Craiova Christmas market brings Romania second place in annual European Best Destinations competition

Craiova secured second place this year in the annual European Best Destinations competition for the most beautiful Christmas markets.

This year marked a record number of votes cast, over 753,000. Craiova's Christmas market garnered over 91,024 votes, of which more than 80% came from outside Romania, a significant increase from last year’s 60,000 votes, 48% of which were international.

“This recognition reflects the remarkable growth of the market, now spanning over 280,000 square meters, making it the largest Christmas event in Europe. Craiova has truly become the Christmas Capital of Romania and Europe,” reads a statement on the European Best Destinations website.

The first place in the competition was awarded to Gdańsk's Christmas market, with a narrow margin of just 1,259 votes separating it from Craiova.

The gap between Craiova and the third-place market in Geneva, on the other hand, was significant - 30,000 votes, according to Lia Olguța Vasilescu, the mayor of Craiova. She also said that “The Nutcracker” will be next year’s theme, according to local news outlet Gazeta de Sud.

According to European Best Destinations, Craiova's Christmas market is the only one organized by a municipality in the competition's history to achieve a record-breaking number of votes - twice as many as Strasbourg. Furthermore, according to European Best Destinations, a partner of the European Commission, travelers subscribed to the platform voted Craiova’s Christmas market as the most beautiful in Europe.

The Craiova Christmas Market opened on November 15 and will welcome visitors until January 5, 2025. This year, the market's theme is “Beauty and the Beast.”

(Photo source: Europeanbestdestinations.com)