Bucharest Christmas Market – Constitution Square | November 30 – December 26 | Live concerts, Romanian traditions
The Bucharest Christmas Market, or Bucharest Christmas Fair, is one of the famous Christmas markets in Romania and this part of Europe. Bucharest Christmas Market is great if you are looking for unique, locally made gifts, and you can also choose from the various traditional Romanian beverages and cuisines available.
This year, the Bucharest Christmas Market is organized in Constitution Square, in front of the Palace of Parliament. As usual, the symbolic and impressive Christmas tree will be present to mark the fabulous Santa’s House attraction. The best place to be for children on a jolly Christmas evening.
The Capital City Hall is organizing this year’s edition, and the Christmas fair will be filled with exciting Christmas attractions. Romanian traditional food will be the event’s focus, but all the other winter chalets. in front of the Palace of Parliament, will offer from sweets to traditional hand-made crafted items.
Activities during Bucharest Christmas Market 2023
Bucharest Christmas Market will have around 130 wooden cottages around the fair, where people can pick and buy various winter holiday presents, toys, handcrafted goods, traditional souvenirs, and traditional cuisines.
The fair has particular areas dedicated to children enjoying interactive games and Christmas activities. The favourite place of the little visitors is the house of Santa, which promises to create a story-tale-like setting filled with elves, deer, and Santa himself.
The largest fair in Romania dedicated to the winter holidays, with a tradition of over 15 years, the Bucharest Christmas Market, registered in the international network www.christmasmarkets.com., opens on Thursday, November 30, with free entry. Organized by the Capital City Hall through CREART – the Center for Creation, Art and Tradition of the Municipality of Bucharest, in the Constitution Square, the event awaits Bucharest residents and tourists for the authentic Christmas experience until December 26, with activities and attractions dedicated to the whole family.
Bucharest Christmas Tree, festive lighting and attractions at the Christmas Market 2023
The 30-meter-tall Christmas tree covered in satin, the light decorations, beautifully decorated houses, traditional and international delicacies, story activities prepared for all visitors, carol concerts, and festive music will all create the magical atmosphere of Christmas right in the heart of the city.
On the opening night, from 18:00, in the Bucharest Christmas Market, the festive lighting will be switched on in the Capital.
Fair of craft, creation and local culinary products
The more than 130 Christmas houses will host craftsmen from all parts of the country, authentic creators and local producers, who will present their art and traditions learned over generations. Visitors will find daily inspiration for gifts and seasonal shopping, from hand-painted globes, ceramic bells, braided wreaths and other specific decorations and ornaments, to wooden icons and objects, ii and traditional costumes, toys, accessories, jewelry, ornaments and natural cosmetics. Each handmade product tells a special story.
The fair also offers traditional flavors and recipes: muffins, pies, cakes and homemade chocolate, pies, jams, and the children’s favorite sweets: gingerbread, lollipops, candies and jellies. The indispensable dishes on the Christmas table will be able to be tasted in specially arranged gastronomic areas, together with hot seasonal drinks. From Romanian delicacies to international specialties, the fair promises a culinary journey full of flavor.
Artistic program at Bucharest Christmas Market 2023
Welcoming visitors of all ages, the 16th edition of the Bucharest Christmas Fair will have two areas dedicated to music specific to the holidays. In the traditional area, the public can listen to carols and Romanian customs, choirs and children’s groups, recitals by instrumental artists, and ensembles of minorities and national communities, and the second area will be animated by DJ mixes on the international rhythms of the most famous songs of the winter season. The official opening is November 30, Romania’s National Day – December 1, Saint Nicholas, Christmas Eve and the two days of Christmas, as well as the weekends, will be celebrated with concerts by ensembles, renowned artists, beloved bands, as well as by special activities, organized together with the partners of the Bucharest Christmas Fair.
The weekend will be reserved for magic and merriment, with a selection of plays created for the little ones performed on the event stage, starting at noon. From classic stories to adventures and characters loved by them, the shows will take children to enchanted worlds full of surprises.
Activities for children at Bucharest Christmas Market
Already a tradition that the little ones recognize and love, Santa’s House reveals in detail the whole story of the international symbol of this holiday. With an area of over 100 square meters, decorated and painted by hand to accurately reproduce Santa’s magical world, it awaits them throughout the event to put their most sincere wishes in words, drawings and letters in the presence of goblins. In the first weeks, children will be welcomed with creative workshops to make their own decorations and ornaments. From Friday, December 15, Santa Claus also arrives here to meet them daily, listen to them and tell them, in turn, about all the miracles of Christmas. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Santa Claus will take his sleigh and leave to distribute gifts, under the Christmas tree, to children all over the world.
The Carousel in Constitution Square will also become an unforgettable attraction, bringing smiles and fun. The winter characters, the sound of cheerful songs and the smooth movement will carry the little ones into a fairy tale universe.
Attractions for the whole family
The Ferris wheel will give visitors a unique perspective on the event and the city, as they can admire the holiday lights, festively decorated houses and the spectacular Christmas Tree, decorated with golden stars, garlands and thousands of globes, from above.
Positioned right in the center of the Christmas Market, the themed train will also play a captivating sight in within a story journey.
The mascots and entertainers on stilts, dressed in fascinating costumes, will interact and take photos with the audience, bringing everyone the special joy of the holiday.
Please have a look at our Romanian Christmas traditions
Visiting Schedule
The Bucharest Christmas market will be open daily, from Monday to Friday, between 12:00 and 22:00, and on Saturday and Sunday, between 10:00 and 22:00. On Romania’s National Day – December 1, the public is expected to start at 10:00 a.m., and on Christmas Day, the schedule is as follows: on December 25, from noon, and on December 26, starting at 10:00.
Access will be free of charge.
Other Christmas Markets in Bucharest
West Side Christmas Market in Drumul Taberei Park | November 25 – December 27
West Side Christmas Market is returning for its second edition this winter, and it will take place in the same park, Drumul Taberei Park, between November 29 and December 27. The natural Christmas tree, 8 meters high, adorned with snowflakes, stars, and LEDs with festive motifs, will be placed in pots in the middle of the fair.
It will be replanted at the end of the holidays, along with the other Christmas trees that will decorate the storyboard.
UNTOLD Universe organizes the market in partnership with the Town Hall of Sector 6 and alongside PS6. The organizers aim for this year’s edition to transform the space into Bucharest’s largest Christmas theme park. They have prepared special Christmas workshops for kids and adults for the first time, with various magical activities and light shows all around the Christmas Market space.
The complete schedule and details about the activities included will be revealed in the upcoming period, but one thing to know is that access will be free.
Laminor Winter Wonderland
From November 30, for more than a month, Laminor Winter Wonderland or Laminor Wonderland, the largest indoor and outdoor fair in Romania, will be open to all Bucharest residents and international tourists who want to spend their time in a fairytale place.
The fair will be held on the premises of the historical Laminor Hall, located on Bulevardul Besarabia no. 256. Access to the fair is free.
The list of attractions for children and adults includes different dedicated areas where children and adults can feel the atmosphere of the winter holidays: a carousel, party bus, creative workshops on various themes (decorations, Virtual Reality), theatre performances for children and teenagers.
Attractions you can enjoy at the fares during Christmas Markets in Bucharest
Traditional Romanian food
The Bucharest Christmas Market brings along farmers, traders, and villagers from all corners of the country to share their traditional products with pride and joy. One can find everything from gorgeous handicrafts, sweet gingerbread, hot mulled wine, and glittery Christmas decorations to all sorts of baked goods, regional pies, cured meats, and other traditional Romanian food. Expect a wide variety and products for everyone. Also, you can find food to eat on the spot, but also food to eat at home – salami, sponge cake, sweets – including a wide variety of candy and candy canes -, jams, cheese, and many more.
The „West Side Christmas Market” landscape will include mulled wine, gingerbread, cakes, pies, and other delicious traditional dishes, which you will find steaming at the ten food trucks.
A perfect time for a good deed
Those visiting the Bucharest Christmas Market can donate books and toys for underprivileged children at a donation point close to Santa Claus’s House entrance. The humanitarian campaign is organized annually to encourage visitors to donate books and toys, calling for solidarity and social involvement. Most charities accept online donations, so if you cannot make it to one of these events, you can pick a project or more to support.
Christmas Shopping
The winter holiday season doesn’t just come with symbolic and traditional celebrations but also with boosting the feeling of love and the joy of giving this love to our dear ones in various forms. Most of the time, this takes shape through Christmas present-shopping sessions, and our Bucharest shopping malls make an effort to celebrate the event and spread the Christmas vibe. Below is a snippet of Mega Mall from last winter, courtesy of Valahia News.
Bucharest Weather in Winter
The weather in Bucharest in winter is usually sunny with a chance (or more) of snow. The temperatures often have a minus (-) in front of them, so bring warm clothes. You’ll need boots, a hat, and mittens for your trip to Bucharest starting in November, especially if you want to spend some time outdoors. At least that was the usual before the global warming changes; as such, check the weather before and prepare accordingly.
Source photo: Facebook Bucharest Christmas Market
