Find what to do today, this weekend, or in September. More wine. For centuries, peasant communitiesâcut off from the world by impassable mountains or languishing under Turkish, Hungarian, or Austrian ruleâwere forced to eek out an existence with what they had. The quirky Romania has exploded onto the contemporary art scene in recent years. The bookstore is a must, I agree. Such a pretty country dont know why I never tought about visiting Romania. It’s regularly busy, of course, but it’s definitely worth dropping in for a book, to check out the decor, or to simply enjoy a coffee at the cafe on the top floor of the bookstore: whatever the reason, a visit here definitely belongs on any list of the best “This is such a cute Old Town!” I exclaimed when walking to lunch with a group of other bloggers during our stay in Bucharest.“It’s not very old, though,” replied one of the Romanian bloggers we were walking with. Plus, that bookstore is totally dreamy.I agree–lack of expectations can really make a city come to life!
Definitely worth a stop if you get a chance to go back!Love your pictures! Like most European cities, Bucharest is best introduced via walking tour–there’s nothing like the feeling of getting integrated with a city by walking the streets yourself. Rather, it's the tiny churches and chapelsâusually squeezed into impossibly small cornersâthat surprise and delight. Vegetables. Opened in 1888, the Romanian Athenaeum concert hall in Bucharest is home of the George Enescu Philharmonic and holds an international music festival every April.The world's biggest parliamentary building (and one of the largest buildings of any kind) happens to be in Bucharest. Never heard of Bucharest before it looks like a photographers dream and very romantic. That was Bucharest's nickname in the decades before World War II, when the art nouveau palaces and architecture really were reminiscent of Paris. We did ours at the aptly named Tasting Room.How cool!
If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. )21 Epic Hidden Gems in Europe: Secret Spots + Offbeat HighlightsWhen we first set foot in Bucharest, we knew very little about what to do in Bucharest in one day, let alone on a longer trip!While we had long wanted to visit Romania, specifics about the charms of its capital city got crowded out of our daydreams about the country, which were typically filled with beautiful mountains, quaint villages, and majestic castles.When we got the opportunity to #ExperienceBucharest for three days in partnership with the Travel Massive affiliated Experience Bucharest team (which is 100% made up of volunteers who are passionate about Bucharest! 1. And a winter tasting tour in Bucharest wouldn’t be a bad idea. What was once the stomping ground of the Princely Court in … To get you started, our local editors have put together a list of the best free things to do in their beloved Bucharest. Walking tour would be the best thing to do.There has been an unfortunate misspelling under your “walking tour” category. From Hidden Bucharest to Alternative Bucharest, or even to niche topics such as a Roma Heritage Tour, just about any option will leave you with a great walk through Bucharest’s quirky streets and with new knowledge about the city.Personally, we opted for a Communist Tour that explored Bucharest’s (very recent) Communist past: among other sites, we viewed the “House of the People” from the outside as well as its corresponding avenue (built by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu to be larger and more grand than the Champs Elysses), stopped at some of the few remaining Communist-era apartments that have not been redone since the fall of communism, and visited a church that had literally been picked up and moved to clear space for the House of the People during construction.Most interestingly of all, our guide was old enough to remember parts of his own childhood under communist rule and brought artifacts such as an example of the propaganda-style textbook that children studied until the fall of the dictatorship in 1989.Romania’s communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu had a vision: redesign the city of Bucharest, and create an entire series of buildings and streets that would show off to the world how successful the Socialist Republic of Romania was.He failed in most respects, but left a somewhat strange legacy all the same: the People’s House of Romania (often called the “People’s House” for short, and now officially named the Palace of the Parliament) is the second-largest administrative building in the world–only the US Pentagon is larger.Standing outside the building, the enormity of it presses in on you–it is a gigantic place, and the scale is even more impressive when you learn that the huge building in front of you is just a portion of it–a significant amount of the palace is underground, though the exact figure seems a little fuzzy.The building is, for obvious reasons, quite controversial–Nicolae Ceausescu more or less starved the people of Romania to pay for it, and actually got the idea to make it from Kim Il-sung himself, one of the most infamous of all tyrannical dictators–but it remains one of Romania’s most popular tourist attractions and is currently home to both Romania’s parliament and an art museum.We didn’t get a chance to go inside on this visit, but the photos of the elaborate interior make us want to find room for it on our itinerary next time!Once upon a time, we associated the phrase “Arc de Triomphe” with Paris… but that arch is far from the only one! We had a great time, and I definitely recommend all of those. Whether one views the gargantuan Even the city's most ardent fans don't quite maintain the old saw, the "Paris of the East." Visit top-rated & … I don’t really know Bucharest, but I would definitely enjoy a day in the city seeing the sights. I can’t remember the exact date, but we spoke with the owner and I believe he opened it a few years ago. It's hard to pinpoint precisely what constitutes Romanian contemporary art, though critics point to shared elements of wit and dark humor, a somber mood, and bits of surrealism in defining a common style. Fixed now. There are lots of things to do in Bucharest in winter and planning a trip to this beautiful city in winter will make your every penny worth it. As an Amazon Associate, Lone Star Travel Guide earns from qualifying purchases. Many date from the 17th and 18th centuries and fuse elements of Byzantine, Greek, Ottoman, and Renaissance styles.
The best dishesâbased on time-tested traditional recipes and using locally sourced, often organic ingredientsâare satisfying in a grandmotherly way. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is a great city to visit in December as numerous events take place. Glad you mentioned the restaurants with the ‘off mark,’ I’d better watch out.We definitely enjoyed the wine tasting we did! The churches share common elements that include impossibly high steeples built over tiny floor plans, elaborate frescoes, and signature details such as raised pillars and stone balustrades. I think it is, Joanna! It must be new. Bucharest In Your Pocket offers the widest selection of concerts, live music, events, club nights and exhibitions in Bucharest. Here are the best things to do in December in Bucharest, shared by a local, including the Bucharest Christmas Market, the National Day parade, and more! Bucharest is such a beautiful city and what more, it doesn’t take all of one’s time to explore the city. It was a pivotal moment in Romaniaâs historic transition to democracy. Decades of communist misrule and a tragic earthquake in 1977 brought much of the old city down, but there are places here and there where that former elegance can still be glimpsed. Pork anything. It snows most of the time during the winters and the cold starts from December and sometimes lasts even till March. I’m also jotting down Old Town as a must-see when I’m in town. ), we knew it would be the perfect opportunity to get a taste of Romania in preparation for what will hopefully be a longer return trip one day.Three very busy days later, we were happy to announce that we had a fabulous time in Bucharest. And as a Romanian, I don’t care much about that, but many might take it personally based on history hahaOh my!