Discovering the Capital of Contrasts: Bucharest Old Town
Bucharest Old Town has been on my bucket list for years and I am really happy I finally managed to visit it last May. As we were coming home from a long weekend of exploring the Kavarna Region of Bulgaria, we decided to spend the night in the capital city and explore the highlights of Bucharest the morning after.
Since we only had a very limited amount of time of 3-4 hours, I reached out to Alexandra of Roaring Romania to see if she could give us a short tour of Bucharest Old Town. Instead of scrambling around such a big city we know nothing of, I decided a local’s perspective and guidance would be much more suitable for us. We were very lucky to find that she could fit us into her tight schedule and I was very happy to finally meet her in person after following her fabulous account religiously on Instagram.
We rendezvoused in front of the beautiful National Bank Palace built in Neo-Classical Style in 1890. Since it was raining, we headed over to CărtureÈ™ti Carusel for a hot cup of coffee while chit-chatting about the latest trends in travel and social media. After the weather cleared up a bit, we explored some of the most renowned landmarks in the capital, like the magical Stavropoleos Monastery, University Square, the Romanian Athenaeum and the iconic Caru’ cu Bere restaurant.
But instead of going into the details of the buildings’ history, I thought I’d just take you on a short photo tour of my favorite architectural gems of the Bucharest Old Town. Some are well-known administrative seats, others are famous religious sites and some are just run-down remains of a once-fabulous era.
(If you’re looking for further info on these places, I honestly recommend reserving a private tour with Alexandra. Her wit, humor and amazing storytelling will make your exploration fun and insightful)
But for now, let’s take a short walk around some of the finest landmarks in Bucharest Old Town:
BNR – National Bank of Romania Palace
Carturesti Carusel
CEC Bank
Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery
Caru’ cu Bere
Central University Library
Grand Hotel du Boulevard
Italian Church
Italian Church
Stunning Details
Novotel Hotel
University of Architecture
Kretzulescu Church
University
Romanian Athenaeum
So how do you like Bucharest? Have you been?
Which is YOUR favorite place in the Capital of Contrasts?Â
Make sure you Pin the image below to Pinterest to help spread the word!
Note: I was in no way compensated for recommending Alexandra of Roaring Romania. I just simply think that she’s the perfect guide if you’re looking to explore Bucharest (or Romania) on a private tour. I recommend her wholeheartedly and hope you’ll be as satisfied with her awesome guiding style as we were!
Previous Post
Next Post
Wow, wow, wow!
Now I feel cheated because everyone in Targu Mures kept telling me: “Don’t bother going to Bucharest. It’s just big and noisy and crowded. There is nothing much to see there. Just stay in Transylvania!”
Hey Andreas!
I actually loved these buildings in the Old Town and the contrast with these new glass constructions.
People kept telling me the same thing, but I thought a few hours wouldn’t hurt. 🙂 Bucharest actually surprised me in the most positive of ways. It was so beautiful even in the grey, rainy weather we caught during our short visit. And even though I personally prefer smaller cities rather than huge capitals, but Bucharest’s Old Town is definitely worth a short stop (at least).
By the way, there’s plenty more of Romania you still haven’t seen, so time to plan another trip here! I bet you’re missing our fast internet 😉
This was really helpful. Thanks for this tips!
Thanks! Glad I could be of help 🙂