Bucharest Christmas Market – Constitution Square | November 20 – December 26
The Bucharest Christmas Market (better said, the Bucharest Christmas Fair) is one of the best Christmas markets in 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 Christmas Market will be taking back its pre-pandemic location in Constitution Square. As usual, the symbolic and impressive Christmas tree will be present to mark the wonderful Santa’s House attraction. The best place to be for children on a jolly Christmas evening.
This year’s edition is organized by the Capital City Hall through ARCUB, PROEDUS, and CREART bodies. The institutions partnered up and brainstormed innovative ideas to create the market’s most unique and special edition. The Christmas fair will be filled with exciting and new activities, such as an ice rink, a carousel, a panoramic wheel of almost 40m, a dedicated artistic show, themed areas all around, and, last but not least, themed Christmas games.
More details about the activities
The Christmas market will have around 70 wooden cottages all around the fair, where people can pick and buy from a variety of winter holiday presents, toys, handcrafted goods, traditional souvenirs, and traditional cuisines.
The fair has special 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, deers, and of course, Santa himself.
The ice rink will be an exciting addition, with a size of 30m by 20m and with a beautiful view of the fair’s Christmas Tree, which will also be of impressive dimensions.
Artistic Schedule
Choirs from the National Palace of Children and the Comic Opera for Children, as well as singers and vocal ensembles from places of worship and organizations that support traditional Romanian culture, will perform on the stage in front of the Palace of Parliament. Besides carols and traditional Christmas melodies, the delight of the winter holidays will be enhanced by displays of traditions and customs performed by folk groups from various parts of the nation.
The calendar of the artistic program includes the periods: 30 November–4 December, 6 December, 9 – 11 December, 16 – 18 December şi 23 – 26 December 2022
Have a look into our Romanian Christmas traditions
Visiting Schedule
The fair will be open every day between November 20 – December 26. The hour interval for weekdays is 12:00-23:00, and for weekend days, 10:00-23:00.
Access will be free of charge.
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, namely Drumul Taberei Park, between November 25 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. And at the end of the holidays, it will be replanted, 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 the largest Christmas theme park in Bucharest. 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.
Here’s a snippet of the last edition to feel the vibe of the market
Urban Christmas Market on National Arena – 20 November until 26 December
Outside of the two main Christmas Fiars, a third one will be added to the list for this year. The project is of considerable grandeur given the ample space allocated, namely the National Arena, and its complex concept. The project is organized by a chain partnership made of ARCUB, PROEDUS, the Municipality of Bucharest, and the Romanian television society and has both a cultural-artistic and sports thematics.
A family-friendly recreation area, a Christmas market, and a platform for educating the public about the World Cup will be set up in the national Arena and the area around it. In the national arena, there will be areas set aside for technology, indoor sports (such as ping pong), and a gaming area, and on the grass, youth football tournaments will be staged.
The contract states that the Bucharest Municipality will make the national Arena available, supply the required energy, sanitization, and security services, and cover utility expenses. The local budget of the Bucharest Municipality will receive all income from ARCUB, and Proedus operations will be carried out in compliance with the protocol.
ARCUB will organize a Christmas products fair (130 houses will be placed) all around the arena, provide festive lighting installations, and butadiene elements for marking access areas, select exhibitors, coordinate the artistic program performed on the stage in the main entrance area, and ensure the location of no more than 20 food trucks.
This year’s Christmas period is filled with events, exciting news and attractions to take part in, feel the winter holiday spirit and create memorable moments with your family, friends and the ones you love. Stay tuned for more information!
Other activities you can enjoy at the fares
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 really take an effort to celebrate the event and to spread the Christmasy vibe. Below is a snippet of Mega Mall from last winter, courtesy of Valahia News.
Bucharest Weather in Winter
The weather in Bucharest in December 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, make sure you check the weather before and prepare accordingly.
Source photo: Facebook Bucharest Christmas Market
