The capital city of Romania, Bucharest is an eclectic combination of Romanian traditional life and international trends; if you visit Romania you may be surprised that Bucharest is not a uniform city. The message it clearly sends is that of style complexity. According to the rules of history, it is not a very old city, first documentary attestation only goes back to the 15th century when it is mentioned as the capital of the principality of Vlad the Impaler. The legend attributes the foundation of Bucharest to the shepherd Bucur.
For centuries, Bucharest was not even the capital city of the province of Vallahia, this was only the summer residence of the court, seriously competed by Targoviste, which was the official seat of the rulers. One can truly say that throughout the centuries, Bucharest saw important and dramatic events that shaped its appearance for all times. Just think that it knew several cultural and political dominations from the Turks, the Greeks, the Germans and the Soviet, not to mention several fires and a devastating plague.
Beyond the dark spots of history, let’s get an idea of why Bucharest used to be called Little Paris or the Paris of Eastern Europe. There is the Arch of Triumph, built as a close imitation of the one located on the Champs Elysees. This is one of the main touristic sights in Bucharest, built in 1935 to commemorate the war victims killed in War World I. But this is just the beginning of a tour that should fill you to the brim with a unique experience.
Among the city’s landmarks there are several worth mentioning that are almost synonyms of the word Bucharest. The first such monument is the Palace of Parliament, built in the 1980s during the communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. At the moment it is estimated to be the largest building in Europe, and at the international level it’s in the top three. Presently it is open to public visitation as it houses the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate as well as the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
If the Palace of the Parliament is a constant reminder of the dramatic days of a totalitarian regime, the Memorial of Rebirth is one other highly appreciated Bucharest landmark that commemorates the victims of the 1989 Romanian Revolution that ended Ceausescu’s rule. The monument is a stylized marble column that attracted lots of controversial observations. I won’t tell you more, as you have to see it for yourself before actually passing an opinion.
Bucharest has also the name of being a great entertainment centre; there are quite a large number of theatres the largest of which being the National Theatre. This is another main focal point in Bucharest, The National Theatre is the seat of the most important international art events. High quality entertainment is to be found with any of the other smaller theatres Bulandra, Odeon, Tandarica or Nottara, and the art companies that perform all sorts of genres, throughout the day.
A tour must absolutely give us a glimpse of Bucharest’s visual arts representations, both classical and contemporary. Perhaps the best known museum in Romania is the National Museum of Art of Romania, open in the former royal palace. There are large collections of medieval art, including the international art collection gathered by the royal family. However, the primary attractions of the National Museum are the works of Constantin Brancusi, the sculptor that brought Romanian art to a different level of evolution.
If you want to find refuge from the noise of the city, go to one of the huge parks Bucharest offers. The largest parks are Cismigiu and Herastrau, both organized around lakes that give tourists the opportunity to take boat trips. Relax and enjoy the traditional Romanian sweet pastry they sell here. Tourists may also visit the Village Museum, discovering a generous picture of the Romanian lifestyle from all over the country.
There are so many things to visit and enjoy in the maze of tourist attractions offered in Bucharest, that sooner or later you’ll need to explore it in your own way to really get a feel for the city. Diversity is present in every aspect of Bucharest, there is no predominant cuisine with a mixture of trends and delicious dishes from a variety of cultures. You can actually eat almost anything you want. My recommendation would go towards the great sweets they’ve got. Romanians have some great cakes called savarine or sarailii, that originated in the Turkish cuisine, and were further developed locally. You must have one of these! Enjoy it!