Romania Guide
Bucharest
For many people, initial impressions of BUCHAREST (Bucureşti), a sprawling, dusty city of some two million people, are less than favourable. As Romania's centre of government and commerce and site of its main airport, most visitors to the country will find themselves passing through the city at some point, but its chaotic jumble of traffic-choked streets, ugly concrete apartment blocks and monumental but mostly unfinished communist developments are often enough to send most travellers scurrying off to the more obvious attractions further north. Yet it's a city that rewards patience, with a raft of terrific museums, first-rate restaurants and bars, and, behind the congested arteries, some superb architecture and abundant greenery.
Highlights
1 National Art Museum The country's biggest and best collection, the highlight of which is the spectacular Gallery of Romanian Medieval Art.
2 Museum of the Romanian Peasant A superb display of traditional textiles, ceramics, carvings and replica buildings in the city's most enjoyable museum.
3 Palace of Parliament Take a tour around the colossal centrepiece of Ceauşescu's Centru Civic.
4 The historic quarter Escape the downtown concrete jungle with a ramble around the crumbling streets of Bucharest's old quarter.
5 Herăstrău Park Combine a leisurely stroll through Bucharest's largest and greenest park with a cruise on the adjoining lake.
6 Village Museum A varied assemblage of dwellings, churches, windmills and other structures from all over Romania, and the best place in the capital to buy craft souvenirs.
7 Concert at the Romanian Atheneum The city's most beautiful building is also the venue for regular top-class classical concerts.
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