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.
Museums and Galleries
Expand all1. National Art Museum - Romanian masters of art
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
2. Museum of the Romanian Peasant - Treasures from rural Romania
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
RON6; concessions RON2
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Address
3, Sos Kiseleff, Bucharest 011341
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 317 9660
3. Village Museum - Reconstructions of the past
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
Attractions
Expand all4. Revolution Square - Where Communism was toppled
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Calea Victoriei, Bucharest 010025
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Piata Universitatii Metro
5. Arcul de Triumf - First World War memorial
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Piata Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest 011857
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Aviatorilor Metro
6. Romanian Athenaeum - Ornate concert hall
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
7. Palace of Parliament - Communist colossus
Show more 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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
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
Special things to do
Expand all8. Curtea Veche - Home of Count Dracula
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
RON4
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm
Address
25-31, Strada Franceza, Bucharest 030103
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 3140 375
Transport
Piata Unirii Metro
9. Cismigiu Garden - Paddling and skating lake
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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.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, Bucharest 050025
Telephone
+40 (0) 21 314 9957
Transport
Izvor Metro
