Europe’s best Christmas market opens its gates today, as Craiova in south-west Romania begins a 52-day festive season that runs from Friday 13 November 2026 until 3 January 2027.

The Craiova Christmas Market was voted the best Christmas market in Europe in the European Best Destinations ranking for 2026, ahead of Zurich, Riga, Lisbon and Debrecen. The city’s official tourism guide says the market opens on Friday 13 November, according to data published by Craiova City Hall, and will stay open for 52 days.

Craiova, a city in the historical region of Oltenia, has built its festive reputation quickly. It was voted the second most beautiful Christmas market in Europe in 2023, and this year it has gone one better, taking first place in a traveller vote that drew 803,258 participants from 179 countries. The Scottish Sun reported that Craiova received more than 142,000 votes in the ranking.

Land of Elves theme

This year’s edition is named “Land of Elves”, continuing a series of winter stories that has included The Snow Queen, Beauty and the Beast and, last year, The Nutcracker. Mayor Lia Olguța Vasilescu announced the official theme, and the City Hall team has been working on the concept since 2025.

Each edition brings a new theme, designed by local artists and scenography teams, so no two years look the same. The 2026 edition brings a newly designed Christmas tree to Mihai Viteazul Square, a train running around it, more cottages and a larger area than in 2025.

Five squares of lights

What sets Craiova apart is its scale. The market spreads across about 280,000 square metres in five main squares and all of the city centre’s central alleys, making it the largest Christmas market in Europe by area, according to its organisers.

Mihai Viteazul Square is the centre of gravity, with the giant main tree, the ice rink, the main stage for concerts and the densest cluster of cottages. Frații Buzești Square offers a more intimate atmosphere with areas for children, while William Shakespeare Square, by the National Theatre, hosts the 40-metre Ferris wheel, the largest in Romania. Casa Băniei provides a historic backdrop for themed decorations, and the Doljana area completes the market with more cottages and attractions.

The market is lit by millions of lights, with light projections on historic buildings and a canopy of lights over the main square. Entry to the market is free, with visitors paying only for rides and attractions.

What visitors will find

More than 90 cottages, hand-painted by local artists and themed to the edition’s concept, sell traditional Romanian dishes such as cozonac, gingerbread, sarmale and Oltenian tochituri, alongside international food, mulled wine, hot cider and hot chocolate. No two cottages are decorated alike.

Attractions include the artificial ice rink in Mihai Viteazul Square, the 40-metre Ferris wheel, and Santa’s flying sleigh, described as the tallest of its kind in Eastern Europe. Concerts take place every weekend, with carol shows at the tree stage, creative workshops for children and parades of fairytale characters.

Organisers say each edition draws more than two million visitors, from Romania and neighbouring countries including Bulgaria and Serbia, as well as from Italy, Greece, Britain, Poland, the United States and Australia. Demand for accommodation is already high, with weekend days during the market heavily booked, according to the city’s tourism guide.

For travellers from Britain, Wizz Air flies directly to Craiova from London Luton, with the flight taking about three hours. The market’s rise has put a city once little known outside Romania firmly on Europe’s winter travel map, ahead of far more established festive destinations such as Vienna, Strasbourg and Prague.

Sources: Craiova Travel and The Scottish Sun