Bucharest is popularly called “Little Paris” for the perfect combination of rich history with its old houses and streets and modern architecture. This combination can turn your head, but at the same time it is extremely exciting. The buildings of the Byzantine Empire, churches and cathedrals of the XVI – XVIII centuries, Art Nouveau mansions and mansions with neoclassical facades survived strong earthquakes and world wars, as well as the barbaric attitude of the Ceausescu regime, during which the city was filled with box houses (do we not to know about this particular architectural style). However, one cannot fail to mention the construction of the Palace of Parliament (People’s House), which has become a valuable creation of architecture during the reign of Ceausescu.
The charm of Bucharest is fully revealed in the process of studying flowering city parks, filled with the history of museums, cozy streets of the historical part of the city. A walk along Calea Victoriei, perhaps the most beautiful street in the Romanian capital, is a personal acquaintance with the country's greatest buildings and important monuments that tell about the formation and development of the city. Bucharest has traveled a difficult path that was full of potholes, but now it can proudly be called a thriving European capital, in no way inferior to the most developed cities in the world.
List of the most important attractions of Bucharest:
1
Old city
The old town is called the oldest district of the Romanian capital, whose buildings are dated to the XV – XVI centuries. Here were the residence of the rulers of Romania. The Old Town is also known as the center of trade in Bucharest, a place of religious worship and the crossroads for pilgrims. Fortunately, the district was able to survive the destructive “perestroika” undertaken by Ceausescu in the 80s of the XX century in order to fit the city under his own possession. For decades, the Old Town was a dull sight: slums and dilapidated houses, until most of the historic district was restored, and the streets were landscaped.
Although almost all the buildings have been restored, some buildings are still waiting for their renovation. Strolling through the cobbled streets of the Old Town, you can spend time in bookstores, theaters, cafes and restaurants.
2
Palace of Parliament (People's House)
The Palace of Parliament - one of the main attractions of Bucharest, has several records. This is the largest office building in Europe (and the second in the world, after the American Pentagon), as well as one of the heaviest on the planet. The inner walls of the Palace of Parliament cut it into 3 thousand rooms, the total area of which exceeds 330,000 m². The facade of the building is made of marble and steel, and the original name, the People’s House, refers to the socialist times when it was built. Initially, the People’s House was not only the seat of the Romanian government, but also the residence of Nicolae Ceausescu, where he lived with his family.
To clear a place for the construction of the Palace of Parliament, several churches, factories, parks and workshops were destroyed. The fifth part of the historical district of the city, including the Old Town, went under demolition. About 20 thousand workers and 700 architects worked daily on the construction of the building. Construction began in 1984, but when it was about to be completed, the Ceausescu regime fell, and he was executed with his family. We can say that the Palace of Parliament is still not completely completed.
Today, many tours are held in the open parts of the building, where tourists can see how luxuriously the palace was furnished while the people of Romania were deprived.
Interesting fact: so much marble was required for facing the building that it was brought from all parts of the country. This led to the fact that even gravestones on the graves began to be made of other materials.
By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru there is a fascinating article about the TOP-20 unique sights of Romania.
3
Romanian Athenaeum
This concert hall has been the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra for the third century. The Romanian Athenaeum is undoubtedly the most prestigious concert hall of the capital in particular and the country as a whole. The building was built in the XIX century according to the project of the French architect Albert Galleron. By its appearance, it resembles a temple from ancient times with powerful columns and a 41-meter-high dome. The ceilings of the spacious lobby have a fancy color with gilding that attract the eyes of visitors. Also worth noting are balconies descending in cascades and spiral marble staircases tending upward under the dome itself.
The audience of the Atheneum holds 652 listeners. She is known for excellent acoustics and impeccable design. The walls of the round hall are decorated with a fresco whose length is 70 meters and a height of 3 meters. It depicts the most glorious moments in the history of Romania. The building was often renovated. The last restoration was carried out in the 90s of the XX century, and its cost amounted to € 9 million.
4
Stavropolos Church
This beautiful religious building, in fact, is a monastery, although Stavropolos is most often called the church. It was built in 1724 by a Greek monk, archimandrite Ioanikosiom Stratonikeas. Bizarrely carved entrance and straight columns are made in the architectural style of Brancovenesc - Wallachian Renaissance. This is one of the main attractions of Bucharest, attracts visitors from all over Europe. Stavropolis is decorated with stone and wood carvings, elements of applied art of Romania and Byzantium.
The church is surrounded by a courtyard with a garden and a small cemetery with tombstones of the XVIII century. Inside you can find impressive murals and carved wood icons. Previously, the church complex included a hotel and a monastery, but both buildings were destroyed. The structure was destroyed several times due to earthquakes, but it was restored every time.
5
Curtea Veke
Translated from the Romanian Curtea-Veche means the Old Courtyard. You can find the name Princely Court, and it combines a complex of buildings, which, among other things, includes the Old Princely Court Church. These buildings are located in the Old Town, previously they were the residence of the Wallachian and Romanian princes, including Vlad III Tepes, who inspired Bram Stoker to write the world famous novel Dracula. The statue of this Romanian ruler today stands among the surviving buildings of the Old Princely Court, as well as ancient walls, columns and arches.
The fortress was built in the 14th century by Mircea Stary; it experienced several periods of decline and prosperity. In the XVI century, it was restored by the Wallachian ruler Mircea Chobanul, who turned the surroundings of Lipscan Street into the trading core of Bucharest, and also created a guild of craftsmen here. In 1559, Chobanul built the church of Curtea-Veke here, expanding the general territory of the princely court. The next two centuries, coronations of Romanian rulers were held here. In addition to the buildings of the Old Courtyard, tourists are attracted by the museum of the same name, where they can find various artifacts and ceramic products found by archaeologists during excavations around the ruins of the complex.
6
Revolution square
Revolution Square got its name thanks to the tragic events of the end of 1989. At this point, fierce battles took place between the government forces of the Ceausescu regime and the rebels. The result of the fighting was the overthrow of the regime and the execution of the Romanian dictator on December 21, 1989. It is believed that about 100 thousand people took part in the battles, forever changing the history of the country. Interestingly, on the walls of buildings around the square, today you can see traces of bullets, specially preserved as a symbol of the struggle for freedom.
Previously, the Revolution Square was called the Palace, as in the immediate vicinity of it is the Korolevsky Palace. Today it houses the National Museum of Art. The square itself is not of particular interest to tourists, except for the memorial, erected in memory of the victims of the events. However, there are many historical buildings around it, including the Senate Palace, the Athenaeum Hotel and the Romanian Athenaeum.
As for the memorial (Renaissance monument), it was built at the beginning of the XXI century, and contains the names of 1,058 victims of the revolution. And also there is a bronze statue of Julio Maniu, the repeated Prime Minister of Romania, imprisoned by the communist government.
7
Triumphal Arch
The first version of the Romanian Arc de Triomphe was built at the end of the 19th century from wood. The next version was built on the same site in 1922. It was needed for the passage of soldiers who fought in the First World War, and was made of a concrete base and plaster decoration. Due to severe damage, the arch had to be replaced in 1936. In many ways, it copies the French Arc de Triomphe, symbolizing the friendship of the peoples of Romania and France, and is made of granite.
The arch project was dealt with by Petra Antonescu. Its height is 27 meters, the arch is decorated with sculptures created by the most famous sculptors of Romania, including Dmitry Pachurea and Ion Jalea. Today, an architectural work of art fulfills its direct duties, taking military parades. The largest event takes place on December 1 on the day of national unity of Romania.
8
National Museum of Art
The National Museum of Art of Romania is located in a former palace on the Revolution Square. It houses a huge collection of Romanian works of art, including the modern and medieval period. The museum was founded in 1948. It also houses a collection of Romanian kings, consisting of foreign and domestic art objects of the 15th century.
Many halls offer visitors to admire more than 100,000 works, including paintings by famous artists such as Marcel Janko, Theodor Aman and Nicolae Grigorescu. The room with copies of contemporary art features works by Milita Petrascu and Dimitrie Pachurea. One of the galleries is dedicated to Konstantin Brancusi, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century. The so-called European part of the museum includes 15 halls filled with the works of El Greco, Rembrandt, Monet, Rubens, Renoir, Repin and other prominent artists.
9
Village Museum Dimitrie Gusti
This unique open-air museum was founded in the 30s of the XX century, and is located on the territory of Herastrau Park, occupying more than 100 thousand m². The museum displays the traditional way of life of Romania, and most of the exhibits are village houses from various regions of the country. The 272 buildings include peasant houses with gabled roofs, thatched sheds, log huts, churches of various types, mills and workshops. Most-beauty highly recommends that every tourist plunge into the distinctive atmosphere of Romania and spend several hours here.
Each museum building was dismantled according to the "plaques" and delivered to the Romanian capital, where it was rebuilt anew, becoming part of a huge exhibition. Also in the Village Museum named after Dimitrie Gusti (a sociologist and historian whose works date back to the first half of the 20th century), you can find rural household items, pottery and other exhibits of applied art.
And about the strangest and most unusual museums in the world can be found in this article.
10
National Museum of the History of Romania
The country's main historical museum in a neoclassical building that was previously used as the Postal Palace. The museum opened in the 70s of the XX century, presenting visitors with many exhibits located in 60 spacious halls. Here you can find various artifacts, from prehistoric times to the present day. The most impressive exposition is a full-scale copy of the column of Trajan, erected in honor of the Roman emperor Trajan, who defeated the Dacians (tribes living in the territory of modern Romania).
The museum has collected thousands of Neolithic artifacts and many items from gold, jewelry dating back to the time of the ghetto-Dacians. A permanent exhibition allows all visitors to admire the royal jewels, including emerald products made especially for Queen Mary, the wife of Ferdinand I. The most popular exhibit is a collection of treasures from Treasure of Petroasa, which was considered the richest catch of archaeologists before excavating the tomb of Tutankhamun.
11
Bucharest Parks
Bucharest is surrounded by picturesque parks that are comfortable to visit all year round. Cismigiu Garden is the oldest city park designed in the first half of the 19th century. In summer, most-beauty recommends renting a boat for a boat trip, and in winter, a skating rink is a must. The park was opened in 1847 according to the project of the German architect Karl Meyer. It is filled with 30 thousand trees and bushes brought from the mountainous regions of Romania and Vienna's botanical gardens.
Occupying more than 160 hectares, Herastrau Park includes an open-air theater, a sports club, a vintage-style amusement park and the Village Museum, which we talked about above. On the lake of the same name, boats scurry about, transporting tourists and couples in love.
Carol Park was opened in 1906 in accordance with the project of French landscape designer Edward Redont. This is one of the most beautiful metropolitan parks. Among the attractions of the park, it is worth noting the Arenele Romane theater, made in the style of the ancient Roman era and the grave of an unknown soldier.
12
Carturesti carusel
Housed in a 19th-century building in the center of the Old Town, Carturesti Carusel is Romania’s most impressive bookstore. The store’s area is 1 thousand m², it is divided into six floors, each of which is filled with shelves with books (more than 10 thousand) and music disks (about 5 thousand). The store is decorated in the style of minimalism, designers competently used a transparent roof, which not only floods the whole building, but also creates the feeling of a moving carousel. That is why the name of the store is translated as "Carousel of Light."
The store is intended not only for reading and buying books, but also for various cultural events. There is a media center, exhibitions of contemporary art, and a cozy cafe for fans to read in a relaxed atmosphere with a cup of coffee.
Finally
Our list of Bucharest attractions has come to an end. But it is very possible that we will continue it shortly. If you are active and write to us in the comments about other interesting places in the capital of Romania, we will add them to this article.