A place of real meaning, not just because it is one of the oldest buildings in the city, but because it is one of Europes final caravanserais (khans). Your email address will not be published. Look for Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse on the west side, a fork-shaped shopping passage from 1891 lit by yellow stained glass in its roof. Nicu was almost 90 at that time and he has been making hats since he was 14. Nowadays, you will find a beautifully restored medieval tavern, a wine cellar, and the summer garden that is well worth a stop. The setting for all sorts of Romanian institutions, Revolution Square got its name from the violent unrest in 1989 that deposed Nicolae Ceauescu and overthrew the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was also used as a filming location from some Romanian and American movies, as well as for videos for Romanian singers, probably because of its interesting architecture. Erected in 2005, it includes the names of the 1,058 victims of the bloody revolution and a bronze statue of Iuliu Maniu, the Romanian prime minister imprisoned by the communist party.

The palace was raised at an enormous cost, in terms of money but also lives, as thousands of people are claimed to have died during its construction in the second half of the 1980s. The largest park in Bucharest borders the city to the north, and much of its area is taken up by the 74-hectare Herstru Lake. Near the Japanese Gardens beside Herstru Park, this monument dates to 1936 to commemorate both the Romanian War of Independence and the First World War. Required fields are marked *. Sorry, this product is currently unavailable. An arm of the National Museum of Art, this museum is in the Palatul Romanit, which goes back to 1822 and was a private home before eventually becoming Romanias Ministry of Finance. You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/. On foot take a detour through the Insula Trandafirilor (Rose Island), down the lime tree avenues and into the Japanese Garden, planted with cherry trees that bloom in early spring. After King Michael I abdicated following the Second World War, the Neoclassical Royal Palace on Revolution Square has been the headquarters of Romanias National Museum of Art. To see the people at worship and learn a little about their religion, head to the Armenian Church of Bucharest. Discover the best places to visit in this dynamic city with our list of the top attractions and things to do in Bucharest. Below is a small selection of the best-rated day tours all well worth it. This was built as the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, and in 1989 Ceauescu and his wife Elena fled by helicopter from the roof before eventually being tried and executed on Christmas day of that year. Address: Strada Franceza 25-31, Bucharest. For now, explore the backstreets and try to imagine them in their heydey. And who knows, maybe you will find a perfect hat for you. In this article, I want to share some of these hidden gems with you so that you too can experience Bucharest as a local. On the Colentina River, this large body of water is partly man-made having been formed when riverside marshes were drained in the 1930s. Source: Tatiana Dyuvbanova / shutterstock. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a6dd5710ee3be96117cb5b0caa2f62f5" );document.getElementById("b972183894").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Im a solo female traveller originally from the UK, travelling the world full-time since 2018. Furthermore, they make some of the best cocktails in Bucharest. 25 Best Things to Do in Bucharest (Romania), Traditions in Bucharest: Village Museum & Wine Tasting, Bucharest Old Town 2.5-Hour Private Walking Tour, 30 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in California, 40 Places to See in Florida Before Your Kids Grow Up, 15 Best Things to Do in Bossier City (LA). This 80-room palace was built in the 1960s, and came with a winter garden, wine cellar, silk wallpaper, valuable art, expensive furniture, a large swimming pool, bathrooms with solid gold fittings and even a cinema.

Thnks!!! From street art to abandoned buildings, and from trendy bookstores to some of the hip rooftop bars that only locals know about Find out! A building of absurd magnitude, the Parliamentary Palace hosts Romanias Parliament, but also perfectly encapsulates Nicolae Ceauescus megalomania. The 19th-century building, designed by French architect Albert Galleron, resembles an ancient Greek temple with a 41-meter-high dome and a peristyle of six Ionic columns. Revolution Square (Piata Revolutiei) earned its name after setting the scene of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final minutes of power in Romania. Many of these items were the personal collections of Queen Marie of Romania and King Ferdinand I at the turn of the 20th century. The church also holds the relics of the 13th-century Saint Dimitrie Basarabov, the patron saint of Bucharest. Kiseleff 28-30, Herastrau Park, Bucharest, Official site: http://muzeul-satului.ro/en/. Ps. Some of these churches were lost in the 1980s when the city was reconfigured along the lines of a European Pyongyang, but many were saved by being moved in one piece to backstreets. Its design is impressively minimal, playing with light that filters through a central skylight, creating an atmosphere that is like a moving carousel, hence its name, which literally translates to "Carousel of Light.". The oldest recreation space in the centre of Bucharest, Cismigiu Gardens took shape in the middle of the 19th century and were laid out by German landscape architect Carl Meyer. Here you can read about the most beautiful towns and cities in Romania, and here our guide to visiting Brasov, one of the most picturesque cities in Romania. Whether youre in the business of buying or simply killing time in the capital, the market is open from 10am daily. Romanias capital didnt initially blow me away hence I decided to dig a little deeper and suss out the hidden gems in Bucharest. 15 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Hungary, 18 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Budapest, Where to Stay in Budapest: Best Areas & Hotels, 15 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions of Budapest's Castle Hill, 10 Top-Rated Things to Do in Edirne, Turkey, 14 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Ukraine, From Krakow to Wieliczka Salt Mines: 3 Best Ways to Get There, From Krakow to Auschwitz: 4 Best Ways to Get There, 9 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do at the Metora Monasteries, 15 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Thessaloniki, 10 Top-Rated Things to Do in Kotor, Montenegro, 22 Best Places to Visit in the United States, 20 Best Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in the World, explore other areas of the Czech Republic. Before visiting Bucharest, I heard about the English Passage, a small alley connecting Calea VictorieiandStrada Academiei. Discover destinations, find outdoor adventures, follow the journeys of our travel writers around the world, and be inspired. Nevertheless, its not something youll probably find if you are not specifically looking for it, so keep in mind when exploring the Old Town. I decided to stroll down the hidden alley to see what it was all about. An interesting building to ponder for a moment is the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 10 Best Things To Do in Bucharest (+ Tips for Your Visit), Antwerp by Bike: Things to See, Route Itinerary & Tips. Bordering the park, 19th- and 20th-century villas are the homes of Bucharest's elite. Finished in 1878, Bucharest's first Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) was made from wood and dedicated to the Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I. The remainder is dedicated to the history and culture of the Romanian countryside, summing up 400 years and presenting a jaw-dropping diversity of costume, furniture, religious objects and ceramics. In no specific order, here are some of the best hidden gems of Bucharest, Romania: Bucharest is sometimes called the Little Paris. Over the centuries, it has been the seat of Romanian princes, a center for trade, a place to worship, and a crossroads for travelers. The arch is at the same location as an earlier wooden version built in haste to celebrate victory in the War of Independence when the nation broke from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. Next year I will start planning for a trip to Bucharest. We dont have to fall in love with everywhere we go.If youre visiting and feeling the same as I did, I hope this blog post helps you find quirky places in Bucharest and enhances your trip. Manucs Inn was set up by the Armenian Merchant Manuc Bei in 1802 with the classic format of a large central courtyard around two levels of wooden galleries with rooms for lodging, dining and storing goods. So far I hadnt needed to search for hidden places in Romania.After so many small towns, I was excited for the hustle and bustle of a big city. I found this unusual place in Bucharest by accident while walking to Crtureti Verona. So thanks to Instagram and other social media this little hidden passage is now probably the most popular street in Bucharest.

Join us as we discover the world one beautiful adventure at a time! In any case, it can be visited if agreed in advance, and also for corporate events and group trips. On December 21, 1989, a coup d'tat ensued here with the help of a crowd of more than 100,000, forcing the leader of the communist party to flee and changing the course of the country's history. First opened in 1906, the history of this highly-regarded folk museum was interrupted in the 20th century by the Communist regime, but it reopened in 1990 no more than six weeks after Ceauescu died. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. And lastly theres the Romanian treasury in the basement, with precious stones worn by Marie of Romania (Granddaughter of Queen Victoria), as well as the Crown Jewels, among which are sceptres, crowns and ceremonial swords. A performance venue extraordinaire, the Neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum is the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. This 100-year-old Orthodox church has some gorgeous artwork as well as a small library where documents about the Armenian population are kept. In the basement theres a comprehensive exhibition on the biodiversity of Romania, while the ground floor deals with all the major ecosystems on the earths surface. And while its an absolute must to visitthe Palace of Parliament and the Revolution Square, you shouldalso see the other side of Bucharest in order to truly appreciate the city as it is today! But this stands in an ensemble with the Palace of the Patriarchate, with its striking Ionic columns. So in this post, Im sharing some different things to do in Bucharest, some less-known places, the hidden gems of Bucharest. You can enter for a small fee, and pay a little extra to go inside the greenhouses like the Sera Veche, which reopened 2011 after being closed for 35 years. Looking for some cool places in Bucharest or want to get a bit off the beaten path in Romanias capital city? Rose has lived in Mexico, Canada and all over Asia, seeking out food, bubble tea and street art wherever she goes! If youre a photographer, youre going to particularly like this elegant spot. Youll probably never think of climbing five flights of stairs of a hostel in the center of Bucharest in order to get to abar. Enjoy!

The lake itself can be navigated by rowboat in the summer, and if it freezes over in winter its possible to go skating on its surface. Multimedia and interactive exhibits now go hand-in-hand with the classic dinosaur skeletons, taxidermies and dioramas, many of which were first set up by Antipa decades ago.