Bucharest

No reviews yetCity Bucharest, Romania

Liscani Street 3, Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

National Cathedral of Romania (2025 November), Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

Dambovita near Ciurel Bridge in Bucharest, Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

BucharestBRDTower, Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

About Bucharest

Grand belle epoque boulevards, Orthodox churches tucked between apartment blocks and one of the largest buildings on earth: Bucharest packs Romania's whole turbulent history into one sprawling, lively capital. Its elegant 19th and early 20th century architecture once earned it the nickname Little Paris, and Calea Victoriei still shows off palaces, theatres and cafes from that era.

The twentieth century left its mark too. Under Ceausescu much of the old centre was cleared for the Palace of the Parliament and the boulevards around it, and Revolution Square was where the regime fell in December 1989. Between these landmarks lie the Old Town with its inns and beer halls, quiet monasteries such as Stavropoleos, and leafy parks like Cismigiu and King Michael I Park on Lake Herastrau.

The city has excellent museums, from the National Museum of Art in the former Royal Palace to the open-air Village Museum, plus a busy food, music and nightlife scene. Popular day trips lead to Mogosoaia Palace, Snagov Monastery and the Prahova Valley in the Carpathians.

Best seasonMay to June and September to October, warm but not as hot as midsummer

Ideal stay3 days

ArrivingHenri Coanda International Airport (Otopeni) north of the city; trains at Bucharest North Station (Gara de Nord)

Top 12 Experiences in Bucharest

Landmarks 3

Palace of the Parliament

Begun in 1984 under Nicolae Ceausescu, this vast building is among the largest and heaviest administrative buildings in the world...

Revolution Square Bucharest

This square on Calea Victoriei is where Ceausescu gave his last speech in December 1989 before fleeing by helicopter from the roof...

Arcul de Triumf Bucharest

Standing on Kiseleff Road in the north of the city, this stone arch was completed in the 1930s to honour Romanian soldiers and the...

Arts 1

Romanian Athenaeum

Opened in 1888, this domed, columned concert hall is the most beloved building in Bucharest and the home of the George Enescu Phil...

Temples and Shrines 1

Stavropoleos Monastery

Built in 1724 by a Greek monk, this tiny church in the Old Town is a gem of the Brancovan style, with carved stone columns, painte...

Neighborhoods 1

Bucharest Old Town

The historic centre around Lipscani Street mixes restored merchant houses, arcades such as the Macca-Vilacrosse Passage and the ru...

Museums 3

National Museum of Art of Romania

Housed in the former Royal Palace on Revolution Square, this museum has two main collections: a national gallery with medieval ico...

Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum

Founded in 1936 by sociologist Dimitrie Gusti on the shore of Lake Herastrau, this open-air museum gathers real farmhouses, wooden...

National Museum of the Romanian Peasant

In a neo-Romanian building near Piata Victoriei, this museum presents rural life through textiles, pottery, painted icons on glass...

Parks 2

Cismigiu Gardens

Laid out in the 19th century, Cismigiu is the oldest public park in central Bucharest, a romantic landscape garden with a winding...

King Michael I Park

Formerly known as Herastrau Park, this is the largest park in Bucharest, wrapped around Lake Herastrau in the north of the city. L...

Food and Drink 1

Caru' cu Bere

Serving beer in Bucharest since the late 19th century, this landmark beer hall on Stavropoleos Street is famous for its neo-Gothic...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Bucharest? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Share your photos

Been to Bucharest? Add your best shots to the gallery.

Photo credits

Photo: seisdeagosto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: CARPATHIANLAND, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: MIHAIL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: CristianChirita, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Madalin Pentelie, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jorge Franganillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Ștefan Jurcă from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Ștefan Jurcă from Munich, Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Rakoon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Britchi Mirela, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Britchi Mirela, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Babu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: sailko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: anisoboy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: nl:User:Al, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Korinna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: MM, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Original uploader was Boris.baski at fr.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 1.0

Photo: Sanziana Gheorghe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Giuseppe Milo from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Leontin l, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Matti Blume, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Noah Meyerhans from Seattle, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Alstyle, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Vaivoda Vlad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Andreea, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: rsandu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: MM, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Sanziana Gheorghe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro

Photo: Britchi V.I.Iulia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Cristian Chirita, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5

Photo: Újfalusi Németh Jenő, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0