# Christmas in Romania: where to go, cities and regions to visit in December

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Guides](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides)

Published on 4 November 2026 · Facts checked on 4 November 2026

For Christmas in Romania you go, depending on what you are after, to **three kinds of places**: the cities with a Christmas market (Sibiu, Craiova, Bucharest, Târgu Mureș, Oradea, Brașov), the mountain resorts, with ski slopes and cable cars, and the villages and open-air museums of Maramureș, Mărginimea Sibiului and Bukovina. December has only one practical drawback: opening hours get shorter, and several attractions close on 25 December or on 1 January.

This guide tells you what to do in each region and what is open in winter, based on the attraction pages and the official websites, checked on 4 November 2026. The markets, city by city and with their dates, are in the [guide to Christmas markets in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targuri-de-craciun-romania#lista-2026). Accommodation and recipes are not covered here.

## In short

- For the Christmas atmosphere, go to a city with a market: Sibiu holds its market in the Grand Square from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and Craiova from 13 November to 3 January 2027.
- For skiing and snow, go to the mountains; when the slopes open depends on the cold, and on 4 November 2026 the only date announced was 28 November, at Arena Platoș in Păltiniș.
- In winter, Maramureș has the Vaser Valley Forest Railway (Thursday–Sunday in November and December), the Village Museum in Sighetu Marmației (daily 08:00–16:00) and the UNESCO-listed wooden churches.
- In Mărginimea Sibiului, the Glass Icon Museum in Sibiel is open every day of the year, holidays included; the fortified churches of Transylvania have shorter hours in winter.
- On 25 December the places that close include the National Village Museum in Bucharest (25–26 December), the Sighet Memorial (also at New Year), the Zărnești Bear Sanctuary and the Țării Crișurilor Museum in Oradea.
- Turda Salt Mine is open daily, all year round; Praid Salt Mine has been closed since May 2025, after a flood.

## Where to go for Christmas in Romania: by region

The choice depends on what you want from the holiday, not on the city. The table puts the regions side by side; each one has a section below on what you will find and what hours it keeps in winter.

| Region | Who it suits | What to do | Attractions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Market cities | short weekend, with children | market, historic centre, museums | Grand Square (Sibiu), Mihai Viteazul Square (Craiova), Constitution Square (Bucharest) |
| Mountains | skiing, snow, cable cars | slopes, walks in the snow | Poiana Brașov, Sinaia, Predeal |
| Maramureș | villages, wood, trains | forest railway, village museum, wooden churches | Vaser Valley Forest Railway, Maramureș Village Museum |
| Mărginimea Sibiului and Saxon Transylvania | villages with museums, fortresses | icons on glass, fortified churches | Sibiel, ASTRA, Hărman |
| Bukovina | painted monasteries | frescoes, village museum | Voroneț, Putna, Sucevița |
| Salt mines and spas | a rainy or freezing winter | go down into a salt mine, thermal pools | Turda Salt Mine, Băile Felix |

*From the attraction pages on the site, checked on 4 November 2026. Winter hours change. The links to the attractions are in the sections below.*

- [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/grand-square) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min · Top 100
  The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower.
- [Poiana Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poiana-brasov) — Ski slopes · Brașov, BV · Free · 5½ – 6 hours
  Romania's best-known ski resort, above 1,000 m beneath Postăvaru: 12 slopes, among them Bradul, Lupului and Drumul Roșu, cable cars almost to the summit and summer trails.
- [Vaser Valley Forest Railway (Mocănița)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vaser-valley-forest-railway) — Monuments and historic sites · Vișeu de Sus, MM · 136 lei · 5½ – 6 hours · Top 100
  The last working forest railway in the Carpathians: a steam-hauled train climbs 21.6 km up the Vaser valley, through the Maramureș Mountains Nature Park, to Paltin station.

## Cities to visit in December: those with a Christmas market

The market cities are the simplest option: you get there by train or by car, and the market and the historic centre are within walking distance. The 2026 dates have been announced by the organisers:

- **Sibiu**: [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mare-sibiu), **13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027** (targuldecraciun.ro). The [Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-sfatului-sibiu) has been closed for restoration since January 2026, for about two years.
- **Craiova**: [Mihai Viteazul Square (Piața Mihai Viteazul)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mihai-viteazul-craiova), **13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027**.
- **Bucharest**: [Constitution Square (Piața Constituției)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-constitutiei), with the opening announced by the City Hall for **27 November 2026**, for one month.
- **Târgu Mureș**: [Piața Trandafirilor (Roses Square)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-trandafirilor-targu-mures), **27 November – 27 December 2026**, daily 11:00–21:00.
- **Oradea**: [Piața Unirii (Union Square)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-unirii-oradea); the 2026 dates had not been announced on 4 November, and the usual pattern is from the end of November to 26 December.
- **Brașov**: [Council Square (Piața Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-sfatului-brasov), usually from the end of November until after New Year.

For Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași and the other cities, the dates and what you will find at the market are in the [list of markets](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targuri-de-craciun-romania#lista-2026). City by city: [Craiova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targul-de-craciun-craiova), [Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targul-de-craciun-sibiu), [Bucharest](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/targuri-de-craciun-bucuresti).

A market city also has attractions worth visiting in winter. Near Brașov, [Bran Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bran) is open all year round: between 2 November and 31 March the last entry is at 18:00 (on Mondays from 12:00, otherwise from 9:00). In Sighișoara, the [citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-sighisoara) is always open, but the museum in the Clock Tower keeps shorter hours outside the summer.

- [Mihai Viteazul Square (Piața Mihai Viteazul)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mihai-viteazul-square) — Monuments and historic sites · Craiova, DJ · Free · 30 min
  The central square of Craiova, pedestrianised, with the equestrian statue of Michael the Brave and a fountain, between the Administrative Palace of the Prefecture and the former Palace Hotel; in winter, the main site of the Christmas market.
- [Bran Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bran-castle) — Castles and palaces · Bran, BV · 120 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 20
  A medieval fortress built by the people of Brașov on a rock in the Bran Pass, later Queen Marie's summer residence and known around the world as “Dracula's Castle”.
- [Sighișoara Citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sighisoara-citadel) — Fortresses and fortifications · Sighișoara, MS · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20
  A Saxon-built, still-inhabited medieval walled town on a hill above the Târnava Mare, with guild towers and the famous Clock Tower; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

## Christmas in the mountains: resorts, slopes and cable cars

In the mountains you choose between the large resorts of the Prahova Valley and around Brașov: [Poiana Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poiana-brasov), [Sinaia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sinaia), [Predeal](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/predeal) and [Bușteni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/busteni). Snow is not guaranteed at Christmas. In the 2025–2026 season, [Poiana Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poiana-brasov) opened its slopes only on 2 January 2026, [Straja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/straja) on 20 December 2025, and [Arena Platoș in Păltiniș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/paltinis) on 29 November 2025. For the 2026–2027 season, Arena Platoș has announced its opening for **28 November 2026**.

If you do not ski, the cable cars are still an option. In [Sinaia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sinaia), the cable car up to Cota 1400 runs daily 9:00–17:00 (on Wednesdays from 11:00), and the Carp Gondola goes up to Cota 2000, 9:30–16:30; these hours apply from October 2026, depend on the weather, and wind stops the lifts. In [Predeal](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/predeal), the Clăbucet chairlift runs on Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00–15:30.

The calendar of openings is in the [guide to when the ski slopes open](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/cand-se-deschid-partiile), and the list of resorts by region in the [guide to ski slopes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/partii-de-schi-romania).

- [Sinaia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sinaia) — Ski slopes · Sinaia, PH · Free · 4½ – 5 hours
  A mountain resort at the foot of the Bucegi, at about 800 m: a park, a casino from 1912, a cable car to Cota 1400 and a gondola to Cota 2000, ski runs in winter and trails in summer.
- [Predeal](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/predeal) — Ski slopes · Predeal, BV · Free · 3½ – 4 hours
  Romania's highest town, at 1,030–1,110 m: in winter the Clăbucet, Cocoșului and Subteleferic ski runs, and hiking and a summer toboggan the rest of the year.
- [Straja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/straja) — Ski slopes · Lupeni, HD · Free · 4½ – 5 hours
  A mountain resort at 1,445 m in the Vâlcan Mountains, above Lupeni: floodlit slopes, the 8.1 km Straja slope, a gondola from the town and summer trails to Mutu and Straja.

## Christmas in Maramureș: train, village museum, wooden churches

In winter Maramureș can be visited without the summer crowds, but with short days. Three places are open in December:

- The [Vaser Valley Forest Railway (Mocănița)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mocanita-valea-vaserului), from Vișeu de Sus, runs in 2026 **Thursday–Sunday** in November and December. A standard ticket costs 136 lei, the trip takes 5.5–6 hours, and at Christmas the timetable and fares are different, according to the operator.
- The [Maramureș Village Museum “Mihai Dăncuș”](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-satului-maramuresean) in Sighetu Marmației is open between 1 October and 14 April **daily 08:00–16:00**, last entry at 15:30; a ticket is 20 lei.
- The [Merry Cemetery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cimitirul-vesel) in Săpânța is open all year, but in winter it effectively closes with the daylight.

The UNESCO-listed wooden churches, [Ieud Hill Wooden Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-ieud-deal), [Budești Josani Wooden Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-budesti-josani) and the [Wooden Church of Poienile Izei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-poienile-izei), have no fixed hours: at the first two you call ahead, and the interior at Poienile Izei has no electricity and can only be seen by daylight, so in winter you arrive around midday. [Bârsana Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-barsana) can be visited during the day, without disturbing the services.

In Sighetu Marmației, the [Sighet Memorial](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/memorialul-sighet) is open in winter (15 October – 14 April) Tuesday–Sunday 09:30–16:30 and is closed at Christmas and at New Year.

- [Maramureș Village Museum “Mihai Dăncuș”](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/maramures-village-museum-mihai-dancus) — Museums and memorial houses · Sighetu Marmației, MM · 20 lei · 1 – 1½ hours
  A wooden Maramureș village on Dobăieș Hill: over 30 homesteads from across historical Maramureș, the wooden church from Oncești, and Ukrainian, Hungarian and Jewish houses.
- [Merry Cemetery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/merry-cemetery) — Monuments and historic sites · Săpânța, MM · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · Top 20
  The cemetery in Săpânța with over 800 oak crosses painted blue, showing naive scenes from the lives of those buried there and witty epitaphs in verse; begun in 1935 by the craftsman Stan Ioan Pătraș.
- [Sighet Memorial](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sighet-memorial) — Museums and memorial houses · Sighetu Marmației, MM · 25 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 100
  The former Sighet prison, where the political elite of interwar Romania died, turned by Ana Blandiana and Romulus Rusan into the first museum of communism in Eastern Europe; over 50 cells made into exhibition rooms.

## Christmas in Mărginimea Sibiului and Saxon Transylvania

In Mărginimea Sibiului, the [“Priest Zosim Oancea” Glass Icon Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-icoane-pe-sticla-sibiel) in Sibiel is open **every day of the year, holidays included**: November–March, 9:00–13:30 and 14:00–17:00; a ticket is 15 lei. The village is about 20 km from Sibiu and is easy to combine with a day in the city, at the market.

In Sibiu, the [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra), the open-air museum in the Dumbrava forest, is open all year, with shorter hours in winter; according to the official website, outside the season (October–April) the hours are 09:00–17:00. The attraction page gives 08:00–17:00 for the 2025–2026 winter, so check before you set off.

The fortified churches keep shorter winter hours:

- [Prejmer](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-prejmer): Monday–Saturday 09:00–16:00, Sunday 11:00–16:00 (1 November – 31 March).
- [Hărman](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-harman): daily 10:00–16:00.
- [Viscri](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-viscri): daily 10:00–16:00 from 26 October; since 14 September 2026 the inside of the church has been closed for restoration, probably until 2027.
- [Biertan](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-biertan): Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–15:00, but some sources say the church is closed in winter, so call the parish.
- [Cisnădioara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadioara) does not publish its off-season hours; call ahead.

- [“Priest Zosim Oancea” Glass Icon Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/priest-zosim-oancea-glass-icon-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiel, SB · 15 lei · ½ – 1 hours
  A museum in the village of Sibiel, beside the Holy Trinity church, with about 600 glass icons from Nicula, Făgăraș, Șchei, the Sebeș Valley and Mărginimea Sibiului, gathered from 1969 by Father Zosim Oancea.
- [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/astra-museum-of-traditional-folk-civilisation) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20
  Romania's largest open-air museum, in the Dumbrava forest outside Sibiu: over 300 houses, mills, workshops and wooden churches brought from across the country, along ~10 km of paths.
- [Viscri Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/viscri-fortified-church) — Churches · Viscri, BV · 20 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100
  A small white church on the hill above the village, grown from a 12th-century Romanesque chapel and ringed by walls, towers and grain galleries, in a Saxon village that has survived almost intact.

## Christmas in Bukovina: the painted monasteries in winter

The monasteries of Bukovina can be visited all year round, and in winter they are quieter. [Putna Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-putna) can be visited daily between 6:00 and 20:00, and its museum between 9:00 and 19:00. At [Sucevița Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-sucevita), winter visiting is between 09:30 and 17:00. [Voroneț Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-voronet) is open daily but does not publish its hours; call ahead. For [Moldovița Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-moldovita), [Humor Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-humor) and [Arbore Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-arbore) there are no published hours, and the Humor page recommends asking locally, especially in winter.

In Suceava, the [Bukovina Village Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-satului-bucovinean) is open between 1 October and 31 March Tuesday–Sunday, 9:00–16:00, last entry at 15:30. The outer frescoes are seen by daylight, so plan the visit between midday and early afternoon. Some monasteries hold services during which the interior cannot be visited.

- [Putna Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/putna-monastery) — Monasteries · Putna, SV · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100
  Stephen the Great's foundation of 1466–1469, the site of his tomb, with the Treasury Tower of 1481 and a museum holding one of the richest collections of medieval embroidery.
- [Voroneț Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/voronet-monastery) — Monasteries · Voroneț, SV · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20
  The church founded by Stephen the Great in 1488, painted on the outside with the Last Judgment on a background of "Voroneț blue"; a UNESCO site near Gura Humorului.
- [Bukovina Village Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bukovina-village-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Suceava, SV · 16 lei · 1 – 1½ hours
  An open-air ethnographic museum on the plateau next to the Suceava Princely Fortress: farmsteads, workshops and installations from Bukovina villages, a wooden church from 1783, an inn and a school, all gathered into one village.

## Christmas traditions: where to see them, open-air museums

Winter customs belong to the village and the family and have no visiting hours. What you can see at any time are the places that bring together the house, the icon and traditional dress: the open-air museums, from [Sighetu Marmației](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-satului-maramuresean) and [Suceava](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-satului-bucovinean) to [Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra) and [Bucharest](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-national-al-satului-dimitrie-gusti), plus the icons on glass at [Sibiel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-icoane-pe-sticla-sibiel).

At the National Village Museum in Bucharest, the winter hours are daily 9:00–17:00, the houses are open only Wednesday–Sunday, and the museum is closed on 25–26 December and on 1–2 January. In January 2026 the houses were closed for conservation work; for the 2026–2027 winter, check the museum's website. Do not look here for the dates of carol singing in the villages: neither the attraction pages nor the official websites publish them.

- [Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/dimitrie-gusti-national-village-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · București · 40 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 100
  An open-air ethnographic museum on the shore of Lake Herăstrău, in the middle of Bucharest: farmsteads, wooden churches, mills and workshops brought from all over the country and rebuilt here since 1936.

## Salt mines and thermal baths in winter

A salt mine does not depend on the weather: underground the temperature is the same all year. [Turda Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-turda) is open daily, all year round, with the last entry at 16:20; the temperature is 12 °C. [Slănic Prahova Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-slanic-prahova) announces its monthly hours on the Salrom website; outside the school holidays it is open Wednesday–Sunday, and it is closed on some public holidays (1 January, Christmas). [Praid Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-praid) has been closed since May 2025, after a flood, with no reopening date.

At [Băile Felix](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-felix), the Apollo-Felix complex is open daily 8:00–20:00, all year, but from 21 December the wave pool and the water slides close until the next season. [Therme București](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/therme-bucuresti) is open daily, all year, with different hours at Christmas and New Year, announced on its website.

The full list of salt mines, with the status of each, is in the [guide to salt mines in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/saline-din-romania#saline-deschise-acum).

- [Turda Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turda-salt-mine) — Salt mines · Turda, CJ · 75 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 20
  A salt mine worked from the Middle Ages until 1932 and turned into a spectacular underground park: a Ferris wheel, a lake with rowing boats, an amphitheatre and salt walls 120 m below ground, near Cluj.
- [Slănic Prahova Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/slanic-prahova-salt-mine) — Salt mines · Slănic, PH · 60 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 100
  The Unirea mine, dug between 1938 and 1970, is a string of 14 salt halls over 50 m high, 208 m underground, which you reach by minibus; 100 km from Bucharest.
- [Băile Felix](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-felix) — Resorts and thermal baths · Băile Felix, BH · Free · 4½ – 5 hours · Top 100
  Romania's largest year-round spa resort, 8 km from Oradea: thermal springs of up to 49 °C, open-air baths that run all winter and a reserve of water lilies and thermal lotuses.

## What is closed at Christmas and how to travel in winter

December opening hours differ from the summer ones, and on 25 December and 1 January several attractions close:

- [Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-national-al-satului-dimitrie-gusti): closed 25–26 December and 1–2 January.
- [Sighet Memorial](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/memorialul-sighet): closed at Christmas and at New Year.
- [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sanctuarul-de-ursi-zarnesti): closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and on Mondays; guided tours only.
- [Țării Crișurilor Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-tarii-crisurilor), Oradea: closed on the first and second days of Christmas and on 1–2 January.
- [Slănic Prahova Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-slanic-prahova): closed on some public holidays, among them 1 January and Christmas.

For [Women's Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-muierilor), the official website says nothing about holidays: call the town hall.

Mountain roads close in winter. The ridge section of the Transalpina between Rânca and Obârșia Lotrului closes in winter (in 2025, from 20 October), and the county road to the [Vulcan Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasul-valcan) closes to traffic from mid-November. Details in the [guide to when the ski slopes open](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/cand-se-deschid-partiile).

- [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/zarnesti-bear-sanctuary) — Zoos and aquariums · Zărnești, BV · 95 lei · 1 – 1¼ hours
  The Libearty Bear Sanctuary, on 69 hectares of forest near Zărnești: home to more than 120 brown bears rescued from captivity, visited only on guided tours. It is not a zoo.
- [Țării Crișurilor Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/tarii-crisurilor-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Oradea, BH · 15 lei · 1½ – 2 hours
  Bihor's county museum, housed since its move in the former Royal Cadet School of 1898: archaeology, history, art, ethnography, natural sciences and a vivarium under one roof.
- [Vulcan Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vulcan-pass) — Ski slopes · Vulcan, HD · Free · 3½ – 4 hours
  A small mountain resort above the town of Vulcan, in the Jiu Valley: a gondola from the town, short easy slopes with drag lifts, sledging on the road closed in winter and, in summer, the climb to the 1,621 m pass.

## Frequently asked questions

**Where to go for Christmas in Romania?**

To a city with a market (Sibiu, Craiova, Bucharest, Târgu Mureș, Oradea, Brașov), to the mountains (Poiana Brașov, Sinaia, Predeal) or to Maramureș, Mărginimea Sibiului and Bukovina, for villages, open-air museums and monasteries.

**Which cities to visit in Romania in December?**

Those with a Christmas market: Sibiu and Craiova between 13 November 2026 and 3 January 2027, Târgu Mureș between 27 November and 27 December 2026, and Bucharest, with the opening announced for 27 November 2026. The full list is in the guide to the markets.

**Can you ski in Romania at Christmas?**

It depends on the snow. Last season Straja opened on 20 December 2025 and Poiana Brașov on 2 January 2026. Arena Platoș in Păltiniș has announced its opening for 28 November 2026.

**Does the Mocănița on the Vaser Valley run in winter?**

Yes, in 2026 it runs Thursday–Sunday in November and December; at Christmas the timetable and fares are different, according to the operator. A standard ticket costs 136 lei.

**Which open-air museums are open in winter?**

The Maramureș Village Museum (daily 08:00–16:00 between 1 October and 14 April), the Bukovina Village Museum (Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–16:00), the ASTRA Museum in Sibiu and the National Village Museum in Bucharest (daily 9:00–17:00 in winter, closed 25–26 December).

**Is the Sibiel Icon Museum open at Christmas?**

Yes. The museum is open every day of the year, holidays included: November–March, 9:00–13:30 and 14:00–17:00, with a break between 13:30 and 14:00.

**What is closed on 25 December?**

Among others, the National Village Museum in Bucharest (25–26 December), the Sighet Memorial, the Zărnești Bear Sanctuary and the Țării Crișurilor Museum in Oradea. Check the hours of each attraction on its page.

**Can you visit the salt mines in winter?**

Yes. Turda Salt Mine is open daily, all year round, with the last entry at 16:20. Praid Salt Mine has been closed since May 2025, and Slănic Prahova closes on some public holidays.

**Are the fortified churches open in winter?**

Yes, with shorter hours: Prejmer Monday–Saturday 09:00–16:00, Hărman daily 10:00–16:00. At Viscri, the inside of the church has been closed for restoration since 14 September 2026; at Biertan, call ahead.

**Where can I find the Christmas markets in Romania?**

The list by city, with dates and what you will find at each, is in the guide to Christmas markets in Romania, and Craiova, Sibiu and Bucharest each have a guide of their own.

## Sources

- [Sibiu Christmas Market: the 2026 edition](https://www.targuldecraciun.ro/)
- [Mocănița of Maramureș: the 2026 timetable](https://mocanita-maramures.com/)
- [ASTRA Museum: opening hours](https://muzeulastra.ro/)
- [“Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum](https://muzeul-satului.ro/)
- [Maramureș Village Museum](https://muzeulmaramuresan.ro/muzeul-satului-mihai-dancus/)
- [Glass Icon Museum in Sibiel](https://www.sibiel.net/)
- [Sighet Memorial](https://www.memorialsighet.ro/)
- [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://millionsoffriends.org/libearty/)
- [Țării Crișurilor Museum](https://mtariicrisurilor.ro/)
- [Salrom: salt mines](https://salrom.ro/salina-slanic-prahova/)
- [Turda Salt Mine](https://www.salinaturda.eu/)
- [Păltiniș Arena: the 2026–2027 season schedule](https://paltinisarena.ro/iarna/program.html)

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/christmas-in-romania
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/ghiduri/craciun-in-romania.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/reisefuehrer/weihnachten-in-rumaenien.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/guide/natale-in-romania.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/guides/noel-en-roumanie.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/guias/navidad-en-rumania.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/utikalauzok/karacsony-romaniaban.md
Last updated: 4 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania