BUCHAREST SIGHTSEEING
The Parliament Palace – the largest, most expensive and heaviest civilian building in the world and second largest administrative building topped only by the US Pentagton. It’s a Bucharest must see! Just ask the Reception to reserve a tour for you.
The Village Museum – the open-air ethnographic museum is located in the Herastrau Park showcasing traditional Romanian village life. The museum gathers 272 authentic peasant farms and houses from all over Romania spread on a surface of over 100,000 m2 and should not be missed if travelling in Bucharest.
Herastrau Park – The most popular of Bucharest’s parks is centered on a lake with which it shares its name. Home to numerous attractions, including children’s playgrounds, an aquarium and some classy cafes and restaurants, you should look out for the eclectic collection of statues in the alleyways and paths which fan out from the entrance. During the summer you can rent bikes and go boat riding.
The Triumph Arch – Bucharest’s Arc de triumf was raised in 1922 to commemorate Romania’s World War I dead. The original Arc was made of wood, replaced by the present concrete structure in 1935. Standing 25 meters high, the Arc has a staircase that allows visitors to climb to the terrace on the top of the monument, though it is strangely closed most of the time and only opened on special occasions.
The Peasant`s Museum – One of Europe‘s leading museums of popular arts and traditions, the Peasant`s Museum host`s an impressive collection of items that cover all aspects of the Romanian peasant life such as traditional Romanian clothing, terracotta pottery, hand paint Ester eggs, icons etc .
The Romanian Athenaeum – a landmark of the Romanian capital city, the neoclassical building is a as a symbol of Romanian culture; visit the Athenaeum for the architecture, the 75-sqm long and 3-m wide fresco that decorates the inside but most of all visit it for the wonderful classical music concerts held weekly by the most talented artists.
Cismigiu Gardens – The most central of the city’s public gardens, Cismigiu is a haven of lawns, trees, flowers and lakes. Often mistakenly refered to as a park, Cismigiu is actually a large garden with more than 30,000 trees and plants brought in from the Romanian mountains and exotic plants fetched from the botanical Gardens in Vienna. During the summer you can enjoy a boat ride while in the winter feel free to go ice-skating on the lake.
Patriarchal Cathedral – Set atop one of the city’s few hills, known as Mitropoliei, the Patriarchal Cathedral has been the centerpiece of the Romanian Orthodox faith since the seventeenth century. Next to the church – and closed to the public – is the Patriarchal Palace, residence of elected Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox.
Domniţa Balaşa Church – To say this church has been the victim of bad luck is an understatement. Built in 1885, the church burnt down soon after and in 1751 a second church was built; but that was also later damaged, during an earthquake in 1838. Building work almost immediately started on a third church, but that too proved unstable and just 40 years later it was replaced by the current, orange-coloured, Neo-Romanesque building.
The Cotroceni Palace – In the midst of a picturesque park, on the hill situated in the west of the city, rises a symbol of the Romanian medieval and royal power and art. Nowadays, Presidential Residence, Cotroceni Palace houses Cotroceni National Museum where, a tour to the halls of the former princely court resembles a visit to the Peles Castle, both of them being similar by the rich ornaments and local history.