PePlaiuri.roTourist attractions in Romania

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

The steam locomotive Elveția with the tourist train, stopped for water on the bank of the Vaser between wooded slopes
The steam locomotive Elveția with the tourist train, stopped for water on the bank of the Vaser between wooded slopes · Herbert Ortner · CC BY 3.0

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. 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.

RegionWho it suitsWhat to doAttractions
Market citiesshort weekend, with childrenmarket, historic centre, museumsGrand Square (Sibiu), Mihai Viteazul Square (Craiova), Constitution Square (Bucharest)
Mountainsskiing, snow, cable carsslopes, walks in the snowPoiana Brașov, Sinaia, Predeal
Maramureșvillages, wood, trainsforest railway, village museum, wooden churchesVaser Valley Forest Railway, Maramureș Village Museum
Mărginimea Sibiului and Saxon Transylvaniavillages with museums, fortressesicons on glass, fortified churchesSibiel, ASTRA, Hărman
Bukovinapainted monasteriesfrescoes, village museumVoroneț, Putna, Sucevița
Salt mines and spasa rainy or freezing wintergo down into a salt mine, thermal poolsTurda 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.

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:

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. City by city: Craiova, Sibiu, Bucharest.

A market city also has attractions worth visiting in winter. Near Brașov, Bran Castle 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 is always open, but the museum in the Clock Tower keeps shorter hours outside the summer.

The castle's towers and red roofs rising above the forest under a clear skyTop 20

Bran Castle

5.0
Bran, BVOpen120 lei
Castles and palaces

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, Sinaia, Predeal and Bușteni. Snow is not guaranteed at Christmas. In the 2025–2026 season, Poiana Brașov opened its slopes only on 2 January 2026, Straja on 20 December 2025, and Arena Platoș in Păltiniș 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, 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, 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, and the list of resorts by region in the guide to ski slopes.

The fountain in Dimitrie Ghica Park among tall trees, with lawns and benches around it

Sinaia

Sinaia, PHOpenFree
Ski slopes
The town of Predeal in the valley, seen from a forested slope with a chairlift line in the foreground and the Postăvaru massif behind

Predeal

Predeal, BVOpenFree
Ski slopes
Houses and chalets buried in snow, with the snow-covered mountain ridges behind, under a clear sky

Straja

Lupeni, HDOpenFree
Ski slopes

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), 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” 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 in Săpânța is open all year, but in winter it effectively closes with the daylight.

The UNESCO-listed wooden churches, Ieud Hill Wooden Church, Budești Josani Wooden Church and the Wooden Church of 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 can be visited during the day, without disturbing the services.

In Sighetu Marmației, the Sighet Memorial is open in winter (15 October – 14 April) Tuesday–Sunday 09:30–16:30 and is closed at Christmas and at New Year.

Rows of blue crosses with little wooden roofs, among flower-covered graves, under a cloudy skyTop 20

Merry Cemetery

Săpânța, MMOpen10 lei
Monuments and historic sites
The central hall of the former prison, with the iron walkways of the upper floors, the safety net, the cell doors and the exhibition panelsTop 100

Sighet Memorial

Sighetu Marmației, MMOpen25 lei
Museums and memorial houses

Christmas in Mărginimea Sibiului and Saxon Transylvania

In Mărginimea Sibiului, the “Priest Zosim Oancea” Glass Icon Museum 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, 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: Monday–Saturday 09:00–16:00, Sunday 11:00–16:00 (1 November – 31 March).
  • Hărman: daily 10:00–16:00.
  • 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: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–15:00, but some sources say the church is closed in winter, so call the parish.
  • Cisnădioara does not publish its off-season hours; call ahead.

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 can be visited daily between 6:00 and 20:00, and its museum between 9:00 and 19:00. At Sucevița Monastery, winter visiting is between 09:30 and 17:00. Voroneț Monastery is open daily but does not publish its hours; call ahead. For Moldovița Monastery, Humor Monastery and Arbore Church there are no published hours, and the Humor page recommends asking locally, especially in winter.

In Suceava, the Bukovina Village Museum 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.

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 and Suceava to Sibiu and Bucharest, plus the icons on glass at 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.

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 is open daily, all year round, with the last entry at 16:20; the temperature is 12 °C. Slănic Prahova Salt Mine 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 has been closed since May 2025, after a flood, with no reopening date.

At Băile 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 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.

The half-timbered wooden pavilion with pointed turrets at the entrance to the Apollo baths, with its red sign and snow-covered firs in front of the stepsTop 100

Băile Felix

Băile Felix, BHOpenFree
Resorts and thermal baths

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:

For Women's Cave, 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 closes to traffic from mid-November. Details in the guide to when the ski slopes open.

photo — Vulcan Pass

Vulcan Pass

Vulcan, HDOpenFree
Ski slopes

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

All guides