Romania’s capital gets a bad rap, but in fact it's dynamic, energetic and more than a little bit funky. It’s where unreconstructed communism meets unbridled capitalism; where the soporific forces of the EU meet the passions of the Balkans and Middle East. Many travellers give the city just a night or two before heading off to Transylvania but, frankly, that’s not enough. Budget at least a few days to take in the museums, stroll the parks and hang out at trendy cafes.
Palace of ParliamentHISTORIC BUILDING
The Palace of Parliament is the world’s second-largest building (after the Pentagon) and former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s most infamous creation. Started in 1984 (and still unfinished), the building has more than 3000 rooms and covers 330,000 sq metres. Entry is by guided tour only (book in advance). Bring your passport since they check IDs. Today it houses the parliament.
The Old Town and Piaţa Revoluţiei mark the heart of the centre. The Old Town was the seat of power in the 15th century, but today it's a pedestrianised warren of clubs and cafes.
Piaţa Revoluţiei, just to the north, saw the heaviest fighting in the 1989 overthrow of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu. Those days are commemorated by the Rebirth Memorial in the middle of the square. Nearby, the balcony of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Buildingwas where he made his infamous last speech before escaping (briefly) by helicopter.
Old Princely CourtRUINS
The Old Princely Court dates to the 15th century, when Bucharest was the capital of the Wallachian principality. The ruins are being slowly excavated but for now you can wander around some of the rooms of the former court. The Vlad Ţepeş statue out the front makes a good photo.
Stavropoleos ChurchCHURCH
The tiny and lovely Stavropoleos Church, which dates from 1724, perches a bit oddly a block over from some of Bucharest's craziest Old Town carousing. It's one church, though, that will make a lasting impression, with its courtyard filled with tombstones and an ornate wooden interior and carved wooden doors.
National History MuseumMUSEUM
Houses an excellent collection of maps, statues and ancient jewels, and is particularly strong on the country's ties to ancient Rome, including a replica of the 2nd-century Trajan’s Column. Our favourite piece, though, is not inside the museum at all, but rather on the steps outside: a controversial (and funny) Statue of Emperor Trajan standing naked holding a Dacian wolf.
National Art MuseumMUSEUM
Housed in the 19th-century Royal Palace, this massive museum – all signed in English – houses two permanent galleries: one for National Art and the other for European Masters. The national gallery is particularly strong on ancient and medieval art, while the European gallery includes some 12,000 pieces laid out by nationality.
Grigore Antipa Natural History MuseumMUSEUM
One of the few attractions in Bucharest squarely aimed at kids, this natural history museum has been thoroughly renovated and now features modern bells and whistles such as video displays, games and interactive exhibits. Much of it is signed in English.
Museum of the Romanian PeasantMUSEUM
The collection of peasant bric-a-brac, costumes, icons and partially restored houses makes this one of the most popular museums in the city. There’s not much English signage, but little cards in English posted in each room give a flavour of what’s on offer. An 18th-century church stands in the back lot, as does a great gift shop and restaurant.
National Village MuseumMUSEUM
On the shores of Herăstrău Lake, this museum is a terrific open-air collection of several dozen homesteads, churches, mills and windmills relocated from rural Romania. Built in 1936 by royal decree, it is one of Europe’s oldest open-air museums and a good choice for kids to boot.
AIR
All international and domestic flights use Henri Coandă International Airport (often referred to by its previous name, Otopeni). Henri Coandă is 17km north of Bucharest on the road to Braşov. The airport is a modern facility, with restaurants, newsagents, currency exchange offices and ATMs.
It's also the hub for national carrier Tarom ( www.tarom.ro ). Tarom has a comprehensive network of internal flights to major Romanian cities as well to capitals and big cities around Europe and the Middle East.
BUS
It’s possible to get just about anywhere in the country by bus from Bucharest, but figuring out where your bus or maxitaxi departs from can be tricky. Bucharest has several bus stations and they don’t seem to follow any discernible logic.
The best bet is to consult the websites www.autogari.ro and www.cdy.ro. Both keep up-to-date timetables and are fairly easy to manage. Another option is to ask your hotel to help with arrangements or book through a travel agency.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Driving in Bucharest is lunacy and you won’t want to do it for more than a few minutes before you stow the car and use the metro. If you’re travelling around by car and want to visit Bucharest for the day, park at a metro station on the outskirts and take the metro in.
TRAIN
Domestic and international trains use the main station, Gara de Nord (www.cfrcalatori.ro). It’s around 2km from the centre and best reached by metro. The station has restaurants, ATMs and left-luggage facilities.
Buy tickets at ticket windows. For international tickets, the private travel agency Wasteels ( www.triptkts.ro ), located inside the station, can sort out complicated connections.
Sample destinations and fares from Bucharest on fast IC trains include Braşov (50 lei, three hours, several daily), Cluj-Napoca (94 lei, 10 hours, two daily), Sibiu (75 lei, six hours, two daily), Timişoara (105 lei, nine hours, two daily) and Suceava (94 lei, seven hours, one daily).
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