, because that’s when it’s truly magical.
• Parking spots: Stay away from the main area because it will be almost impossible to find parking (and even more difficult to get out). We parked on a small, lateral street about an 8-minute walk from the Market, for free.
• Bundle Up: Temperatures can drop significantly after dark, so dress warmly and bring a hat and gloves.
• Have Cash on Hand: While most vendors accept cards, cash is faster and more widely accepted for fast or small purchases.
• Plan time for Photos: The entire area makes for stunning Instagram shots, especially with the city hall projections in the background. But it get crowded, so expect to wait a bit for that perfect shot.
• Have a few hours: We spent around 4 hours in the area, exploring, taking photos, riding a few of the attractions, and grabbing something to eat. I think that at the very least, you should spend around 1 hour there, even though you can rush through everything in as little as 20 minutes.

If you want to learn more about Christmas in Romania, read my previous article: Celebrating Christmas in Romania.

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Craiova’s Christmas Market: Photos and Final Opinions

I intentionally left this area last, as I don’t want to mess up your surprise of getting there and experiencing the beauty of Craiova’s Christmas Market.

This is currently based on our previous visit (the Beauty and the Beast theme of last year), but it helps you better prepare for what’s to come:

As mentioned before, Craiova’s Christmas market is indeed beautiful and special, but with fewer traditional products sold than I had anticipated, probably because it’s located in an area that’s already filled with restaurants, coffee shops and stores.

But the place is amazing without a doubt. Visit after dark to fully enjoy the atmosphere.

Stroll slowly through the area and take it all in. There are all sorts of small decorations (and large ones) that you can discover and enjoy.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (You can learn some Christmas Greetings in Romanian here).