A confluence of multicultural neighbourhoods, belle époque avenues and functional high-rises, Bucharest wears its past on its sleeve. While the Ceauşescu regime sought to erase all traces of the city’s history in the early 1980s, today, the Romanian capital overflows with character —its gritty exterior concealing a wealth of cosy bars, galleries and bookshops.
Begin with a walk along Bulevardul Primăverii in the north of the city. Among the—the one-time family residence of Romania’s communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who ruled from 1965 to 1989. Its gilded interiors can be explored on a guided tour. A five-minute stroll away is the a multi-floor gallery dedicated to championing contemporary Romanian artists.
