10 Things to Visit in Bucharest

Bucharest blends the grandeur of its past with a modern city center, and its architecture and history have earned it the nickname "Little Paris." The following ten spots are a good starting point for anyone newly relocated to the city.

1. The Old Town

The Old Town's cobblestone streets and medieval buildings date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and the area survived planned demolition in the 1980s. It includes a mix of restored buildings alongside others still awaiting renovation, along with an open-air museum at Curtea Veche and the National Museum of Romanian History. Cafes and restaurants throughout the area make it easy to pause and take in the surroundings.

2. Palace of the Parliament

Located at the end of Unirii Boulevard, the Palace of the Parliament is the second-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon, and ranks third in volume behind only a rocket assembly building in Florida and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl in Mexico. It is also considered the heaviest building in the world, built with 1 million cubic meters of marble, 700,000 tons of steel and bronze, and 3,500 tons of crystal, measuring 270 by 240 meters and standing 86 meters tall across 9 levels above ground and 9 below.

Construction began in 1984 as part of Nicolae Ceausescu's project to rebuild Bucharest, involving around 700 architects and 20,000 workers across three daily shifts, using materials sourced entirely from Romania. Today the building houses both chambers of the Romanian Parliament, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, and the headquarters of several international organizations, and is open to the public for guided tours in multiple languages.

3. Romanian Athenaeum

This concert hall on Calea Victoriei, in George Enescu Square, is home to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. Construction began in 1886, financed in part through public subscription, and was designed by French architect Albert Galleron with a peristyle supported by six Ionic columns, five mosaic medallions depicting the country's rulers, and a decorated dome. The concert hall seats approximately 794 people and features a fresco by painter Costin Petrescu, 3 meters wide and 70 meters long, depicting 25 scenes from Romanian history.

4. The Triumph Arch

Built between 1921 and 1922 by architect Petre Antonescu, the Arch of Triumph commemorates Romania's victory in World War I and the unity of the Romanian people. A temporary wooden arch built in 1922 to celebrate the Great Union eventually gave way to a more permanent structure, and in 1935 a grander, more solid version was completed on the same site. It remains a popular landmark and a reminder of that period of the country's history.

5. Herastrau Park

The largest park in Bucharest, and one of the largest in Europe, Herastrau Park includes a lake with boat and hydro-bicycle rentals, an aquarium, and a Japanese Garden featuring cherry blossoms and weeping branches. At sunset, the Press House and Sky Tower reflect on the lake, making it a popular spot for both leisure and sport.

6. Cismigiu Park

Established in 1854, Cismigiu Park offers a quieter, more historic counterpart to Herastrau, with narrow alleys, a rose garden, a French garden, and three lakes, along with boat rentals. Its long history and careful upkeep make it a pleasant escape from the pace of the city center.

7. Grigore Antipa Museum

The largest natural history museum in Romania, the Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History holds more than two million specimens of animals, rocks, minerals, and ethnographic pieces, including the only complete skeleton of a Deinotherium gigantissimum, a species that went extinct 2.5 million years ago. Founded in 1834, the museum today combines its historical collection with interactive, high-tech exhibits.

8. National Museum of Art of Romania

Housing the country's most comprehensive collection of fine art, the museum is divided into three sections: the Old Romanian Art Gallery, the Modern Romanian Art Gallery, and the European Art Gallery, with works by artists including Constantin Brancusi, Rembrandt, Monet, Rubens, and Tintoretto. Established in 1948 and located in the former Royal Palace, it added three permanent galleries in 2013 after being closed for a decade between 1990 and 2000.

9. Street art

Bucharest's street art scene spans political commentary and cultural references across murals and graffiti throughout the city, reflecting a range of social issues and artistic statements. Exploring the city's street art is a distinctive way to see a more contemporary side of Bucharest.

10. Carturesti Carusel

This bookstore, known for its archways, staircases, and columned interior, also includes a multimedia space, an art gallery, and a bistro, functioning as much as a cultural venue as a place to buy books.

Why this matters

Bucharest combines historic landmarks such as the Palace of the Parliament, the Romanian Athenaeum, and the Arch of Triumph with the Old Town's medieval charm and the calmer pace of Herastrau and Cismigiu parks, giving newly relocated employees a wide range of ways to explore the city.

Sources: Nestlers Group