Everybody talks about Bucharest's Belle Époque — the Little Paris years, the Athenaeum, the eclectic mansions. Almost nobody talks about what came next, which is a shame, because for about eleven years between the two World Wars this city was producing some of the best Art Deco and early modernist architecture in Europe.
Three days is the right amount of time for Bucharest — less and you only see the monuments, more and you run out of structured things to do unless you take day trips. After fourteen years of planning this itinerary in different versions for different guests, here is the version I would build for a first-time visitor.
Most 'best things to do in Bucharest' lists online are interchangeable. After fourteen years of guiding here, the list I would actually write keeps about two-thirds of the standard answers, adds a third the lists almost always miss, and quietly skips a couple of items the lists keep oversold.
Most travelers arrive in Bucharest with no idea what Romanian food is. After fourteen years of feeding our guests through this city, here is what I would tell a friend visiting for the first time — dishes to seek, places that are worth your time, and the ones that aren't.
Bucharest had one of the largest Jewish communities in southeastern Europe before the war. Most of the neighborhood is gone, three or four sites survive, and a working community of a few thousand still keeps it alive. After fourteen years of guiding this walk, here is the version we tell visitors who ask.
Bucharest doesn't introduce itself well. After fourteen years of picking guests up from the airport and watching them figure the city out, here is what I've come to tell people who ask whether it's worth coming.
The village of Viscri, or Weisskhirch (in Romanian \"white church\"), as it was formerly known, is less than two-hour drive from Brasov. The village was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1999 and features on the world map of traditional villages. The road up there is dotted with plenty of attractions, so if you leave Brasov in the morning, you might only reach Viscri in the afternoon.
Transylvania offers sights and attractions to suit all tastes, but the authenticity found in the old rural settlements is something everyone loves. Transylvanian villages are places with a special charm, and the landscape of the area recalls memories of ancient times.
The Saxon history of Transylvania begins unofficially in middle 1100's and officially in 1224 when the King of Hungary allowed the German peasants and merchants from Luxembourg and Flanders area to settle the southern part of the land to protect the Kingdom from invaders ...
--- When they hear the word Brasov, most people think of the famous Black Church. But this is not the only medieval landmark in the area! Just 17 km north-east of Brasov (Kronstadt) you’ll find...
An interesting blog post by BlondeAtlas. Some nice tips and some good words about their experience in Romania. I particularly liked her choice of restaurants, Bistro de l'Arte in Brasov and...
On the last day, we focused on visiting two major UNESCO fortified churches - Biertan and Richis. We joined the fantastic guide Peter Suciu who did a great job walking us through the history of the...
After all those years we’ve been to Sibiu, we finally got a guided tour with a real expert, Adela Dadu. She was brilliantly passionate in advocating for the uniqueness of the tolerant spirit of...
What better place to spend the 3 days of the 1st of December National Holiday than the Sibiu area. The Christmas market is usually gorgeous, the kids will love it and we’ll get some time to explore...
Next day, on the agenda, was a stop in Rosia-Rothberg to visit Eginald Schlattner. I didn’t know what to expect and I was a little uncomfortable with Laura’s plan. He is an 88 years old Lutheran...
