Sights of Bucharest: photos and reviews of tourists

Bucharest (Romania), whose attractions will be considered here, unfortunately, until recently was not a tourist Mecca. During the reign of the dictator Ceausescu, the city acquired a very unassuming face. The gloomy quarters of shabby Khrushchev, the faceless concrete Soviet architecture of ridiculous state buildings filled the whole space, pushing away the old churches and small squares of the once "Balkan Paris". Therefore, interesting places in Bucharest have to be found with a tourist map or guide in hand. And the work of such a stubborn traveler will be rewarded. Bucharest is an ancient city, which contains a lot of interesting sights. In addition, according to recent reviews of tourists, in recent years, the capital of Romania is essentially Europeanized. And with the help of financial investments from the European Union, it has become more picturesque and well-groomed.

Where is Bucharest and how to get there?

The capital of Romania is located in the south of the country. The city itself was founded in 1459. Bucharest acquired the status of the capital only in 1862. From Russia to Romania it is easier and faster to get on an airplane. Most international flights land at Henry Coanda Airport. It is located eighteen kilometers from the city, in the town of Otopeni. Some low-cost ("Vizeir" and "Cemanvings") accepts a small airport named after Aurel Vlaicu, which is five kilometers from Bucharest. From Otopeni to the center of the capital can be reached by train or bus. Ticket for the train can be bought at the counter with the inscription CFR in the airport hall. The shuttle buses are delivered to the trains. The fare on them is already included in the total ticket. Tourists are advised to do this journey by bus, the journey at which will cost twice as cheap. Routes 783 and 780 run to Gara de Nord - the same as the train. The bus ticket must be pinched. At night, the traveler has no choice. It is better to take the official taxi Fly Taxi with a counter. From the airport of Aurel Vlaika to the city center there are buses Nos. 131, 205 and 301. Now we will tell you what to see in Bucharest.

Old city

Of course, acquaintance with the capital of Romania should start with the historical part. This land is very ancient. Once it was a province of the Roman Empire. True, the city itself appeared only at the end of the Middle Ages. This period also dates the most ancient of its sights. "Bucharest" in translation means "city of joy". And you really feel it in the old quarter. The narrow streets, framed by pretty houses, small squares create an atmosphere of coziness. Walking in the Old City, you understand why before coming to power of Nicholas Ceausescu Bucharest was called "Balkan Paris". There are many beautiful buildings here. Tourists advise to pay attention to the palaces of Cotroceni (1895), Constacudilo (1900), Royal (1937), the building of the State Bank (1885). Be sure to get to the University Square, Athenaeum, Piazza Republika.

Bucharest: attractions

Photos of the city also show a lot of beautiful buildings that continue to fulfill their original function. The buildings of the Architectural Institute and the University are also educational buildings, in which students are engaged. And at the hotel "Athenaeum" it is still possible to rent a luxurious room. There are historical courtyard houses in the Old Town . A caravanserai called Hanul-lui-Manuk deserves special attention. But tourists also assure that it is worth looking into "Beer Beer" - Karul-ku-Bere, built in 1879, and Kurtia Veche (the Old Court). Bucharest is also famous for the Presidential Palace. The Arc de Triomphe, of course, is inferior to the Parisian landmark of the same name, but it is also a "mast" in the Romanian capital. It is dedicated to the courage of soldiers in the First World War. Inside the arch there is a staircase along which you can climb up to admire the panorama of Bucharest. Lovers of modern history recommend to look at the Revolution Square.

Temples of Bucharest

Ceausescu, who equalized the whole neighborhoods of the "Balkan Paris" to build his palace and a number of dull five-story buildings, spared the old churches. And they are the most preserved historical sights. Bucharest boasts a number of interesting temples and sacred buildings. The most ancient are the 15th century St. Aaron Church and the Plumbuite Monastery, which, according to the chronicles, was founded in 1559. Tourists advise to pay close attention to the temples of Stavropoleos, St. George the Old, Kretsulesku and Patriarchal Cathedral (1665). From the monasteries is worth visiting Mihai Voda and Antim.

Palace of Parliament

Bucharest has lost a huge part of its old quarter, so that this monument of vanity for one family was built. The palace was conceived as the largest building in the world. But before the status of most-most did not last - the Pentagon remains large in area. In the palace, which was called the "Parliament Building" only for a blatant reason, as the country was solely ruled by the dictator Ceausescu, there are about six thousand rooms. The building is erected in the style of eclecticism with an obvious gravitation towards tasteless gigantism. Tourists point out that against the backdrop of high-rise buildings of Soviet construction, the palace with its marble staircase (which was twice altered for the needs of Ceausescu's wife) looks dissonant. The building has twelve floors. They say that eight more go deep into the earth. The Palace of Parliament failed to overtake the Pentagon in the area, but it surpassed it on the basis of construction. This is the most expensive administrative building in the world.

Museums

Are you interested in life in Romanian outback? To get acquainted with it, you do not need to leave the capital of the country. Tourists claim that in the ethnographic museum under the open sky Kotrochen collected all the Romanian rural attractions. Bucharest also has the Art Gallery, which exhibits canvases of Monet, El Greco, Rubens, Cezanne, Renoir and Rembrandt. It is located in the building of the Royal Palace (Ploshchad Revolyutsii). Also worth visiting are other metropolitan museums: Stories (in the Palace of the Post), Geology, Techniques, Biological (Grigore Antipas). On the Revolution Square it is necessary to visit the Orthodox Church of Krezulescu. It perfectly preserved the frescoes of George Tatarescu - a famous Romanian painter.

Parks

Green plantations and gardens are also attractions. Bucharest was and remains the most green city in Eastern Europe. The oldest park is Kismigui. It was defeated in 1845 under the guidance of a German landscape architect. Park Gerastrau is surrounded by the Ethnographic Museum of the Romanian Village. It is good to relax in the silence of shady avenues in the ancient Chizhmigiu, Herastrau, Parkul-Carol and the Botanical Garden near Kotrotchenya. If you have a few days to visit the capital of Romania , tourists are advised to take an excursion in the vicinity of Bucharest. You can visit the ancient monasteries of Snagov (here is the grave of Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula), Kaldarushan, Cernica, the manor of Heresht, the palaces of Mogosoaia and Stirbey.

Life and pace of the city

Bucharest is a strange capital. There is no fuss and ostentatious gloss that are characteristic of large megacities. Everything here is somehow home-like, even a bit provincial. Passers-by will always stop, if the tourist asks the road, and sometimes not only will indicate the way, but will also lead to the desired place.

The national pride of the local residents is the football team Steaua (Bucharest). It was founded in 1947 as the Sports Club of the Romanian Army. But after numerous sports victories for the team in 1961, the name "Star" (in Romanian "Steaua") was fixed. This football club was the first in Eastern Europe to win the Champions Cup (1989).