The famous holiday fairs have started to open in towns and cities all over Romania.
The famous holiday fairs have started to open in towns and cities all over Romania. One such famous fair is the one in Sibiu, a joint project involving the city and the Office of the Social Attaché with the Austrian Embassy in Romania. For over a month, locals and tourists can visit the stands put up by companies from all over the country, and kids can attend theme workshops run in Santa's Workshop.
In Sibiu, the seasonal offer is quite diverse. Almost all hotels and guest houses have special packages with circuits, traditional meals, and in some cases folklore shows. However, no matter where you choose to book accommodation, you will eventually reach downtown, in the Grand Plaza, where you'll find the famous Sibiu Christmas fair. We talked about it with Andrei Radulet, manager of the event.
Andrei Radulet: "The 2015 edition of the Sibiu Christmas fair has reached its ninth edition. This year we've tried to blend the experience of visiting the fair for the purpose of purchasing gifts with the experience of spending time at the Christmas Fair. We want them to discover the tradition of people coming here after hours, with friends or colleagues, to sample some of the delicacies that you can find at the fair. Before Christmas, children are the center of attention, and we want to offer them all sorts of entertainment. It can be an all-around experience, be they locals or tourists."
The Christmas Fair in Sibiu was opened on November 20th with a gospel concert. What does the fair look like, though? Andrei Radulet explains:
"We have put up 73 huts in the Grand Plaza. This is a medieval market, which is great to visit even when there are no events there. We have a large Christmas tree, and the plaza is covered in lights. We have an entertainment area for children, which we call Santa's Park. We have a traditional carousel, a little train with a pretty long track, with its own station and even a tunnel. We also have a track for little cars for kids, and the main attraction this year is the beautiful construction we put up, Santa's Workshop. It is a fairy tale house. It is painted in red, with a red and white roof and white windows. This is the venue for the creative workshops we organize."
In the houses in Sibiu's old center there are restaurants, cafes and bars, where you can listen to a wide selection of carols, Romanian traditional music, or jazz. In the old area of the city you can find outdoor bars, clubs, hotels and guest houses, most of them in historical buildings. One of the hotels, for instance, has kept the name it had as far back as 1773. Along the centuries, it has provided accommodation for famous people, like Franz Liszt, Johann Strauss and Johannes Brahms.
Folklore tradition is also well preserved. You can find traditional craftsmen in the Grand Plaza too, according to Andrei Radulet: "Some work in wood, sometimes decorative objects, other times functional objects like spoons or plates. There is a craftsman making glass globes. He even makes them on the spot, but he takes special orders too. Tourists can present their own design ideas to him, and he makes them in his workshop, which is somewhere else, not in the hut in the plaza. Another craftsman makes various objects from felt. It is very interesting to see how he uses a special technique, creating various decorative objects and toys, like mice and Santas. We have a selection of carols, off all kinds, Romanian and international, to create the season atmosphere. Starting this year, every Saturday we have a special event, called Santa's Crew. A group of wind instrument players, in Santa Claus outfits, with trumpets and saxophones, play Christmas songs, going around the fair. The Christmas fair opened its gates on November 20th, and stays open until January 3rd."
Like all the other European capitals, the fair in Bucharest is the place to be if you want to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Kids and grownups alike can revel in Santa's magical world, full of gifts and lights. The Bucharest Christmas Market means a full month of fun in the center of Romania's capital, according to Cristina Lixandru, PR consultant with Creart:
"This is a month dedicated to shows and concerts held by famous artists and bands, and traditional ensembles from all over the country. We have a humanitarian campaign every year, too. It is a Christmas fair where visitors can find various traditional products from various parts of the country. Here you can also visit Santa's House, which even has Santa's helpers, where we can't wait to welcome kids and grownups. We are also running a yearly social campaign, under which we urge people to get actively involved in helping disadvantaged children by donating books and toys. The campaign runs until December 20th."
60 huts have been put up in the Christmas fair in Bucharest, and every evening a famous band has a concert. Cristina Lixandru says it is a very special atmosphere:
"This year the whole area is brightly lit. We have a net of lights over the entire area, as well as lit arches and huts that are beautifully decorated. This year, Santa's House is spectacular. It is a large house, where the elves, Santa's Helpers, are ready to welcome you. Bucharest Christmas Market is open daily between 11 AM and 10 PM."
The Bucharest Christmas Market is ready to welcome you until December 27th .
Useful Links
Copyright © . All rights reserved