Bucharest

Bucharest has been Romania's capital city ever since 1862, and it is the center of Romanian culture and art. It is a city that perfectly mixes the elements of the interbellum and communist periods with today's modern architecture.

Oftentimes called "Little Paris", Bucharest can charm you with its variety of landmarks, varying from impressive buildings such as the Palace of the Parliament or Bucharest Old Town to natural and traditional reservations such as Herestrău Park or the Village Museum.

Bucharest is also home to most of Romania's artists and musicians. Most of the concerts are organized here, and the nightlife is spread throughout the whole town, with clubs and pubs in every major area.

You can easily “get lost” yourself on one of the winding, narrow streets of Bucharest’s historical center, where tourists look for a seat at a restaurant or a terrace café, but there are a lot more things to do in Bucharest. From Bucharest, you can go easily to visit some of the most beautiful spots in Romania.

Bucharest's history​

Bucharest’s golden age is considered the one-hundred-year span when the city thrived under a marked Western influence. The economic and cultural peak was reached in the interwar period, in 1938. Culturally speaking, in the nineteenth century Romania was a francophone country, as French was spoken by both the elites and the common people. It was a prosperous, elegant and attractive city with cosmopolitan highlights. Iconic buildings remained witnesses of a privileged past: the Atheneum, Cotroceni Palace, Calea Victoriei Boulevard. This elegant avenue revealing the facades of outstanding buildings hosts chic cafés, designer stores, museums and churches of great historical value.

The 50 years of communism have equally left their signature on the architecture of the city, as well: huge urban projects, administrative buildings entering the book of records in terms of size and … too little freedom. Yet, don’t be surprised to discover an underlying nostalgia associated with the communist regime or powerful emotions triggered by the ‘89 Revolution, the first revolution broadcast lives in TV history. These are all part of who we are, of our recent past. The last two decades have meant finding our way, struggling for an identity whose landmarks can be discovered in the city’s youthful spirit, in the new generations that come with a different mentality.