The Top Three Places to Visit in Bucharest
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Once you’ve secured your Bucharest accommodation, the next question of course is: where to go, what to do? Whatever you do, seek out accommodation in Bucharest that is central and near a metro station. This is a large city of two million citizens and compared to many European capitals is very spread out. There are plenty of choices for short and long term accommodation in Bucharest in the city’s core that offer excellent access to the most intriguing tourist attractions.
Revolution Square (Piata Revolutiei) became famous the world over when television networks aired Nicolae Ceausescu’s final moments as communist leader of Romania on December 21, 1989. Footage of the crowd assembling and turning against him has become the stuff of legend and one of the turning points in the fall of communism the world over. The National Art Museum is on the square, as is the Romanian Athenaeum and the historic Athenee Palace Hotel as well as some more affordable long and short term accommodation in Bucharest.
The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) is a testament to the French architectural influence in Romania. The wooden arch is the center point to an avenue wider than the famed Champs Elysées in Paris. Built of wood, to honor the Romanian soldiers who fought in World War One in 1922, the Arch was finished in granite in 1936. The arch is a symbol of national pride to this day.
The Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) is the remaining legacy of Nicolae Ceausescu and the communist era in Romania. It is the second largest administrative building in the world next to the Pentagon in Washington. Twenty thousand people and over seven hundred architects collaborated to construct it. With over eleven hundred rooms, the enormous palace was intended to be the headquarters for the ruling party. After Ceausescu’s fall it became the parliamentary headquarters and a conference center. Visitors to Bucharest will be dazzled by the immensity and prominence of this structure.
Each of these attractions is within the city’s core. The best and most affordable way to access them is probably by renting a downtown apartment and fanning out from there. There are tons of cheap choices for short and long term accommodation in Bucharest that are central and convenient.