Insight Guides Pocket Bucharest (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Insight Guides Pocket Bucharest

Travel made easy. Ask local experts.
The definitive pocket-sized travel guide.

Part of our UEFA Euro 2020 guidebook series. If you're planning to visit the National Arena in Bucharest to watch Euro 2020 matches, then this pocket guidebook provides all the information you need to make the most of your trip, from ready-made itineraries to help you explore the city when you're not at the game, to essential advice about getting around.    

Compact, concise and packed full of essential information about where to go and what to do, this is the ideal on-the-move travel guide for exploring Bucharest. Compact, concise and packed full of essential information about where to go and what to do, this is an ideal on-the-move guide for exploring Bucharest. From top tourist attractions like the Casa Poporului, the Peasant Museum and Herastrau Park, to cultural gems, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Atheneum and the elegant architecture of the Old Town, plan your perfect trip with this practical, all-in-one travel guide.

Features of this travel guide to Bucharest:
- Inspirational itineraries: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, highlighted with stunning photography
- Historical and cultural insights: delve into the city's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions
- Practical full-colour maps: with every major attraction highlighted, the maps make on-the-ground navigation easy
- Key tips and essential information: from transport to tipping, we've got you covered
- Covers: The Old Town; Along Calea Victoriei; Aviatorilor and Herastrau Park; Cotroceni to Cismigiu; Civic Centre; The Outskirts of the City; Excursions

Looking for a comprehensive guide to Romania? Check out Insight Guide Romania for a detailed and entertaining look at all the country has to offer.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Feb 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781839052255

Insight Guides

Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Bucharest, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Bucharest, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Bucharest are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Bucharest. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2020 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Bucharest’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day in Bucharest

Introduction

Geography

Contemporary Bucharest and its people

Climate

Bucharest’s Attractions

Prominent Romanians

A Brief History

Thracians and Dacians

The Roman Years

Slavs, Magyars and the Age of Invasion

The Middle Ages: The Formation & Consolidation of the Principalities

Vlad the Impaler

17th and 18th Centuries

19th Century: Independence

Early 20th Century: World War I and Unification

Between the Wars

World War II

The Communist Takeover and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej

1965–89: Nicolae Ceauşescu

The Revolution and the Fall of Ceauşescu

Romania Since 1989

Historical Landmarks

Where To Go

Piața Universității and the Old Town

Piața Universității

Magheru

Old Town

The Civic Centre

Piaţa Unirii

Palace of Parliament

Patriarchal Hill

The Hidden Monasteries

Old Jewish District

Along Calea Victoriei

From the river to Piaţa Revoluţiei

Piaţa Revoluţiei

Towards Piaţa Victoriei

Aviatorilor and Herăstrău Park

The Museums of Piaţa Victoriei

Towards Herăstrău

The Spring Palace

Herăstrău Park

The Village Museum

Cotroceni to Cismigiu

The Presidential Palace

Eroilor

Cismigiu

Bucharest’s Outskirts

Therme

Snagov

Mogoșoaia Palace

Excursions from Bucharest

Pitești and Curtea de Argeș

Sinaia

Braşov

Constanța

What To Do

Sports

Football

Swimming

Cycling

Golf

Skiing

Hiking

Shopping

What to Buy

Food and Drink

Entertainment

Opera, Classical Music and Ballet

Theatre

Cinema

Rock and Pop

Traditional Music

Clubs and Bars

Children’s Bucharest

Calendar of Events

Eating Out

Where to Eat

When to Eat

Popular Dishes

Starters (antreuri)

Meat Dishes

Fish

Bread

Dessert

Vegetarians and Vegans

What to Drink

Wine (Vin)

Cider (Cidru)

Spirits (Tarie)

Coffee (Cafea)

Reading the Menu

To Help You Order…

Restaurants

Piața Universității and the Old Town

The Civic Centre

Calea Victoriei

Aviatorilor and Herăstrău Park

Cotroceni and Cismigiu

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airport

B

Budgeting for Your Trip

C

Car Hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and Safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and Consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting There

Guides and Tours

H

Health and Medical Care

L

Language

Left Luggage

LGBTQ Travellers

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening Times

P

Police

Post Offices

Public Holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time Zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist Information

Transport

Travellers with Disabilities

V

Visas and Entry Requirements

W

Websites

Y

Youth Hostels

Recommended Hotels

Piața Universității and the Old Town

The Civic Centre

Calea Victoriei

Aviatorilor and Herăstrău Park

Cotroceni and Cismigiu

Bucharest’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

iStock

Parliament

Take a tour of one of the largest buildings in the world. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #2

Shutterstock

Spring Palace

The former residence of Nicolae Ceaușescu, preserved as a study in extravagant kitsch. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #3

iStock

Village Museum

Discover the diverse architecture of the Romanian countryside. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #4

Shutterstock

Therme

Relax at the largest thermal bath complex in Central and Eastern Europe. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #5

iStock

Herăstrău Park

Take a boat trip on the lake at the centre of this gorgeous green oasis. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #6

iStock

Caru cu Bere

Eat fine Romanian food in sumptuous surroundings. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #7

iStock

Stavropoleos Church

Find peaceful respite from the busy Old Town in this exquisitely decorated 18th-century church. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #8

iStock

Ateneul Român

Grab tickets for a concert at Romania’s finest music venue. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #9

iStock

Piața Unirii

Watch the spectacular dancing fountains. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #10

Getty Images

Cotroceni Palace

Admire the exquisite taste of Queen Marie, Romania’s English queen. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day in Bucharest

9.00am

Breakfast

Have breakfast on the terrace of the Amsterdam Grand Cafe, in the shadow of the national bank in heart of Bucharest’s bustling Old Town.

10.00am

Old Town

Wander the streets of the Old Town and admire the eclectic architecture before the lunchtime crowds descend on the area.

11.00am

Parliament

Take the guided tour of Romania’s largest building, making sure you grab some perfect shots of the city centre from the balcony.

12.30pm

Caru cu Bere

Try some traditional Romanian food in this historic restaurant (for more information, click here) – the interior is a must-see.

1.30pm

Calea Victoriei

Stroll along the city’s finest street, taking in the sights of the 1989 revolution and the many historical buildings, including the former Royal Palace, as well as browsing its high-end shops.

2.30pm

Village Museum

Explore the many houses, churches, windmills and farm buildings that showcase the inventive spirit of the Romanian people, and pick up some handmade, traditional crafts in the museum shop.

4.00pm

Spring Palace

Remain aghast at the kitsch opulence in which Romania’s communist leaders lived while the rest of the country went hungry.

6.00pm

A concert at the Ateneul Român

See one of Europe’s finest orchestras, the George Enescu Philharmonic, perform at one of the continent’s most lavish concert halls.

8.30pm

Finish the day with dinner at Romania’s best restaurant (for more information, click here), before heading to Piața Unirii to watch the spectacular dancing fountains.

Introduction

Bucharest’s locals love nothing more than teasing visitors from other parts of Romania, and will often do so by declaring – with tongue only partly in cheek – that the capital is the country’s only city. ‘Everything else is just a big village’, they say. And they are at least partially right. With an official population of just under 2 million (and an unofficial population which is far higher), Bucharest is four times larger than any other city in the country, and – in what remains a highly-centralised state – the focal point of Romanian politics, business, culture, religion and sport. For the visitor, it is an often bewildering mix of the Western and the Oriental, the modern and the traditional. This city of extremes, where state-of-the-art Teslas must navigate potholed roads, will frustrate and delight in equal measure. Badly administered for decades it creaks and often appears