Craiova won first place this year in the competition for the most beautiful Christmas markets organized annually by European Best Destinations, an official tourism partner site of the European Commission.

The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon when the voting process was completed, following which the Craiova Christmas Market ranked on the podium of the best Christmas markets in Europe, with over 142,000 votes from over 140 countries, with an advance of over 56,000 votes compared to the second place. Of these, 55% came from outside Romania, mainly from Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. Craiova thus surpassed the record of 90,000 votes held by Budapest. Craiova also won the title of 'the most beautiful Christmas market in Europe' from a jury of tourists, surpassing renowned destinations.

In this competition, Zurich ranked second, followed by Riga (third place), Lisbon (4th place), Debrecen (5th place), Govone and Asti (Italy - 6th place), Valkenburg (Austria - 7th place), Vienna (8th place), Montbéliard (France - 9th place) and Paris (10th place).

'We are in first place in the European top, we fought with 7 European capitals, it was a titanic work for a year. In fact, this title is obtained for the year 2026, we will be the Christmas Capital in the year 2026, you realize that the pressure is much greater on us. We are happy that we were preferred by the international press, the major newspapers wrote about Craiova, the national television stations from several countries listed Craiova among the favorites. We were afraid of losing again like last time with such a small difference in votes, as happened last year when Gdansk won and not because they had a more beautiful fair than ours, but because they were helped by the Poles', the mayor of Craiova, Olguta Vasilescu said after the announcement of the vote result.

According to the official press release of the European Best Destinations organization, Craiova is the most voted Christmas destination since the creation of this competition, considering that the voting page was shared over 600,000 times on social media this year.

What happened in Craiova this year is absolutely remarkable. Craiova delivered a historic performance, with a result never seen before in two decades of competition. The Romanian city achieved a dominant position, supported by an exceptional international involvement, and the number of votes obtained by Craiova is an absolute record. Ever since Craiova's first participation in this competition, there have been many voices asking whether Craiova has its place among the top Christmas destinations in Europe. Today, emblematic cities such as Montreux, Vienna, Graz and Budapest look to Craiova as an example - a destination that reinvented Christmas, created a complete and captivating universe and transformed the entire city, instead of being limited to a few chalets on a single street. You have placed Craiova right there where it belongs: in the spotlight and firmly on the map of top European cities. It is an undeniable victory for Craiova, which becomes the new Christmas revelation of Europe in 2026, the press release sent by European Best Destinations reads.

The 2025 Craiova Christmas Fair opened on November 14, being the most anticipated event of the year in the city, with an estimated attendance of at least 2 million visitors.

The theme of the edition is the story of 'The Nutcracker', and for the magical atmosphere, the organizers used about 2 million lights, bulbs, ornaments and light decorations, as well as silhouettes of luminous soldiers, delicate ballerinas and enchanted castles in bright colors with which they created various fairy-tale scenes.

This year, the fair features a series of surprises, one of which is snow cannons, Santa Claus on a sleigh and on a zip line, shows, lots of props, lots of lights, lots of illuminated squares.

The fair will be open until January 4, 2026 and is organized in the central area of Craiova, according to four thematic areas: the circus - the world of the carousel, the traditional Romanian Christmas, Santa Claus's Village for children and families and the spectacular area with Santa Claus' sleigh and artificial snow.

One of the novelties this year is the artificial snow generated by snow cannons with light effects that give the sensation that the snowflakes are floating in the air. The little ones will have access to an ice rink, a train, a carousel, creative workshops - all in a festive atmosphere that the whole family can participate in.

From the decorated houses, visitors can purchase handicrafts, souvenirs, seasonal sweets, mulled wine, and traditional dishes.

The Craiova City Hall announced that in order to safely hold the events between 14.11.2025 and 28.12.2025, traffic restrictions will be imposed on the streets in the city center, near the event venue.

Also, given the increased interest in this event and the large number of tourists who will arrive from other localities, directional signs have been placed on the Craiova - Pitesti Express Road (DEx12) to guide drivers to the existing parking lots in the Craiova International Airport area, where approximately 1,000 spaces are available for visitors. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Maria Mitrica; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)