Are you looking to travel to a different European city that has not been exceeded by tourists? Bucharest is just such a city. The capital of Romania, in a European region known as Balkans, Bucharest is an excellent destination for low -budget travelers. Not only does Romania have its own currency, the leu, but the prices are quite affordable and there are a lot of good deals to find – from inns to memories. The euros and the request have not yet struck Bucharest, so you will find easy to stay on a budget.
Bucharest has an interesting mixture of Parisian charm and the architecture of upset communism. It is even known as little Paris. Bucharest has something for the interest of each traveler, from fabulous museums to beautiful parks and a richness of history in both the city and nearby.
Whether you plan a trip to Bucharest or just seek inspiration, I hope this guide to the city of Bucharest helps you enjoy the best of this city.
Enter and around Bucharest
Bucharest’s main airport is Henri Coandă international airport. It is located 18 kilometers north of the city center, with some different options to enter town. L’Express bus 783 works every day every 20 minutes and takes you to the city center. The journey lasts about 40 minutes. You can go down to Victory Square if you want to take the metro.
Advice: You can buy a bus card on a stand in front of the arrival hall at the airport. But note that normal bus cards do not work on the express bus.
Advice: Remember to always validate your ticket aboard the bus using the touch screen machine.
Another option is to take a taxi. The cost is around 30 leu (around $ 9 CAD / 7 US) in the city center. To get a taxi, you must get a ticket ticket to ticket office in front of the arrival hall. Once you have your ticket outside to queue. Your ticket will have a number on it, that is to say your taxi number, and it will be displayed on the side of the taxi.
Tip: Take only the taxi that corresponds to your number and keep your ticket heel. Make sure it starts the counter right away. And note that most taxis only accept species.
Bucharest has one of the most extensive public transport systems in Europe. Although their trains can be slow, buses and metro (underground system) are fast and effective. The metro has four lines (M1, M2, M3 and M4) and is affordable and easy to maneuver.
Things to do in Bucharest
1. Make a free visit
The best way to present a new city to you is a walking visit. And who doesn’t like a free visit! A guide to the city of Bucharest should always start with an excellent tour. And Bucharest Free Walkabout visit Offer an excellent 2-hour visit to the city center. The guides tell the 500 years of history of the city, from Vlad Tepes to the ear of communism.
The protruding facts include; Monastery of Stravropoleos, the ruins of the Citadel of Vlad Tepe, the Inn of Manuc, Spots of the Revolution and more. They will also help you with advice on bars and restaurants to visit and where is the best nightlife.
2. Palace of Parliament
The Palais du Parliament, whose building in the Bucharest Parliament is known as a show to see. This massive structure is the second largest administrative building in the world, after the American Pentagon. Unfortunately, a large part of Bucharest at the time, its historic districts, was demolished or moved to make room for this beast.
Housing more than 1000 rooms, nearly 500 ages, marble stairs and even the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Its large and opulent interior contrasts strongly with its exterior. Visits are available, but note that there is an additional cost to take photos.
3. Bucharest History and Art Museum
Located in the magnificent Palais Sutu, built in 1834, you will find the Bucharest History & Art Museum. The museum offers around 300,000 artifacts that range from books to engravings and old traditional costumes. There are also old incredible Bucharest cards through the ages. But the most precious piece is probably the document published by Vlad Tepes in 1459, appointing the city of Bucharest for the first time.
Make sure you look beyond the museum collection towards the building itself. With its painted ceilings, its details and its beautiful staircase, it adds to the marvel of the museum.
4. Enjoy its parks
Bucharest is home to many parks, but there are two that you need to visit, Cişmigiu and Herăstrău. Coşmigiu Park is the oldest park in the city and located in the city center. Covering more than 40 acres, with a large artificial lake for which you can rent tartins necks, a visit to Cişmigiu gives you the impression of being elsewhere than in the city. Hosting beautiful winding paths, black swans and various statues, it is a favorite of the inhabitants.
Its Parcăstréri is located just north of the city center and it is easy to spend a whole day there. The park is home to a huge lake, statues and beautiful gardens. I even came across a sweet little black cat that seemed to call the park at home. The Sonăstrău park is the largest Bucharest park and is also the place where you will find the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum.
5. National Museum of the village of Dimitrie Gusti
Located in the Sonăstrău park is this outdoor museum, presenting the traditional life of the Romanian village. This large outdoor museum has authentic peasant farms, churches, windmills and houses from all over Romania and are furnished with real rooms. A walk gives you the impression of going back in time, but also to transport miles of rural Romania.
6. Stavropololis monastery
In the heart of the old town of Bucharest is the magnificent Stavropoleos monastery. The Oriental Orthodox Monastery was completed in 1724 and included a small church, a library and a courtyard full of tombstones dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is probably better known for its vast library which houses more than 8000 pounds, on everything, from theology to music and art.
The small church is open daily and free to visit. His interior may show his age but he will always cut you off. You enter through wooden doors and receive fantastic frescoes. It left a very powerful impact on me that still draws goosebumps when I think about it.
If you timed your visit well, you can attend a piano concert or hear the Byzantine choir.
7. Kretzulescu church
Although it may seem out of words in its location, the Kretzulescu church is one of the many beautiful Bucharest churches that you should visit. Built in 1722 is one of the best -preserved Orthodox churches in the city. Discover its slim bell tower and breathtaking frescoes, most of which outside are all original.
8. Romanian Athenaeum
One of the most beautiful buildings in Bucharest is the Romanian Athenaeum. Located in the center, this neoclassical concert hall dates back to 1888. This circular building was charming inside and outside, with gardens maintained at the front and incredible frescoes inside. Nicknamed the “Romanian temple of the arts”, its interior has 12 columns of Carrera marble in the corridor, bright red seats, a superb dome painted from the auditorium which represents scenes from Romanian history. Hang on a concert, or just stroll to take a look.
9. Wander Old Town
A must for any European city is a walk in its old town. And Bucharest is no different. Known as the Lipscani region, after one of the streets, the old town of Bucharest began to explode after Vlad Tepes built his palace and his court in the region, in the middle of the 15th century. The old eclectic town is full of antiquities, cafes and restaurants. It also houses one of the most beautiful bookstores in Europe. In the old town, you will find some of the best sites in the city, in particular; Old churches like Stavropolisos, Manuc’s Inn, the old court of Vlad and the ruins of an old inn in front of the National Bank of Romania under the covered glass.
Related article: Best bookstores in Europe
10. Two castles
There are a lot of good places to make a day trip in Bucharest. But my first recommendation is the excursion of a day of the two castles which is offered by a handful of travel companies. The one I took was with a small group, and our tour included a visit to the Château de Peles, Bran Castle, the village of Brasov and a road through the Mountains of Carpathians.
The Château de Peles is one of those superb palaces that was far beyond its time. It was definitely the highest point of the tour and I recommend buying the photography pass! Bran Castle is, of course, the famous fort who inspired Dracula by Bram Stoker. And the charming town of Brasov is pleasant to wander for its history and its brilliant colored buildings.
Related article: Hunting in Dracula in Romania
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