28 Amazing Things to Do and See in Bucharest, Romania

An architect’s surrealist dream or total nightmare, Bucharest can be both. From large Stalinist architectural monuments lining the big boulevards designed during the country’s Communist decades, to quiet and charming tree-lined streets with Art Deco villas, the city’s got it all. The meeting ground of Western and Eastern architectural styles, Bucharest has a unique architectural identity, the keyword being ‘diversity’.

Bucharest has over 60 museums and memorial houses. While visits to the National Museum of Art of Romania (MNAR), the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) and the open-air Village Museum are a must, go off the beaten track and you will be rewarded. Check out the Museum of Art Collections for exquisite Romanian art, the Storck Museum for charming murals and Casa Melik to soak in the spirit that breathes in Bucharest’s oldest house.

Bucharest’s neighbourhoods could not be more different. Walk the huge boulevards in the city centre inspired by Nicolae Ceaușescu’s ill-fated visit to North Korea, get lost on the winding cobbled streets of the nearby Lipscani, the city’s party epicentre, cool off in the charming Cotroceni while admiring imposing villas, then grab a meal in one of restaurants in Floreasca, among the city’s best. And you’ve only just scratched the surface.

The city’s bookstores are the best place to pick a souvenir in the form of an album about Romania’s picturesque region of Bukovina, its magnificent castles or the Danube Delta, one of Europe’s top wildlife destinations. Do not miss Kyralina, hosted in a beautifully restored 19th-century villa, and the breathtaking book lovers’ paradise that is Cărturești Carusel.

Bucharest has a lot of old buildings whose walls and roofs are starting to be covered in some very creative ways. In one of the latest projects, developed by Make a Point, a group of local creatives has hit a major mark by covering the rooftops of several blocks of flats with murals inspired by the identity of their neighbourhood, Pantelimon.

The city has plenty of churches and monasteries, where rituals are carried out in the same way as hundreds of years ago. Experience the otherworldly draw of Byzantine spirituality by attending a morning or evening service in 18th-century, Brâncovenesc-style Stavropoleos Monastery, Domnița Bălașa church or Plumbuita Monastery. And, if you’re looking to lift a particular curse, consider heading to Zlătari church.

There’s no better way to escape the crowds than head to one of Bucharest’s parks and gardens. If looking for a carefully designed green oasis in the heart of the city, visit Grădina Cişmigiu, the oldest and most popular public garden. For wide lawns and long walking lanes head to Herăstrău Park or Tineretului Park, and for a wildlife-watching experience go to Parcului Natural Văcăreşti. The Botanical Gardens, some of the best in the country, will introduce you to the varied local flora.

A visit to Bucharest can act as the best introduction to Romanian cuisine. Try local staple dishes such as sarmale, mititei and papanași, while not forgetting that the Romanian capital is a great spot to revisit world cuisine at its many cafés and restaurants.

Bucharest has some pretty colourful markets where you will find fresh local produce, such as berries and mushrooms from the Carpathian Mountains, honey products and the best quality fruit and vegetables around. The biggest market in Romania, Obor Market, is perhaps the best place for an immersive experience, while treasure hunters should brace the distance and pay a visit to Valea Cascadelor, the city’s biggest flea market.

Traditional Romanian souvenirs are a great way to bring a piece of the local culture to your home. But while in Bucharest, take time to browse through shops and galleries looking for objects, clothes and accessories by local designers and you might stumble upon some treasures.

Romanian cinema has been on an upswing since the ’90s. Over the years, local powerhouses Cristi Mungiu, winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2007, Calin Peter Netzer, winner of the Berlin Golden Bear, and Cristi Puiu have successfully exported their creative vision abroad and have already started receiving competition from talented young directors, to the benefit of cinema lovers everywhere.

One of the undisputed party capitals in Europe, Bucharest’s nightlife has something for everyone. Start off with a cocktail in one of the hip bars in Palatul Universul or at the many pubs in the old centre before heading to Control or Expirat for a cool, alternative crowd, or Fratelli for an unforgettable glamorous extravaganza.

While perhaps a surprising suggestion at first sight, going to the beach – a real yellow sandy one with palm trees even – is perfectly possible. In the summer, head to Sands of Therme, the biggest urban beach in Europe, and in the cold months you can head the same way, since the covered thermal water pools at Therme are open year-round.

A picturesque Art Nouveau building, the George Enescu Museum immediately catches the eye of the passers-by with its richly adorned façade and oyster-shaped glass entrance. It features beautiful ceiling frescoes depicting cherubs holding musical instruments and elegant antique furniture, as well as personal objects pertaining to composer George Enescu.

Bucharest is undoubtedly a city of contrasts. Nearby the quaint Old Centre and over the Dâmbovița river rises the Palace of the Parliament, the world’s heaviest and its second largest administrative building, after the Pentagon. The colossal 1,100-room edifice, today’s headquarters of the Romanian Parliament, was built by former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu. Designed by 28-year-old architect Anca Petrescuw – who worked with a team of 700 architects and 20,000 workers who did three shifts per day – it is still unfinished.

If Paris has Père Lachaise, Bucharest has Bellu Cemetery. This historic graveyard is the final resting place of many famous Romanian artists, actors, scientists, sportsmen, and women. But the most interesting graves are often those of the members of aristocratic families. Often hinting to dramatic events, they are accompanied by beautiful marble statues of madonnas and angels, or large scale monuments and memorials.

With its ornate dome and iconic columns, the Romanian Atheneum is one of the major landmarks of Bucharest. The concert hall, which hosts most concerts during the world-famous classical music festival, George Enescu, features 75 square meters long and 3 meters wide fresco depicting the history of the Romanian people.

As dictators’ stories go, while elsewhere in Bucharest people were suffering from electricity and heat shortages, in one particular villa in the north of Bucharest there was always plenty of water to fill a mosaic-decorated swimming pool and heat for the exotic plant greenhouse. Additionally, Primăverii Palace, the home of former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his family, even had gold plated faucets in its master bathroom as well as a private spa. Today a museum, the residence can be visited as part of group and private tours.

Both the gothic revival exterior and the art nouveau interior of Caru’ cu Bere, one of Bucharest’s most famous restaurants, are equally striking. Located in the Old Centre on Stavropoleos Street, the building was designed by Austrian architect Siegfrid Kofczinsky and became the home of Bucharest’s oldest beer house in 1899. This is perhaps the best place to start your initiation into the Romanian cuisine, so dive right in with a plate of sarmale or mititei, or start slowly, with a soup. Whatever you choose, do not forget to make a reservation, as the place is popular with tourists and locals alike.

Since 1991 the residence of the President of Romania, Cotroceni Palace, has shared in the city’s tumultuous history. A former royal residence of King Carol I, as soon as the Communist regime was established in the country in 1947, it was seized and turned it into the headquarters of the Communist party. The part that is open to the public, the Cotroceni Museum, has on display a large and valuable collection of books, paintings, sculptures, and icons.

Built in 1847 by the Polish community of Bucharest, the Great Synagogue is one of the few surviving such monuments in the capital. The highlight of the richly decorated interior are the 1936 paintings by Gershon Horowitz and the majestic chandelier. Since 1992, the synagogue hosts the Holocaust memorial, which features a permanent exhibition.

The museum owns the biggest and most valuable collection of folk costumes in the country, as well as traditional ceramics, carpets and rugs, and household objects, totaling almost 100,000 items. The museum’s café sells traditional Romanian food and beverages and the fairs the museum holds regularly attract the city’s hippest crowd, as do the art house cinema screenings and concerts.

Located just outside of Bucharest, Snagov Monastery is also known as Vlad Țepeș Monastery, due to its connection to the former Prince of Walachia, Vlad the Impaler. Supposedly, after he was killed in the battle of 1476 by the Ottoman Turks, Vlad the Impaler was buried by monks somewhere on the site of the monastery.

This museum has on display the most outstanding collection of gold artifacts in the country, including jewelry and votive objects. The highlight are the solid gold Dacian bracelets, with a complex role, serving as high rank insignia, votive offerings, and ornaments which were unearthed at Sarmizegetusa Regia.

Nothing evokes Paris better than a replica of its famous Arc de Triomphe. Built to celebrate Romania’s victories in World War I, the Triumphal Arch is 27 meters (89 feet) tall and covered in Romanian marble and bas-reliefs by famed sculptors.

One of the city’s main arteries, Calea Victoriei is dotted with beautifully restored buildings, museums and memorial houses that recall the avenues of Paris.

Opened in the 19th century, the Grand Hotel Continental replaced an older establishment which hosted a French restaurant as well as a hat shop by the renowned French brand Jobin, which gave way to the Romanian version of top hat, still in use today.

Designed by French architect Paul Gottereau, this library was opened at the end of the 19th century. Damaged by bullets during the 1989 revolution that toppled the Communist regime, the building was later restored to its former glory.