A city built with the firm hand of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, shaken by communism and poverty, is now accessible thanks to cheap flights from Budapest through Wizz Air. With a smaller budget you can have a nice weekend in this Romanian metropolis. The extensive historical center, Ceauşescu’s palace, the triumphal arch, and relaxing parks are our tips for the main program. And of course, excellent gastronomy.
Detailed Google map with attractions
Contents
Day 1 – Getting to know with Bucharest
Day 2 – City center and surroundings
Day 3 – Parliament building (Ceaușescu Palace)
Day 1 – Getting to know with Bucharest
The afternoon flight from Budapest takes just over an hour, and we arrive at Otopeni airport at 17:45 local time. Keep in mind the time difference of +1 hour. We withdraw money from an ATM directly at the airport. If you have a Visa or Mastercard, that’s the most advantageous option. During our visit, the exchange rate is approximately 1EUR=4.49RON.
TIP: There is a Billa supermarket at the airport where you can buy groceries at prices lower than back home
To get from the airport to the city center at Piata Unirii, take bus number 783. Tickets are loaded onto a blue card (multiple card) at the kiosk on the left after exiting the airport. Load round-trip tickets at once, or else you’ll have to buy another card. Another thing to note is that only cash was accepted. Upon boarding the bus, touch the card and press two to activate tickets for additional persons. It’s about an hour’s ride to the city center at Piata Unirii square. Our accommodation, Vila Ana, has a luxurious location in the city center for just 10EUR/night. Upon arriving at the provided address, we found only a rundown building, so we called the owner who showed us that the entrance was at the back and the apartments had undergone complete reconstruction. Everything turned out well, we are settled in and ready to explore the nightlife of the old town. Restaurants, bars, clubs, nightclubs, and lots of young people – that’s nighttime Bucharest. Our host recommended a nice spot, Caru’ cu Bere, with its own beer, but upon arrival, we discovered it was fully booked inside, so we could only sit outside. Since it wasn’t the warmest in October, we ended up in another spot – Hanu’ lui Manuc. In the stylish wine cellar, they found a free table for us. We noticed that all restaurants or bars were heated indoors. The owner told us that transitions from summer to winter used to not be as drastic and that people are more sensitive to the cold. Another reason could be that during Ceaușescu’s dictatorship, heating was only for 2 hours a day. Prices in the restaurant are slightly lower than back home. We paid 12-17E (50-70RON) for soup, a main course, and two beers.
TIP: Among the TOP restaurants are definitely Hanu’ lui Manuc, Excalibur, and Caru’ cu Bere
After a good meal, it’s time for a good beer. Our wandering shoes stumbled upon a local pub called La Mahala. One beer here costs 6RON. If you are a party person, then Fridays and Saturdays in the old town are for you. The streets are full of discos, bars, and nightclubs, and the music can get quite loud. Locals advised us that it’s often more cost-effective to get a whole bottle than a few shots here.
Day 2 – City center and surroundings
In the morning, we joined an organized city tour starting at 10:30 in Unirii Park. Since our guide is very talkative, we learned a lot of interesting facts about Bucharest and Romania. For example, the city’s name was formed by merging the words Bucur and esti, which was the name of the ruler who owned the land. The nation has Italian roots, and that’s why you can see a statue of the she-wolf and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome according to legend. You’ll hear stories about Dracula and Transylvania. And also about the infamous dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. Amidst poverty, he was building the world’s largest palace. He aimed to increase the population by banning abortions and birth control. After waves of protests in 1989, the army took over, and the dictator and his wife were executed. The turmoil continued as old communists started to rise. The army armed the people, calling miners to lynch students. The distinguishing mark was glasses. It’s crucial that Romanians learned from this and politicians now face consequences, even ending up in jail for their actions. The city tour passes by a church and the archaeological site Curtea Veche. Here, you can find remnants of the palace with a bust of ruler Vlad III Draculu. One of the biggest attractions is the impressive Stavropoleos Church with a beautiful courtyard. By the way, 87% of the population is part of the Orthodox religion. Legends circulate about churches and other buildings being moved on rails to construct the historical center. Those that weren’t moved, well, they fell victim. The tour ends in the square in front of the university, where all the mentioned protests took place. We rate the guide with an A+ and show our appreciation with a small financial contribution.
It’s lunchtime, and we’ve chosen Excalibur restaurant for our meal. These types of restaurants are almost always fully booked with reservations. With the promise that we won’t stay long, they manage to find us a table. The staff in costumes, stylish tables, soups served in pots with candles, and a delicious spicy goulash in a cauldron – we might not have had a meal like this before. The portions were so generous that we had to pack some for dinner. Our next stop is the unique building of The Union of Architects of Romania. This architect headquarters is part skyscraper, part historic building. On our way to the metro station, we pass by Boteanu Church and the Romanian Athenaeum, which now serves as a concert hall and is featured on every postcard. From Piata Romana station, we plan to head north to Herăstrău Park.
TIP: For multiple people, a 10-entry pass for 20RON or a full-day pass for 8RON is worth it, and you can also pay by card at the machine.
After a short ride, we get off at Aviatorilor station. Right at the exit from the underpass, there is a bike rental shop. Before the park, we stopped at the residential Primăveri Palace of the Ceaușescu family. Since a newlywed couple was taking photos there, we didn’t stay long. The palace has been open to the public since the beginning of 2016. In this area, you couldn’t miss the grand villas and luxury cars. We continue through the small Bordei park to our destination, Herăstrău Park, which stretches around a lake of the same name. The park exudes tranquility and a spirit of sports. Running, biking, walking, or boating, you can take your pick. If you have enough time, you can take a guided tour of the Romanian Village Museum at Village Museum. On the way back to the subway, we also pass by the triumphant Arcul de Triumf, which is about half the size of the one in Paris. Towards the inner part of the park from the arch, you will find a statue of Michael Jackson.
You can take the metro with one transfer to the Izvor station, where you will find Izvor Park and the Parliament building. Palace of the Parliament or “Palatul Parlamentului” is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon in the United States. The boulevard in front of the palace is styled after the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Along the center of the road are fountains playing with all colors, and on the sides, a illuminated park. Today, our feet took a beating. We will relax in the room for a bit to be ready to continue our tasting of Romanian beers. First stop will be at La 100 de Beri and then Oktoberfest Pub.
Day 3 – Palace of Parliament (Ceaușescu’s Palace)
On the last day, we reserved a tour of thethe Parliament. In the morning, we check out, but by agreement with the host, we leave our belongings in the storage room. Admission to the parliament ranges from 35 to 55 RON depending on whether you want to see the terrace and the underground as well.
TIP: Payment is accepted only in cash, the ATM is located a bit illogically after the security check.
We were informed that the next available tour was for 55 RON, so we had no choice if we wanted to make it. Tickets with the time slot are given on the right side, but payment is made in a small souvenir shop on the left. We pass through security control similar to an airport and wait for everyone to go through. Photography should be purchased for an additional 30 RON, but taking a few shots with your phone was not an issue. The Palace has 12 above-ground and 8 underground floors, a nuclear bunker, 20km of catacombs, 1100 rooms, and was designed by a 28-year-old architect at the time. For comparison, this gigantic colossus has a volume 2% larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza. Construction began in 1984 under the guidance of 700 architects. All materials used had to be exclusively from Romania, and several historical buildings fell victim to the construction. The dictator did not live to see the completion of the building, as he was executed along with his wife in 1989. The only artist to perform on the concert hall’s balcony was Michael Jackson, who mistakenly greeted the crowd with the words “Hello Budapest!”. The building cost an incredible 3 billion EUR and has economically burdened the country to this day. An offer from an Australian mogul of 1 billion USD was rejected. The tour mostly leads through rectangular rooms with red carpets, ornate chandeliers, ornamental columns, huge windows, and massive doors. We take an elevator to the terrace, where we have a few minutes to wander. The final part is the underground, where you can see the basic two bricks and footage of the building’s history. At the end of the 2-hour tour, our guide gives us the statistic that we walked 2.5km and only saw about 5% of the building.
The Parliament is a must-visit, but it’s nothing overly impressive. Today’s lunch choice was the Caru’ cu Bere restaurant, where we couldn’t get in the first evening due to reservations. It’s no different now, but the outside temperature is more pleasant, and with blankets, it’s manageable. The specialty of this place is their own brewed beer with a recipe from 1879. It’s time to go for the stuff. The nearest stop towards the airport is Bus 783 – Universitate. We validate the card 5 times as we did on the way here, and the airport is the final stop, so you can even nap. We depart from Bucharest at 18:15 and arrive in Budapest at 18:35 local time.
