Wow Brașov

Brașov in January: Weather, Events and What to Do

The coldest month: short days, snow on the mountain, ski season at Poiana Brașov and a quiet Old Town once the New Year holidays are over.

By Diana Published 8 min read
Piața Sfatului and the Old Town rooftops under snow, seen from above, with the Black Church behind the Council House Photo: Unsplash
On this page
  1. Weather in January
  2. Events in January
  3. What’s open and what’s closed
  4. Best things to do in January
  5. Crowds and prices
  6. What to pack
  7. FAQ
  8. Sources

January is Brașov’s coldest month and its most reliable for snow: afternoons average 2°C, nights about −6°C, and snow falls on about 9 days. It’s a good month to visit if you want to ski at Poiana Brașov, a 20-minute ride on bus 20, or catch the last days of the Christmas market, which closes on Sunday 3 January 2027. After the 6–7 January holidays the Old Town goes quiet, which suits museums and the Black Church. It’s a poor month for hiking: Seven Ladders Canyon is closed for the winter and the forest paths are often icy.

Weather in January

These are the averages for the Brașov-Ghimbav weather station, 2015–2025, from the table in our Brașov weather and seasons guide:

January
Average high2°C (36°F)
Average low−6°C (21°F)
Rain or snowabout 23 mm on 5 days
Days with snowfallabout 9
Nights below 0°Cabout 27
Daylight8 h 49 min on 1 January, 9 h 45 min on 31 January
Sunrise / sunset07:56 / 16:46 on 1 January; 07:39 / 17:23 on 31 January

Sunrise and sunset times are from sunrise-sunset.org.

What that means on the ground: cold, mostly dry days and a frost on almost every night. Snow in the city comes and goes, but it lasts much longer at Poiana Brașov, about 1,000 m up. The averages hide the cold snaps: the station recorded −33.3°C on 8 January 2015, and seven of the ten winters from 2015/16 to 2024/25 had at least one night at −18°C or colder. Fog is common, on 5–7 days a month from October to January. The pavements in the Old Town are often icy in the morning, especially on the slopes up to the city walls. In the mountains it is roughly 6°C colder for every 1,000 m you climb.

For today’s forecast turned into an outfit, use our What to wear today in Brașov tool.

Events in January

  • The last days of the Christmas market. The stalls in Piața Sfatului and Piața Sfântul Ioan stay open until Sunday 3 January 2027 (Brașov City Hall). The 2026/27 hours aren’t out yet; in 2025 the market opened 10:00–22:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Details are in our Brașov Christmas market guide.
  • Ski season at Poiana Brașov. It usually runs from around Christmas to late March, depending on the cold and on snowmaking. In 2025/26 the beginner slopes opened on 30 December and the upper slopes and big lifts on 2 January 2026. The 2026/27 opening date and ski-pass prices haven’t been announced; last season an adult day pass cost 240 lei. See our guide to skiing near Brașov.
  • Public holidays: 1 and 2 January (Friday and Saturday in 2027), 6 January (Epiphany, Boboteaza, a Wednesday), 7 January (St John the Baptist, a Thursday) and 24 January (the Union of the Romanian Principalities, which falls on a Sunday in 2027). The list is in article 139 of the Labour Code (legislatie.just.ro).

Our What’s on in Brașov page lists one-off concerts, opera and theatre for the current month.

What’s open and what’s closed

  • Black Church: winter hours, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–18:00 and Sunday and Monday 12:00–18:00. Closed on 1 January. Adults pay 30 lei. See our Black Church guide.
  • Museums: the Museum of Urban Civilization and the Ethnography Museum open Wednesday to Sunday, the Art Museum Tuesday to Sunday, and all three close on public holidays, so expect them shut on 1, 2, 6, 7 and 24 January. Hours and prices are in our museums guide.
  • Bran Castle: winter hours, 09:00–18:00 (Monday from 12:00), last entry.
  • Peleș Castle: open Wednesday to Sunday; closed on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Libearty Bear Sanctuary: closed on 1 January and every Monday; tours run Tuesday to Sunday at 09:45 and 11:00.
  • Tâmpa cable car: runs all year, so it’s the easy way to the viewpoint above the Old Town when the trails are icy.
  • Food markets: they have usually closed on 1 and 2 January (farmers’ markets guide).
  • Closed for the season: Seven Ladders Canyon (December to February, because of ice) and the Parc Aventura rope courses (December to February). The high section of the Transfăgărășan road is closed all winter: in 2025 it closed on 20 October and only reopened on 12 June 2026.

Best things to do in January

  1. Ski, or ride up for the view, at Poiana Brașov. Bus 20 from Livada Poștei costs a normal 5-lei ticket. Non-skiers can take the gondola or the Capra Neagră cable car to the top of Postăvarul: a return cost 70 lei for adults in 2025/26. Our skiing guide has the slopes, lifts and rentals.
  2. The last Christmas market evenings, on 1–3 January, for mulled wine and kürtőskalács under the lights.
  3. The Black Church on a weekday, once the holiday crowds have gone. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the carpets and the Buchholz organ.
  4. A museum morning with the Brașov Visit Ticket, which covers 12 sites within 90 days; the museums guide lists them.
  5. Peleș Castle by train, about an hour each way, on a Wednesday to Sunday. Our Peleș guide has the tickets and the walk up from Sinaia station.
  6. An afternoon at Paradisul Acvatic, whose indoor pools are open every day of the year.

For more cold-weather ideas, see our guide to Brașov in winter; for a whole day indoors, our rainy day guide.

Crowds and prices

January starts busy and then empties. The days around New Year are among the busiest of the year, and Romanian schools are on holiday until Sunday 10 January 2027; classes restart on 11 January (Order 3194/2026, via Edupedu). From mid-January the city is quiet on weekdays, while ski weekends stay busy at Poiana and on the DN1 from Bucharest: queues build on Friday afternoons towards Brașov and on Sunday afternoons back.

What we can say about prices:

  • Sinaia’s ski passes cost more in the holidays. Its weekend rate (230 lei for an adult in 2025/26, against 210 lei on weekdays) also applies on public holidays and during school holidays, so on 1–10 January you pay it every day.
  • Peleș is free for under-18s during school holidays, but the free tickets have to be booked.
  • Brașov Zoo opens on Mondays during school holidays and on public holidays; otherwise it closes on Mondays.
  • Trains fill up before public holidays. Book the Bucharest–Brașov IR and IC trains early for 1–3 January and for Sunday evenings; see our Bucharest–Brașov guide.

Room rates vary with the date, so compare a New Year night with one in mid-January before you book.

What to pack

  • A proper winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf, plus thermal layers if you’ll be outside for hours or skiing.
  • Boots with a good grip: the cobbles and the stone steps in the Old Town and Șchei get icy.
  • Sunglasses and sun cream for the slopes; snow reflects a lot of light even in January.
  • For the mountain, an extra layer: the top of Postăvarul (1,799 m) is typically about 8°C colder than the city.
  • If you drive, winter tyres: Romanian law requires winter equipment when the road is covered in snow or ice.

FAQ

Is January a good time to visit Brașov?

Yes, if you want snow and skiing, or a quiet city for museums and the Black Church after the 6–7 January holidays. It’s not a good month for hiking or for Seven Ladders Canyon, which is closed until spring, and the days are short: the sun sets before 17:00 in the first half of the month.

Does it snow in Brașov in January?

Yes. Snow falls on about 9 days in an average January, the most of any month. It often melts in the city within days but lasts much longer at Poiana Brașov.

Can you ski in Poiana Brașov in January?

Usually, yes. January and February have the most reliable conditions, and the resort relies on snowmaking. In 2025/26 the upper slopes opened on 2 January. City Hall announces each season’s opening.

Is the Christmas market still open in January?

Only at the start of the month. In 2026/27 the market runs until Sunday 3 January 2027.

What is closed in Brașov in January?

Seven Ladders Canyon, Parc Aventura and the Transfăgărășan road are closed for the winter. The county museums close on the public holidays (1, 2, 6, 7 and 24 January), the Black Church on 1 January, and Peleș every Monday and Tuesday.

Sources

What's on in Brașov →