For those who wish to visit a Christmas market where traditional and artisanal products are promoted and want to avoid the crowds, there are several attractive options throughout Europe. Among these is one in Romania.
Some Christmas markets in Europe focus on delicious traditional dishes, souvenirs, and unique gifts, and the inherent bustle at such events is manageable compared to the renowned markets in major capitals.
Euronews offers some recommendations for those who wish to visit a Christmas market dedicated to traditional products, where a friendly atmosphere replaces the commercial approach of major events of this kind. The Christmas market in Brasov was also included in the list.
Christmas markets are a relatively new business in Romania, with the first event of this kind being organized in Sibiu in 2007, notes the cited source.
Bucharest now hosts the largest Christmas market, but it is possible that Brasov, a Transylvanian city located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, may host the most beautiful one.
The market is organized in the Council Square, framed by an impressive series of Saxon medieval buildings and the Black Church in Gothic style.
The stalls in the square are filled with treats such as tree decorations, wooden sculptures, orange and cinnamon tea, baked apples, caramelized almonds, and "baumstriezel" (in German) or kürtőskalács (in Hungarian), the renowned Hungarian chimney cake.
The cherry on top is the over one million lights in the square, including a display that transforms the Town Hall building into a gingerbread house.
The Christmas market in Brasov is open from mid-November to early January.
Brasov has an airport and a train station and, if you haven't had your fill of holiday events yet, it is just a two and a half hour train ride from the Christmas market in Bucharest, according to Euronews.
Other traditional Christmas markets in Europe:
- Helsinki (open from November 29 to December 22)
- The Old Town Market in Riga, Latvia (November 29 - January 2)
- Vilnius, Lithuania (November 29 - December 29)
- Schönbrunn Palace - Vienna (November 8 - January 6)
- Košice, Slovakia (December 1 - 31)
- Stockholm (end of November - end of December)
- Tallinn, Estonia (November 22 - December 27)
T.D.