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    Tourist Attractions in Bucharest

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Bucharest. Photos and a brief description.

    Bucharest
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    About Bucharest

    The Romanian capital is a bizarre mix of unique Wallachian architecture, the best museums in Southeastern Europe and pompous projects of the era of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. Once upon a time, the legendary and gloomy Vlad Tepes lived and ruled in Bucharest, whose personality served as the prototype of the bloody Count Dracula. The city is full of mysteries, interesting discoveries and unexpected finds.

    Much of the historical heritage of Bucharest is irretrievably lost, as in the XX century, whole blocks of old buildings, churches and streets were demolished. But much has been preserved – picturesque palaces, the old quarter of Lipskani, the remains of the medieval fortress of the Wallachian princes. Nowadays Bucharest has been reborn. More and more tourists are walking the streets, architectural monuments are gradually being restored and infrastructure is developing.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Bucharest

    Parliament Palace

    A monster-like building in the city center, for which an impressive part of the historical districts was demolished and an artificial hill was built. The hulk was erected at the request of dictator N. Ceausescu, more than one billion dollars were spent on construction. Previously, the building was called the "House of the People", but after the overthrow of the communist government it was renamed the "Palace of Parliament".

    Parliament Palace
    Palace of Justice

    Palace of Justice

    The building of the late XIX century, where the city Court of Appeal sits. The front facade of the building, facing the embankment of the Dymbovitsa River, is decorated in classic French style, it houses statues symbolizing Law, Truth, Justice and other virtues. The Palace of Justice occupies an area of more than 33 thousand m2, the total number of internal rooms is about 700. The last restoration was carried out in the early 2000s.

    Cantacuzino Palace

    The building of the beginning of the XX century, located on one of the oldest city streets. Previously, the palace belonged to one of the mayors of Bucharest, D.G. Cantacuzino. It is an elegant building in the style of French classics with neat intersperses of Art Nouveau, Rococo and Art Nouveau. The facades of Kantakuzino are richly decorated with decorative elements, famous masters of their time were invited to decorate the interior of the palace.

    Cantacuzino Palace
    Kretsulescu Palace

    Kretsulescu Palace

    The palace was built by architect D. Antonescu at the beginning of the XX century, the building is considered one of the most picturesque in Bucharest. During the construction, a mixture of architectural styles was generously used: Baroque, Neo-Gothic, French classicism. The palace was created in imitation of French architecture, as the Romanian nobility in the late XIX – early XX centuries tried to focus on France in everything.

    Kotrochen

    The current residence of the President of Romania. The building was built at the end of the XIX century for the ruler Karol I in the Brynkovian architectural style. This unique style of construction originated on the territory of the former Wallachia in the XVIII century. It is distinguished by the presence of a large number of decor, oriental elements, openwork arches and light flying structures. Cotrochen was built according to the project of the French architect P. Gottero.

    Kotrochen
    Mogoshoaya

    Mogoshoaya

    The Palace and Park ensemble, located 10 km away. from the capital of Romania. It is one of the brightest examples of Brynkovian architecture. The complex served as the summer residence of the Romanian rulers. At the beginning of the XVIII century, the Turks took the palace (Wallachia was under Ottoman rule for a long time). The building and the park's territory were severely damaged during the Russian-Turkish War. After the restoration of 1860-1880 Mogoshoaya passed into the possession of the aristocratic Bibescu family, in 1945 the palace passed to the state.

    National Museum of Art of Romania

    The museum was founded in 1950, its first exhibits were works of art from the collection of the Romanian ruler Carol I. Subsequently, the exposition was replenished at the expense of private collections. The museum contains samples of decorative and applied art: antique furniture, tapestries, tableware, icons, carpets. A considerable part of the museum's collections are paintings by famous painters – Romanian, European and Russian.

    National Museum of Art of Romania
    Dmitry Gusti Ethnographic Museum

    Dmitry Gusti Ethnographic Museum

    An open-air museum where the life of the Romanian village is demonstrated. The houses for the exhibition were brought from different parts of the country. In addition to residential buildings, there are wooden churches, traditional outbuildings, windmills and other historical objects characteristic of rural Romania. The museum exposition is located on the shore of Lake Herestreu in a picturesque green park.

    Museum of Peasant Art of Romania

    The exposition was founded at the beginning of the XX century. It tells about the life, everyday life, traditions and occupations of a Romanian peasant family. In the museum you can see a variety of national costumes, the atmosphere of a peasant dwelling, various works of folk art. In 1944, the building housed a museum of two socialist leaders – Lenin and Stalin, the original exhibits were removed. But in 1990, the collection returned to its place.

    Museum of Peasant Art of Romania
    National Museum of the History of Romania

    National Museum of the History of Romania

    The museum is located in the historical building of the main branch of the city post office, previously this building was called the "Postal Palace". The exposition covers all historical periods – from the Paleolithic era to the present. The museum has an extensive and rich archaeological collection of various artifacts, which can trace the history of the predecessor states of modern Romania.

    Romanian Athenaeum

    A cultural center created at the end of the XIX century on the initiative of members of the cultural society. Now the J. Enescu Philharmonic Hall is located on its territory. At various times, composer Maurice Ravel, the famous conductor and violinist David Oistrakh, pianist Svyatoslav Richter and other equally worthy representatives of the musical art performed here. The front facade of the Athenaeum is decorated with Ionic columns, the building is crowned by an impressive Byzantine dome.

    Romanian Athenaeum
    CEC Bank Building

    CEC Bank Building

    The historical building of the XIX century, where the main bank of Romania is located. According to many tourists, this building is the most picturesque in Bucharest. There could well be a museum or a hall for ceremonial receptions. The bank's headquarters is a majestic neoclassical mansion with a large central dome, small side domes and monumental columns.

    Coltea Hospital Building

    The hospital is the oldest in Bucharest, it was founded at the beginning of the XVIII century at the expense of the family of patrons of Vacareste. A century later, as a result of a strong earthquake, the building was destroyed, it was restored only by the end of the XIX century. Currently, the Ministry of Health is located on the territory, so it is impossible to go inside and admire the interiors like an ordinary tourist.

    Coltea Hospital Building
    Central Library of the University

    Central Library of the University

    The structure appeared in 1891-1895 . At first it housed the royal foundation, and since 1947 the university library has moved here. In front of the mansion there is a monument in honor of the ruler Karol I – the first king of the principality of Wallachia and Moldavia. Unfortunately, the library's funds were severely damaged during the fire of 1989. The building was designed by the French architect P. Gottero.

    Stavropol Church

    One of the most respected temples in Bucharest, which arose in 1724 during the reign of the ruler Nicholas Phanariot. The architecture of the building is an elegant and picturesque Brynkovian style, very characteristic of some historical buildings in Bucharest. The Byzantine style prevails in the interior design. The church is decorated with frescoes, elaborate wooden and stone sculptures and beautiful paintings.

    Stavropol Church
    Antim Monastery

    Antim Monastery

    The current monastery, named after its founder – Metropolitan Antima Iviryanu. The monastery was built on the site of a wooden church in 1713-15 . Since the end of the XVIII century, a school of priests began to operate at the monastery. In the middle of the XX century, all the monks were arrested, and the monastery itself was dissolved. The restoration was carried out in the 60s thanks to the initiative of the hierarchs of the Romanian Church.

    Church of Kretsulescu

    One of the oldest and most respected churches in the Romanian capital. The temple was built in the classical Brynkovian style, combining Italian, Byzantine and Oriental architecture. The facade and interior walls are decorated with frescoes by the Romanian painter G. Tatarescu, which are executed in an unusually realistic manner. The Orthodox of Bucharest revere this church very much, during services there is often no free space inside.

    Patriarchal Cathedral

    The cathedral was built in honor of Saints Constantine and Elena in the middle of the XVII century. During several reconstructions over the centuries, the building has lost its original appearance, only the semicircular facade arches have been preserved from the original. Unfortunately, the name of the architect remained unknown. Since 1925, the Patriarchal Cathedral has been the main temple of the Orthodox Church of Romania. Not far from the temple is the residence of the Romanian Patriarch.

    Kurtya-Century

    The former residence of the princes of Wallachia, which simultaneously served as a defensive fortress. The complex was built in the XIV century, but soon fell into disrepair and collapsed. The fortress entered its heyday under Vlad the Impaler. The ruler expanded the territory and practically rebuilt the fortifications. At the end of the XVIII century, the rulers moved to another place, and the surrounding lands were sold to private individuals. Nowadays, the ruins of the fortress are recognized as a national monument.

    Kurtya-Century
    Lipskan Street

    Lipskan Street

    Pedestrian street in the central part of Bucharest. In the Middle Ages, the busiest shopping district of Wallachia, later called Lipskani, was located around it. Since then, little has changed – life is bustling in this part of the city around the clock, restaurants and bars almost never close, tourists come here for the ever-fading holiday atmosphere. The historic district of Lipscani miraculously survived during the mass demolition of old buildings during the Ceausescu era.

    Unification Boulevard

    A wide avenue that starts from the Parliament Palace and stretches through the center of Bucharest for 3 km. to Alba Iulia Square. It is often compared to the Champs-Elysees in Paris (sometimes Bucharest is even called "Eastern Paris"). The entire architectural ensemble of the Boulevard was rebuilt in the 80s of the XX century and was intended to accommodate the administration and government structures. Previously, the historical part of Bucharest with buildings of the past centuries was located on this place.

    Unification Boulevard
    The Arc de Triomphe

    The Arc de Triomphe

    The monument was installed on the Kiselyov highway in the first half of the XX century. Until 1922, there was a wooden analogue of the monument. The Triumphal Arch of Bucharest is very similar to the Parisian one, but it is not its full analogue. The monument was built in honor of the defenders of Romanian independence, a group of prominent Romanian architects worked on the project: D. Pachurea, P. Antonescu, A. Kalinescu and others.

    Chishmidjiu Gardens

    The park area created on the initiative of Count Kiselyov, the head of the provisional Administration of Romania after the end of the Russian-Turkish War. The garden was created on the swampy outskirts of Bucharest by the project of the Austrian landscape designer V. Mayer. Now the park is located in the city center. It has colorful flower alleys and a system of artificial ponds. The garden is decorated with plants imported from all over Romania.

    Chishmidjiu Gardens
    Bucharest Botanical Garden

    Bucharest Botanical Garden

    The city Botanical Garden is the real pride of the Romanian capital. A large number of rare and unique plants are collected here. The garden was founded in 1860 on the initiative of botanist K. Davile, at first it occupied a small area of 7 hectares. Gradually, the territory grew, the collection of plants was replenished, and the garden began to lack space. In 1884, it was decided to move the park to the Kotrocheni district, where it is located to this day.

    Herastrau Park

    A park located around the lake of the same name in the northern part of Bucharest. Until the 30s of the XX century there were swamps on this place. The park had grown to its present borders by the 50s. On the territory there is an Ethnographic Museum of Dmitry Gusti, a large recreational area, fountains, bike paths and outdoor playgrounds. On the Herastrau Lake, if desired, you can take a boat trip.

    Herastrau Park