Bucharest

The capital of Romania and one of the most exciting cities

Bucharest is the capital of Romania and the most visited city in the country. Its uniqueness is rendered, first of all, by the vastness of the architectural elements. In addition to the cultural and historical spaces as well as established objectives, you will also have many options to spend your free time. Bucharest combines the old and the new in a unique way that attracts two million tourists annually.

History &

Geography

The first official historical mention of the city with its contemporary name dates from the Middle Ages, 1459. In short, the historic timeline of the capital can be represented as follows: vassal of the Ottoman Empire, periods under Russian occupation and short discontinuous periods of Habsburg rule.

 

In 1881 Bucharest became the capital of the Romanian Principalities, after the unification of Moldavia with Wallachia. After the unification of Transylvania with Romania on December 1, 1918, Bucharest became the capital of the entire country. The interwar period was auspicious for the city as it developed culturally and administratively and, during which, it was known as “little Paris“. Between the end of the Second World War and the 1989 revolution, Romania was under the communist regime, time when the face of Bucharest changed dramatically.

 

Bucharest is located in the southeast of Romania and its neighbors are: in the north – Ploiesti, in the south – Giurgiu, in the east – Dobrogea and in the west – Oltenia. The capital-city is located in the Vlăsiei Plain, which is an integral part of the Romanian Plain.

Știai că...?

  • In order to build the People’s Palace, an entire neighbourhood named Uranus, was demolished? This took place between 1981-1988.

 

  • Bucharest is the first city in the world to introduce the street illumination using lamp oil in 1857?

 

  • The first trams in Bucharest were pulled by horses?

 

  • At European level, Bucharest is the sixth largest capital?

 

  • The narrowest street in the city is 198 centimetres wide and is located in the Rahova neighbourhood? It is only 70 centimetres wider than the narrowest street in Europe.

 

  • In the past, there were fur hat thieves who strategically gathered in Bellu Cemetery? They stood on the wall, lurking and grabbing hats from passers by and then selling them in Tineretului Park.

 

  • The name Little Paris derives from the fact that during the years 1900-1930 Bucharest was among the most beautiful and modernised European cities?

 

  • The first traffic light in Bucharest appeared in 1929?

 

  • Originally, in 1922, the Arc de Triomphe was built out of wood?

 

  • The first road in Bucharest (Calea Victoriei today) was called the Wooden Road? The name comes from the fact that the street was paved with tree trunks.

 

Let's travel and discover

Tourist Attractions in Bucharest

Palace of Parliament

Palace of Parliament – is the largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon, and was built according to brutalist socialist architecture.

The Romanian Athenaeum

The Romanian Athenaeum – is an emblematic building of Bucharest combining neoclassical and eclectic styles.

The Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe – is a monument of significance for the Romanian people, being a symbol related to Romania’s victory in the First World War.

The Museum of the Romanian Peasant

The Museum of the Romanian Peasant – is a museum where popular traditions and national art are displayed.

The Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History

The Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History – is the largest museum of its kind in Romania; contains over two million exhibits grouped into various categories such as: zoology and palaeontology.

The Old Centre

The Old Centre – in the historic centre you will find many tourist attractions, such as: Stavropoleos Monastery, Caru cu Bere, the CEC Palace, the statue of Trajan, the Royal Court.

Internal and external links

Transportation in/from Bucharest

Bucharest has direct connections with most European capitals, as well as with the largest cities in Romania.

The city has two airports: Henri Coanda Airport (Otopeni) and Aurel Vlaicu Airport. The first has domestic flights to Arad, Bacau, Baia Mare, Cluj-Napoca, Constanța, Iași, Satu Mare, Suceava, Târgu Mureș, Timișoara. External flights have connections with many other airports in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Aurel Vlaicu Airport is intended for low-cost airlines that serve both domestic and international flights.

 

For those who are going to rent a car in the country, the following information is really useful:

The capital of Romania represents the most important logistic node in the country, being the starting point of the following national roads and highways to which you can find attached the related routes:

  • DN1 (Brașov – Sibiu – Cluj Napoca – Oradea),
  • DN2 (Bucharest – Buzău – Focșani – Bacău – Suceava),
  • DN3 (Bucharest – Constanța),
  • DN6 (Bucharest – Alexandria – Craiova – Caransebeș – Timișoara – Cenad),
  • DN7 (Bucharest – Pitești – Râmnicu Vâlcea – Sibiu – Deva – Arad – Nădlac);
  • A1 Motorway (Bucharest – Pitești),
  • A2 Motorway (Bucharest – Constanța),
  • A3 Motorway (Bucharest – Ploiești Ring Road).
  • DN1A (Bucharest – Ploiești – Vălenii de Munte – Brașov) and
  • DN17 (Bucharest – Târgoviște – Sinaia) are two other national roads that leave the capital.

 

If you want to travel by train around the country the railway tracks of CFR (the national train company) leave Bucharest, reaching all the main cities.

 

If you prefer a faster option, you can choose to travel by bus / minibus. Here you will find all the necessary information for this: bus stations and bus stops, departure and arrival times, destinations.

Festivals and other attractions in Bucharest

If you like music festivals, in Bucharest you will find one to your taste, regardless of the style of music you prefer. Here you have a list with some of them, but you should know that every weekend there are events for all tastes.

  • Elrow – the famous international party brand will be on June 13 this year for the second time in a row in Bucharest to celebrate the beginning of the summer season.

 

  • Saga Festival – is an electronic music festival; this year it will take place between June 5-7. Among the headliners: Alan Walker – Sam Feldt – Sigala – Tiësto.

 

  • Fall in Love Festival – is a music festival that brings together both national and international artists. The event takes place between September 4-6, at the Mogoșoaia Palace.

 

What are you waiting for?

Come and have a good time, enjoy music, nice people and magical places.

Do you need help organizing your trip?

If you are thinking of traveling to Romania and you don't want to miss the most important places, count on our help. We take care of the logistics while you just have to relax and enjoy this wonderful experience.