What Travelers Say About Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital of Romania and the country's largest city, sitting on the southern plains not far from the Danube. In the early 20th century it was a glamorous place nicknamed Little Paris, with wide boulevards, Belle Epoque mansions, and even its own small Arc de Triomphe. Two world wars, an earthquake, and decades of communism changed all that. Under the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, whole historic districts were bulldozed in the 1980s to build the colossal Palace of the Parliament, still the heaviest building in the world. He was overthrown and executed in the 1989 revolution, which began with protests right here.
The result is a city of jarring contrasts. Ornate old villas stand next to grey communist apartment blocks and shiny new towers, sometimes on the same street. It is not conventionally pretty, and first impressions can be rough, but it grows on you. The restored Old Town, Centrul Vechi, is a dense knot of bars, cafes, terraces, and old churches that becomes one of the liveliest nightlife areas in the region after dark.
For visitors the big draw is value. Romania is in the EU but keeps its own currency, the leu, and prices for food, drinks, and hotels are among the lowest of any European capital. Add leafy parks, good coffee, and friendly locals, and Bucharest turns out to be a genuinely rewarding city for anyone willing to look past the surface.