Bucharest | București

Nickname(s):

"Micul Paris"

Demonym(s):

Bucureștean(că)

Founded:

1459

Democracy:

Developed:

European Union:

Schengen:

Euro:

National Capital:

RegionalState Capital:

Population (City):

1 717 000

Population (Urban):

-

Population (Metro):

2 260 000

Population Density (km2):

7 200

Population Density (mi2):

18 500

Largset City in Romania

Language:

Romanian

Currency:

Leu

Avg. Summertime High:

30 °C

86 °F

Avg. Summertime Low:

15 °C

60 °F

Warmest Month:

July

Coldest Month:

January

Avg. Wintertime High:

3 °C

37 °F

Avg. Wintertime Low:

-5 °C

23 °F

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In a sort of a paradox, the most famous sight in Bucharest is a very ugly building which stands on top of what once was a much larger old town. I'm of course talking about the Palace of the Parliament. It's the third-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and the Long'ao Building in Jinan China. The surviving parts of Old Town, called Lipscani, is a typical beautiful European old town and you'll likely spend much time there as a tourist.

Romania | România

Romania

English

România

Romanian

Region:

Eastern Europe

Area:

238 397 km2

Ranked 81 out of 195

Population:

Population:

19 186 000

Ranked 61 out of 235

Urbanization:

56 %

Ranked 111 out of 194

Capital:

Bucharest

Population: 2 315 000

Largest City:

Bucharest

Population: 2 315 000

Major Cities:

Bucharest
Iași
Timișoara
Constanța
Cluj-Napoca

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 49 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

High

Ranked 43 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$36 622

Ranked 50 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Flawed Democracy

Ranked 61 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

83 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Problematic

Ranked 56 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 28 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1877

Independence From:

Ottoman Empire

National Day:

1st of December

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The day is known as "'Ziua Marii Uniri", or Unification Day, and celebrates the union between Romania and Transylvania that was established in 1918. This day, always the 1st of December, has been the national day of Romania since the Romanian Revolution of 1989.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

-

Time Zone:

UTC +2 (EET)

Summer - UTC +3 (EEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 40

-

Country Code:

RO

ISO 3166

Romanian Development Region | României Regiunile de Dezvoltare

Bucharest - Ilfov

English

București - Ilfov

Romanian

Region:

South-Central Romania

Area:

1 811 km2

Ranked 8 out of 8

Population:

Population:

2 272 000

Ranked 6 out of 8

Population Share:

12 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Bucharest

Population: 2 315 000

Largest City:

Bucharest

Population: 2 315 000

Major Cities:

-



Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$49 700

Higher than national average

Climate:

Humid Continental Climate

Köppen: Dfa/Dfb

Time Zone:

UTC +2 (EET)

Summer - UTC +3 (EEST)

English:

Bucharest

Romanian (Local):

București

German:

Bukarest

Turkish:

Bükreş

Swedish:

Bukarest

Flag of Bucharest
Bucharest Coat of Arms

Meaning of the Name:

Unknown origin. One unverified theory is that it is derived from the name "Bucur".

Former Names:

Nicknames:

"Micul Paris" (Little Paris)

Demonym(s):

Bucharester (English)
Bucureștean (Romanian, Masculine)
Bucureșteancă (Romanian, Feminine)

Piața Unirii

Central Square

Palatul Parlamentului

Palace of the Parliament

Arcul de Triumf

Triumphal Arch

Aeroportul Internațional Henri Coandă București

IATA Code:

OTP

ICAO Code:

LROP

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

16 km / 10 mi (N)

Located In:

Otopeni

Named After:

Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă

Information:

Located in the suburb of Otopeni and is named after aviation pioneer Henri Coandă.

Transfer To/From:

There's no rail connection so the easiest way is to take a bus which will take you directly to Piața Unirii.

Currency:

Romanian Leu

Code:

RON

Subunit:

Ban

Symbol:

L

Cash Or Credit:

Both work in most cases, but I would recommend bringing at least some cash on your trip.

Good To Know:

-

Local Language:

Romanian

Language Family:

Romance (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

You will be fine in the tourist areas. Most people in the younger generation speak excellent English, but I did encounter a few people who could barely speak a word of English and were in their 20s.

The Old Town (Lipscani) is where you should stay as a tourist. If you can't find something suitable inside the rather small Old Town you should look for something in the nearby areas, preferably just North of it. Piața Romana is another alternative, but you'll have to take the metro or walk for some time to reach the main sights of Bucharest. Piața Unirii, Lipscani, and Piața Romana, along Bulevardul Magheru (sometimes also known as Bulevardul General Gheorghe Magheru) is where you will spend most of your time.

You should be vigilant, as always, but Bucharest is just as safe as any other European city. There is poverty around so watch out for pickpocketers, that's all. I was exploring Bucharest without any concerns. My camera was fully visible around my neck at all times and didn't feel unsafe at any point. The Old Town might look unsafe, but it isn't. It's just the facades that need a renovation. I was also walking from Old Town all the way to Herăstrău Park and back. Many of the areas didn't look great, but they aren't unsafe during the day.

Bucharest is home to one of the most famous ghettos in Europe - Ferentari. This area, south of the city center and far away from where you would normally go as a tourist, is one of the most dangerous places in Europe and notorious for crime. Just don't go there, despite the fame and reputation.

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

Bucharest is not a major fast food destination. Many of the international chains are now present in the city, but the restaurants are often located in shopping malls far from the city center so it's not worth getting there as a tourist.

Spartan

Origin:

Founded:

2012

Type of Food:

Kebab & Gyros

Did I Try:

No

My Score:

N / A

About:

A Romanian chain selling different types of kebabs and gyros.

Comment:

There are no restaurants in the center of Bucharest so I was unable to try them.

No Images Available

Bucharest is undergoing big changes as the economy strengthens with the help of the European Union. There are still many areas, even in the center of the city, that look like it hasn't received a facelift for the past 50 years. There are also new and modern buildings being built all over the city. It's a mix of new and old, which I liked. The Old Town is not as pretty as in Western Europe due to lack of maintenance. Bucharest feels living and true. I actually liked this mix of slightly dilapidated old and new modern luxury.

Do I Recommend You To Visit?

I liked Bucharest, but it's not for everyone. If you're interested in Eastern Europe and don't mind when cities are a little rough on the edges, I would recommend a visit. Bucharest is not recommended for those who want everything to look perfect and just want a relaxing shopping trip.

Will I Come Back Again?

Probably not. It's one of those cities you will see once and then you're done.

Weather During My Stay:

The first day saw some heavy rains, I got stuck under a doorway for over an hour during a severe thunderstorm. After that, I still got one and a half-day of sunny and extremely hot weather.

Best:

-

Not As Good:

-

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Palace of the Parliament

The one thing you need to see in Bucharest is also one of the ugliest buildings in the city. The Palace of the Parliament is the second-largest building in the world (after the Pentagon).

Palatul Parlamentului

To build this monstrosity, dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu allowed large parts of Old Town to be demolished.

Old Town Bucharest

The Old Town of Bucharest is known as Lipscani.

Union Square

Buildings on the western side of Union Square (Piața Unirii).

Piața Unirii

Union Square with its impressive fountains is a pleasant place to stroll through during the summer months.

Arcul de Triumf

Bucharest has its Arch of Triumph. The Arcul de Triumf is dedicated to the heroes of the War of Independence (1877-1878) and World War I.

National Bank of Romania

The National Bank of Romania in Lipscani (Old Town).

University Square

University Square (Piața Universității) at the Northern edge of Old Town.

Bucharest Streets

A street in Old Town of Bucharest.

Victory Square

Victory Square (Piața Victoriei).

Church of Saint John New

A small church in central Bucharest called the Church of Saint John New (Biserica Sfântul Ioan Nou).

Lipscani

The Old Town is generally in very good shape, but some very central areas are still dilapidated.

Graffiti in Old Town

Personally, I feel that these areas only give the city even more character. But there's lots of construction and restoration going on so these areas will not look like this for very long.

Bulevardul Corneliu Coposu

Bulevardul Corneliu Coposu with Unirea Shopping Center to the right.

Street in Lipscani

A street in the Old Town.

Stavropoleos Monastery Church

Stavropoleos Monastery Church (Biserica Mănăstirii Stavropoleos) is visible to the right in this picture from Old Town.

Calea Victoriei

Calea Victoriei is another major road in the city.

Romanian Athenaeum

Romanian Athenaeum (Ateneul Român).

Bucharest Streets

A street in Bucharest.

Roman Square

Roman Square (Piața Romană).

St. Nicholas Church

St. Nicholas Church in Old Town.

Bulevardul Nicolae Bălcescu

Bulevardul Nicolae Bălcescu is one of the main roads into the city.

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