Bucket List: Tourist Attractions and Best Things to do in Bucharest, Romania

(Bucharest, Romania) – The city is once known as Little Paris and this is the capital of Romania which is rich in history and then merges with its modern identity. The city is buzzing, nice party scene, great nightlife, there are so many attractions that you can visit here which you will remember for a long time. Some of the top things to do in Bucharest are listed below.

Top 15 things to do in Bucharest

Go sightseeing at the Palace of the Parliament

For this building to stand, the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu demolished a quarter of the city’s most beautiful buildings before this building can stand. This is a huge palace with acres of marble tiling and the blingiest chandeliers that you can ever imagine. The palace is now used by the Romanian parliament and you can visit March-October from 9 am to 5 pm and till 4 pm from November to February. You can take some Instagram-worthy pictures from here.

Explore the Old Town

This is one of Bucharest’s earliest settlements where the structure dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. One of the things to do while in Bucharest is to visit this town which was the seat of Romanian princes, a place to worship, a center for trade, and many more. The town survives Ceausescu’s 1980s razing and much of its historic buildings have been restored while some are still waiting for their facelift. You will witness the history of this place and you can visit the theatres, restaurants and so on while you are here.

Go back in time to learn about the revolution

Romania experienced the bloodiest ending to the communist rule of all the Soviet states and some of the revolution’s most dramatic scenes happened in Piata Revolutiei. And it was here that Nicolae Ceausescu gave his last speech from the HQ’s balcony before he and his wife left the next day. The highlight of the place is the Rebirth Memorial, the square features a skinny marble spire piercing that looks like a black potato and it symbolizes the end of the country’s darkest period.

Tour the Romanian Athenaeum

This is the city’s most prestigious concert hall and a visit here is one of the top things to do in Bucarest. The building design looks like an ancient Greek temple with a 41m high dome and a peristyle of six Ionic columns. You will love the interior of the Athenaeum which features a lobby of intricately painted gold-leaf ceilings, spiral marble staircases, and cascading balconies. The highlight of the hall is the 70m long and 3m high fresco which winds its way around the circular hall that depicts Romania’s history.

Visit the National Art Museums

The museum is located in the former royal palace and it hosts the country’s most impressive collections of Romanian and European arts. The highlight of the museum is the mad kings and harlequins which were made by the Romanian artist Corneliu Baba. You should try and visit here very soon as some of the work of art is being given back to the rightful owners.

Explore Stavropoleos Church

This is a tiny, peaceful, and stunning church which was built in 1724 by a Greek monk. This is a unique landmark in Bucharest with its carved entrance lined with columns and it has a combination of Romanian and Byzantine elements. You can admire the several frescoes and wood icons once you are inside the church and the church itself was restored several times after it was damaged by earthquakes.

Go sightseeing at the Arch of triumph

This was finished in 1922 and it was made from wood and was dedicated to the Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I. It was reconstructed in granite in 1936 and stands at a height of 27m. You will the sculptures that the arch is adorned with and they are created by the most notable Romanian sculptors. The arch is still used as a central point of military parades and if you are chanced to be here on Romania’s national holiday, you can witness a military parade.

Escape the city at Comana natural park

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, you can go to Comana natural park which is the country’s biggest protected area and a place to rest and relax. The park is less than an hour’s drive from the city center and you can stroll, cycle, fish, or even eat out at the lakeside restaurant. The highlight of this tour is that you will get to know more about Romania’s culture and people as you will pass through some tiny villages, traditional horse-driven carts, and so on while you are on your way.

Tour the Cotroceni Palace

This is the Romanian version of 10 Downing Street and it is home to the Romanian President. The palace was originally built on monastery foundations and you will be wowed by the designs of the palace which was done by a French architect, Paul Gottereau. You can go on a tour of this palace where you will get to see the president’s home and official office space. You should note that the palace is closed on Monday.

Visit Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum

This was founded in 1936 and it is a one-of-a-kind open-air museum that stretches through leafy Herastrau Park and it symbolizes the traditional ways of life in Romania. The highlight of the tour is that you can walk through the 300 traditional buildings ranging from peasant homes with steep roofs to mills and all of these are transported from towns across every region of Romania. You can also see artifacts and pottery as well as other traditional items from around the country on display in the museum.

Explore the National Museum of Romanian History

This is one of the top things to do in Bucharest if you want to learn more about the history of Romania. In the museum, there are 60 rooms that display the country’s most stunning historical exhibits which date back to prehistoric to modern times. The highlight of the museum is the huge replica of 2nd century Trajan’s Column, Romanian Crown Jewels, Pietroasele Treasures, and so on.

Tour the Bucharest Parks

There are many beautiful parks that you will find locals all year round in Bucharesti. The oldest city park is the Cismigiu Garden and the highlight is renting rowboats in the summer and an ice rink in the winter it homes 30,000 trees and plants. You can also visit the Herastrau Park which homes the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, sports club, and open-air theater. You can also visit Carol Park which is considered to be one of the most beautiful parks in the capital and so on.

Go shopping at Obor Market

You can go window shopping in your leisure time at Obor market and you are going to get varieties of things from live turkeys to dodgy-looking food supplements. You can buy books from the street stalls, and you can buy Sibiu sausage which is popular as the nation’s best and you can even buy local honey.

Eat out at a peasant fare

There are many traditional places to eat whether you are in the city or in the winding streets behind the big Communist tower blocks. You can try out local delights like the ciorba de Burta (tripe soup) and so on. Some of the notable local restaurants to eat at are Hanu Berarilor, and Caru su Bere and you will surely love the settings and ambiance of the restaurants.

Go for a night out

The locals of Bucharest are party people who are fond of drinking, smoking and having fun. While you are here, you should also try to have fun at night and you can visit Control Club which is among the city’s most popular underground haunts where hippest musicals happen. You can also try out the Coffee Factory on Regina Elisabeta where you will be offered coffee that is roasted on-site and so on.

Bucharest Travel and Tour Packages

Bucharest is a historic city and this is a city where the past meets the present in culture, chaos, and coffee. There are many tourist attractions waiting for you to explore in this stunning city.

Find Hotels in Bucharest, Romania according to your budget via Agoda.

Also Read: Ultimate List Of The Best Hotels In Bucharest, Romania