Hi there. Once upon a time in the east there was a dictator that decided to rebuild his city according to his crazy mind. A that's how a historical city of Bucharest with it "Paris of the east" look got its new boulevards, giant brutalist buildings and unearthly statues of the heroes of the international socialist movement. Welcome to Bucharest, one of the most interesting, although often forgotten, cities in Europe.
I think that many people still see Bucharest as some shop window of socialism, and yes, the years of the lack of freedom and totalitarian rule of lying propaganda made its impact on the face of the city, but don't be mistaken. A lot has changed in Bucharest lately, especially when Romania joined the European union, and the city is growing on a fast pace, slowly becoming one of the tourist centers of the Balkans and definitely worth your visit. Whether you are looking for remnants of the communist era or historical monuments of the eastern world, Bucharest has a lot to offer for everyone. Let's dive in :)
1/ The Romanian Parliament
Built by the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu in 1984, the Parlamentul Romaniei is the largest parliament building in the world and also second largest governmental building in general (second only to the Pentagon). You may just come close, take pictures or just walk around the grounds (it may take you up to one hour to walk around) or you may want to buy yourself a guided tour of the building. There are several of them and their price varies from 35 to 55 RON. (Taking pictures is charged separately for 30 RON, so be prepared for it).
2/ The Patriarchal Cathedral and Mitropoliei Palace
Sometimes referred to as Romanian Vatican, this is the seat of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. There are several churches in the compounds that you may visit for free. It is however a working place of prayer, so don't forget to act decent :)
3/ The Arch of Triumph
Arcul de Triumf in Romanian, like in many other cities raised from the roman origin, also Bucharest has its own Triumph Arch. You find it in the northern parts of the city, near the Herastrau Park. It is not possible to go inside, but even from the outside, it looks spectacular. :)
4/ Romanian Atheneum
A lovely example of Pre-Ceauşescu city architecture can be found near the Revolution square. It serves as a concert hall and is home to George Enescu Philarmonic. Entrance is free (at least to the lobby, where you can find frescoes showing pictures from Romanian history).
5/ Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
I don't usually insert museums among the top tourist attractions for, at least to my opinion, even though they may be interesting to visit, there is not much to it when you want to get to know a new city. Moving dinosaurs, stuffed animals or mummies can be found almost everywhere. This is however a little different case. Founded in 1934 this open air museum shows you almost 300 original Romanian wooden buildings (dwellings, farms, churches, windmills) and helps you to imagine, what the country and life of its inhabitants used to look like (and to some degree, may still do in the present). And isn't that one of the beauties of traveling? :)
You'll find the museum in the Herastrau Park, so take your time and make a walk in the park itself too :)
And that's it for today :) But don't worry, since these "different" destinations are quite a bigger passion for me than west european cities, we will be back. I have in mind some other articles dealing with more interesting things about Bucharest. So stay tuned :)
Lex
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