Bucharest & Surroundings

Why?

The interesting palaces and manors, the hundred year old monasteries and churches, the vast lakes and thick forests, silent witnesses of the past woods of Vlăsia, but also nearby villages with their captivating stories together with Bucharests’ joie de vivre make for an attractive area even more than you would think.

Bucharest and its surroundings are similar and yet differ at the same time. So while the capital of Romania can be seen through its blend of architectural styles, large boulevards, picturesque parks and its animated nightlife, its surroundings are very different, succeeding in attracting both tourists and Bucharest locals at the same time.

We recommend

To discover the city with a guide that can show you the less known faces of Bucharest. You can choose a private tour from Open Doors Travel or participate in a free guided tour with Walkabout Free Tour.

Take a stroll through the historic centre of Bucharest (the Old Town) or Calea Victoriei, the oldest street in Bucharest, where you will have the feeling as if you just travelled back in time.

Take a stroll on Queen Elisabeth Boulevard, where you make a stop in the famous Cişmigiu, a park whose interwar charm has been preserved to this day.

Discover Bucharest’s own Delta-The Văcăreşti Natural Park.

Take a boat ride on Snagov Lake and visit the Snagov Monastery.

Admire Delta Neajlovului in Comana Natural Park, one of the most interesting natural areas nearby Bucharest, which also has an adventure park for those of you who are looking for a little more excitement.

Have a picnic at the Mogoşoaia Palace.

Good to know

At Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum and at the Romanian Peasant Museum there are small souvenir shops where you can buy authentic traditional merchandise.

One centre for tourist info, Bucharest CityInfo, is located in the historic centre (the Old Town), at 21-23 Calea Victoriei.
Post offices in Bucharest are not always easy to find and unfortunately, you can acquire postal stamps only from these locations. If you are downtown and wish to send a card, Post Office no. 1 is located on Matei Millo Street at no. 12, close to Calea Victoriei Boulevard.
You can make a short tour of Bucharest on a hop on – hop off bus that can take you either from Piaţa Presei Libere, Piaţa Unirii, or other stations along its itinerary. Details here.
In almost all cafés, restaurants, bars and parks there is free Wi-Fi, most of the time at very good speed.
In order to use public transportation in Bucharest, you’ll need to acquire a special card or pay the ticket by sending a text to 7458. More info about the many places where you can buy the card from or about the payment via text are on the public transportation website.

How to get here

Bucharest is relatively easy to get to by plane, train or by car due to its proximity to Central Europe.

Air access

There is an international airport, the main airport of Romania, located about 16 km from Bucharest, in Otopeni, The Henri Coandă International Airport.

Railway access

There are international trains connecting important cities in Europe (Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava) with Bucharest.

Road Access

Most people who visit Bucharest rent a car at the Otopeni airport. You can also easily get around with your own means of transportation. The region is crossed by some of the most important European roads: E60, E68 and E70. For those of you who prefer transportation by coach you can access the Autogari website where you can find buses from almost all main cities in Romania and Europe.

Discover

Even though it’s actually part of the Muntenia region, this area is a different tourist ensemble.

This is the beginning of the road for many tourists who come to Romania by air. Bucharest and its surroundings are about 100 km away from the Carpathian Mountains, 250 km from the Black Sea and 60 km from the Danube.

Bucharest, similar to other European capitals, is the main political, administrative, economic, educational, financial and cultural centre in Romania. Once you are here you will be fascinated by the various museums, old churches, palaces and houses all bearing a true historical and cultural imprint.

The remarkable architecture that actually dubbed the capital during the interwar period „the Little Paris” will certainly enrich your travel diary, and the impressive parks along with the picturesque gardens hidden behind large boulevards will fascinate you.

Attractions that shouldn’t be missed are the National Art Museum, hosted by the Royal Palace, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Parliament building and the Old Princely Court church from the 16th century located between The Manuc inn and the Princely Court. Other great attractions that will make you want to return to Bucharest are Stavropoleos Church, Kretzulescu Church, Suţu Palace, the National Village Museum and the Cişmigiu or Herăstrău (King Michael I) Park.

Nearby Bucharest you’ll discover that there are a lot of attractions worth your time.

The lakes and forests surrounding the capital hide small settlements with natural monuments such as Comana Nature Park, Snagov Lake and Park but also interesting cultural historical attractions such as the old monasteries in Snagov (where according to a legend Vlad the Impaler is buried), Cernica, Plumbuita or Căldăruşani.

Adding to this are the old palaces and mansions with delightful architecture such as Mogoşoaia Palace, Ştirbei Palace in Buftea, and other interesting villages such as Comana, Buftea or Mogoşoaia.

Gastronomy

The birthplace of the famous “mici” or “mititei” (grilled minced meat rolls), the area of Bucharest and its surroundings will not hesitate to surprise you by its gourmet opulence. Marked by the influence of both French and Turkish cuisine, the cuisine in this region is widely appreciated. Varied and appetizing, it has always succeeded in bringing together the tastes of traditional dishes (“ciorbă de perişoare” - meatball soup, “ciorbă de burtă” - tripe soup sour with sour cream, “sarmale” – stuffed cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, “mici” and barbecue, pretzels or “papanaşi” –cheese doughnuts- and crepe) with those of international, subtle and refined dishes such as potatoes, broccoli or peas, cream soups, stuffed chicken, beef salad, hummus, potatoes gratin or various sweet and salty quiches. Even those with the most exigent tastes will be pleased. Lately, within the kitchens of the Bucharest region and surrounding area, there’s a growing tendency to join haute cuisine by refining traditional dishes. At the same time the air of globalization is felt by the increasingly frequent presence of Italian pasta and pizzas, but also of the Shawarma or gyro, gradually becoming very popular dishes in the urban kitchen.

It’s very hard to separate the cuisine in Bucharest from the one in we find in its surrounding area.

In Bucharest you will find an international cuisine, more refined and sophisticated specific to major cities, while in the area surrounding the capital you will find a cuisine more similar to the one in Muntenia.

Along with the interesting cuisine of the Bucharest region and surrounding area, unique wines from famous vineyards in Romania, as well as famous wines from worldwide will come to complete your gastronomic feast. The wines of Cotnari, Tohani, Murfatlar, Jidvei, Ceptura or Recaş, but also of Bordeaux, Loire, Champagne, Puente Alto, Mendoza, Piemonte,Tuscany and even Eger, Tokaj and Marlborough will delight your senses.

Attractions