Palace of Parliament
Built by former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the
colossal Palace of Parliament is the largest civilian
administrative building in the world. It is an immense structure
that took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build, and cost
billions. It has 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 328 foot-long (100m)
lobby, and four underground levels including an enormous nuclear
bunker.
Started in 1984, the dictator intended it to be the
headquarters of his Communist Government, but it was still
unfinished when he was executed in 1989. Today it houses the seat
of Romania's Parliament (which occupies only 30 percent of the
building) and is an international conference centre. Widely viewed
as a personification of his obsession with the grandiose and
excessive, the construction entailed the demolition of a quarter of
Bucharest's historic centre, including 26 churches, and the
relocation of 40,000 inhabitants from their 19th century homes to
new developments on the outskirts.
Built and furnished exclusively from Romanian
materials, the building reflects the work of the country's best
artisans. A guided tour takes visitors through a small section of
dazzling rooms, huge halls and quarters used by the Senate (when
not in session). The interior is a luxurious display of crystal
chandeliers, mosaics, oak panelling, and marble, gold leaf and
stained glass windows, and even the floors are covered in rich
carpets. The largest room has a sliding roof wide enough for a
helicopter to enter. Tour guides delight in recounting tales of the
vast amounts of money that went to waste in decorating and
re-decorating its rooms.
Address: Strada Izvor 2-4
Palace of Parliament
George Groutas
The Village Museum
One of Bucharest's finest sights is the Village
Museum, situated within the Herastrau Park alongside a picturesque
lake. It is a fascinating outdoor museum with a collection that
spans more than 300 buildings representing the history and design
of Romania's rural architecture, including peasant homes, barns,
wooden churches, and Transylvanian houses from all regions of the
country to recreate a village setting.
Traditionally dressed peasant workers portray life
during the 16th and 17th centuries along with everyday tools and
accessories. Traditional crafts are also for sale around the
site.
Address: 28-30, Șoseaua Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff
Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 9am-7pm, closed
Monday.
The Village Museum
Klearchos Kapoutsis
Stavropoleos Church and Monastery
The tiny but remarkable Stavropoleos Church was built
in 1724, designed by a Wallachian prince renowned for his religious
architectural accomplishments, and is one of the oldest churches in
Bucharest. Built using a combination of Romanian and Byzantine
architecture, the beautiful façade and a delicately carved columned
entrance, give but a taste of the beauty that lies within.
Surrounded by a peaceful garden, it is an architectural jewel, with
intricate frescoes and religious icons.
Attached to the church is Stravropoleos Monastery.
The Monastery specialises in Byzantine music and has an impressive
choir and Romania's largest collection of Byzantine music books.
The monastery's library contains more than 8,000 books, including a
significant number of old manuscripts and printed works.
Address: Stavropoleos Street
Stavropoleos Church and Monastery
Andrei Stroe
National History Museum
Housed in the former 1900 Post Office building is one
of Bucharest's most important museums, the National History Museum.
Spread throughout 41 rooms, the exhibits recount the country's
development from prehistoric times to the 1920s.
Located inside the former Postal Services Palace, the
museum is housed next to a philatelic museum, housing hundreds of
thousands of historic stamps. Interestingly, the museum had to be
closed briefly for reconstruction in 2012 when a late-medieval
archaeological site was discovered under the building.
The highlight is the basement National Treasury,
which is crammed with a dazzling display of gold, jewellery, and
valuable Neolithic curios. It is the biggest and best museum in the
country and affords an excellent opportunity to get to grips with
the exciting history of Romania.
Address: Calea Victoriei 12
Opening time: Wednesday to Sunday 10am-6pm, Monday and Tuesday
closed.
National History Museum
Joe Mabel
A continental climate ensures that Bucharest experiences hot,
dry summers and cold winters when temperatures often drop well
below freezing. The city lies on the Romanian Plain, and this
brings chilly winter winds. Summer is the best time to visit, as
temperatures are usually pleasantly warm with occasional heat
waves, and humidity is low, but there can be occasional rainstorms.
In summer (June to August), temperatures average between 57°F
(14°C) and 95°F (35°C), and in winter (December to February),
temperatures average between 22°F (-6°C) and 39°F (4°C). The
rainiest seasons in Bucharest are spring and autumn.
Henri Coanda International Airport
Location: The airport is situated 10 miles (16.5km) north of
Bucharest.
Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from last Sunday in
March to last Sunday in October).
Transfer Between Terminals:
The terminal buildings are connected by a corridor; it takes
five minutes to walk between the terminals.
Getting to the city:
Express bus services, 783 or 780, leave frequently for the city
centre and main railway station, respectively. This line runs both
in daytime and at night, and buses arrive every 40 minutes. Taxis
are also available 24 hours to take passengers anywhere in
Bucharest or to any other region in the country. Taxi stations are
located at the exit of the main terminal. Passengers should avoid
cabs that do not display the price and have no meters.
Car Rental:
Car rental companies include Avis, Autonomous, Budget, Europcar,
Hertz, Sixt, and Enterprise.
Airport Taxis:
Bucharest has two types of taxi. Smaller taxis cost about RON
1.5 per km and the larger taxis charge about RON 3.5 per km. The
trip between the airport and Bucharest can take up to an hour in
heavy traffic. Visitors are advised to only make use of official
taxis with working meters and the prices displayed.
Fascilities:
There are banks, bars, and restaurants at the airport. Other
facilities include a bureaux de change, left luggage, a
hairdresser, duty-free shops, chapel, pharmacy, and a post office.
Disabled facilities are good; those who need a wheelchair or have
other special requirements should contact their airline in
advance.
Parking
Long and short-term parking is available. Short-term parking is
3 lei for every 30 minutes. Long-term parking costs 40 lei per day,
and 20 lei if parking is extended up to 3-4 days. The maximum use
of this car park is 30 days.
Bucharest Street Music Festival
The Bucharest Street Music Festival takes place every year
against the backdrop of the cobbled alleys and winding roads of the
medieval old city. With more than 400 international artists, the
event and the skilled artists involved evoke the music and
traditions of the troubadours by performing Romanian folk music and
medieval pieces.
Street festivities, Bucharest
EuropaFest
Romania's main cultural event, EurpaFest is an international
music festival held every spring, attracting performers and
festival goers from over 50 countries. The main event is centered
around concerts by top classical jazz, bluesm and rock musicians,
held at some of Bucharest's finest venues. Over 300 artists are
expected to perform live at EuropaFest and there are also
competitions, master classes, and a prize-winners' gala on the
final evening.
EuropaFest performer
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Public transport in Bucharest is cheap and generally reliable.
The metro is the best way to get around the centre as not many bus
and tram routes go through the central zone, apart from some
express buses on major thoroughfares; they are the quickest way to
reach outlying areas, and cost about double the standard bus fare.
The metro is fast, and despite some poorly signed stations, easier
to navigate than the bus system. Tickets valid for two journeys
cost 5 lei.
Buses, trolley buses and trams are well integrated and tickets
are valid on all three networks, but they are usually crowded and
pickpockets are a problem. To use any of these, visitors must first
purchase an 'Activ' card. Trips cost 1.30 lei each. There are also
private minibuses that travel along the major thoroughfares and can
be hailed anywhere along their route.
Taxis in Bucharest are reasonable, but foreigners are more than
likely to be overcharged. Hotels or restaurants should know the
approximate fare, which can then be negotiated and a fixed price
agreed before getting in. Car hire is targeted at business visitors
and is quite expensive; drivers need to be 21 years of age and have
a passport, international insurance policy, international driving
permit, and valid driver's license. Driving in Bucharest can be
harrowing as locals drive erratically, and roads are not well
signposted.
Sightseeing in Bucharest offers visitors a wealth of
attractions. Not only are the tree-lined boulevards and city parks
incredibly picturesque, but visitors can choose from a number of
sightseeing options for their time in Bucharest.
The Palace of Parliament is second only to the Pentagon as the
largest state building in the world, where visitors can tour the
astonishing communist-era colossus. The National History Museum is
the best museum in Romania, with exhibits spanning from prehistoric
times until the early twentieth century. The stunning Stavropoleos
Church and Monastery houses an extensive collection of manuscripts
and printed works, and if you're lucky, you may even get a chance
hear the monastery choir.
Finally, the Village Museum is the perfect place to spend an
afternoon, marvelling at the outdoor structures and traditionally
dressed peasant workers. Once a beautiful and proud Eastern
European city, Bucharest was left to ruin by the communist
government and only recently has it started regaining its footing
and regaining its lost lustre.
Palace of Parliament
George Groutas
The Village Museum
Klearchos Kapoutsis
Stavropoleos Church and Monastery
Andrei Stroe
National History Museum
Joe Mabel
