Things to do in Bucharest
Wander through the narrow streets of Lipscani, Bucharest's quaint old quarter, to the colossal Communist-era Palace of Parliament. Bucharest's oldest street, Calea Victoriei, leads past the majestic Romanian Athenaeum to Piata Revolutiei (Revolution Square), where Communism was overthrown in 1989. The Museum of the Romanian Peasant offers a fascinating journey into Romania's rural past, the crumbling walls of Curtea Veche a glimpse of Bucharest's beginnings. Rest at Cismigiu Gardens, a beautifully landscaped inner-city oasis.
National Art Museum
Romanian masters of art
Inside central Bucharest's neo-classical Royal Palace resides the National
Art Museum. Romania's greatest painters and sculptors are displayed here,
including Theodor Aman, Constantin Brancusi and Gheorghe Tattarescu. Other
European masters, including Rembrandt, are on show too.
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Cost
RON8-RON15; concessions RON4-RON7.50
Opening Hours
May-Sep daily 11am-7pm, Oct-Apr daily 10am-6pm
Address
49-53, Calea Victoriei, Bucharest 010063
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 8119
Museum of the Romanian Peasant
Treasures from rural Romania
Bucharest's Museum of the Romanian Peasant documents the country's
fascinating rural past. Colourful costumes, hand-painted pottery and a
complete 18th-century wooden church await inside the museum, on Sos
Kiseleff. A separate section documents collectivisation in communist
Romania.
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Cost
RON6; concessions RON2
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Address
3, Sos Kiseleff, Bucharest 011341
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 317 9660
Village Museum
Reconstructions of the past
Bucharest's Village Museum, set in lush Herastrau Park, is one of Europe's
biggest outdoor museums. Restored country houses, large barns and
functioning water mills line the narrow paths. This museum illustrates what
Bucharest was like a few hundred years ago.
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Cost
RON6; concessions RON3
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 9am-7pm; Mon 9am-5pm
Address
28-30, Sos Kiseleff, Bucharest 011342
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 317 9110
Revolution Square
Where Communism was toppled
Located on Calei Victoriei, Bucharest's oldest street, Revolution Square is
where communist Romania came to an end. Bullet holes remain in the grand
buildings surrounding the square, potent reminders of the bloody upheaval
that took place here in 1989.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Calea Victoriei, Bucharest 010025
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Piata Universitatii Metro
Arcul de Triumf
First World War memorial
Bucharest's version of the Parisian Arc de Triumph stands on tree-lined Sos
Kiseleff in central Bucharest. Visitors climb the granite Arcul de Triumf
for views over Herastrau park. It was raised in 1922 to commemorate
Romania's World War I dead.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Piata Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest 011857
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Aviatorilor Metro
Romanian Athenaeum
Ornate concert hall
The domed Romanian Athenaeum, in central Bucharest, is the neo-classical home
of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. The golden ceilings, ornate
frieze decorations and high marble pillars have made this cream-coloured
concert hall a Bucharest landmark since its 1888 opening.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Building open daily 2pm-6pm
Address
1-3, Benjamin Franklin, Bucharest 010287
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 31 500 26
Transport
Piata Romana or Piata Universitatii Metro
Website
Palace of Parliament
Communist colossus
More than 1000 rooms over 12 floors make up the colossal Palace of
Parliament, south of Bucharest's centre. It's the former home of Romania's
megalomaniac communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu. Tours take in opulent
1980s decor, with chandeliers and marble galore.
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Cost
RON15; students and under 7s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-4pm
Address
1, Calea 13 Septembrie, Bucharest 050726
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 311 3611
Curtea Veche
Home of Count Dracula
The crumbling walls and arches of Curtea Veche, in Lipscani, are the remains
of Bucharest's first settlement. Its heart, the Prince's Palace, was built
by prince Vlad Tepes, better known as Count Dracula in the 15th century.
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Cost
RON4
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm
Address
25-31, Strada Franceza, Bucharest 030103
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 3140 375
Transport
Piata Unirii Metro
Cismigiu Garden
Paddling and skating lake
The small Cismigiu Garden is where locals play chess and chat on benches.
Visitors paddle in the lake in summer, and skate in winter. This central
Bucharest oasis of green was created by 19th-century gardener Carl de
Meyer.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, Bucharest 050025
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Izvor Metro
