At first glance, a mix of neoclassical buildings, wide wooden boulevards and brutal post-Stalinist apartment blocks, Bucharest, can be a confusing place but is a city that rewards closer inspection. Filled with gray communist homes that were often built around or sometimes on top of the finer bourgeois architectural details, it is difficult to think that this misunderstood city once inspired the nickname “Little Paris”. But there are many reminders of a glorious past, and also a potentially brilliant future.
Balkan Party Euphoria Mixed with Historical Masterpieces
This well-hidden and enigmatic place in Eastern Europe is home to the now internationally famous Bucharest bachelor parties. Every weekend curious travelers from all around the world flock into the city center for the exploration of new and old remnants of Romanian identity.
The most symbolic building of the Romanian culture and the spiritual landmark of a nation is Atheneum. Built in the heart of the city in the 1880s, this wonderful concert hall has seen good politicians and researchers create lectures. The place where orchestras and musicians from all over the world will perform and exhibit exhibitions of great paintings and sculptures by masters of the art.
Dig a little deeper and you will quickly find more survivors of the Communist architectural desecration. There are Byzantine chapels and bell tower mansions, while the side streets of the historic center hide antique shops, character bars and eateries serving French, Italian and Transylvanian cuisine.
Elsewhere in the city center are the 15th-century remains of the Old Princely Court, built by Vlad the Impaler. According to local folklore, it was the way he treated his enemies (and prisoners in the dungeons) that gave rise to the legends of Count Dracula.
Recent history can be appreciated in Piata Revolutiei, the square in the heart of the 1989 Revolution, which ended the government of the infamous dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife. Contrasting this in the ritzy north is the sprawling Herastrau Park, which offers boat trips and an open-air museum showing traditional Romanian homes.
At first glance, a mix of neoclassical buildings, wide wooden boulevards and brutal post-Stalinist apartment blocks, Bucharest, can be a confusing place but is a city that rewards closer inspection. Filled with gray communist homes that were often built around or sometimes on top of the finer bourgeois architectural details, it is difficult to think that this misunderstood city once inspired the nickname “Little Paris”. But there are many reminders of a glorious past, and also a potentially brilliant future.
Restaurants and Bars
The Old Town of Bucharest consists of a network of pedestrian streets, where it is full of restaurants, pubs, and nightlife. During the summer months, there is a lively atmosphere in the streets and all the restaurants have outdoor dining. There are several typical British pubs in the Old Town with a good selection of beers and simple and good pub food. In Bucharest, you will also find the world’s coolest gastropub, namely District 42. Digg food, great drinks, nice service, and amazing steampunk art needs to be experienced to say at least!
In Conclusion:
Today, Ceausescu’s heyday puts an equally great mark on the city as the narrow alley and old town does, and which in its time was the reason the city was nicknamed “Little Paris”. But the differences also give the city its distinctive character and make it an exciting and contrasting capital to experience and explore as a tourist.
What makes the Bucharest holiday offers so tempting is the overall cost that you will have at the end. Many visitors still get shocked while looking at price tags on nearly anything since the prices here are lower by 30% then what you can find in the rest of the EU.
That might be the sole reason why Bucharest’s nightlife became increasingly popular among foreigner visitors in the past decade and the cities officials claimed that the offer of nightlife leisure will only grow as the time go on. At this point, it’s safe to conclude that Bucharest next to Budapest and Belgrade finds its place as one of the best spots for partygoers from all corners of Europe every weekend.
Since Romania joined the EU, the feeling of a new dynamic has spread throughout the city, with the younger population revitalizing old buildings and bringing new life to the Romanian capital.