Bucharest

Bucharest is a city of contrasts, where broad avenues, monumental palaces, elegant buildings and reminders of the communist period coexist in a surprisingly varied urban landscape. Romania’s capital is best discovered on foot, moving between imposing districts and quieter streets filled with atmosphere and traces of the city’s complicated history.

The historic centre, generally known as Lipscani, is a good place to begin exploring. Its pedestrian streets contain buildings from different periods and are now filled with restaurants, cafés and bars. One of the area’s most interesting sights is the small Stavropoleos Church, built in the eighteenth century and distinguished by its elegant portico and peaceful courtyard.

The atmosphere around the Palace of Parliament could hardly be more different. Built during the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu, this enormous structure dominates a large part of central Bucharest and is remarkable above all for its extraordinary scale. The wide boulevard extending in front of it is another reminder of the dramatic urban transformation undertaken during that period.

Bucharest also has a much more refined side. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, numerous elegant buildings appeared throughout the city, helping it acquire the nickname “Little Paris”. The Romanian Athenaeum, with its distinctive dome and classical façade, is one of the finest examples.

Another pleasant aspect of Bucharest is the abundance of green spaces. Cișmigiu Gardens, close to the centre, offer tree-lined paths and a lake, while the much larger King Michael I Park provides an opportunity to escape the busy streets for a few hours.

Bucharest does not have the architectural uniformity found in some European capitals, but this is part of its appeal. Elegant façades, communist-era buildings, hidden churches, lively neighbourhoods and extensive parks reveal different chapters of its history. It is a complex city whose character becomes clearer when explored slowly rather than simply through its major landmarks.