4 Days in Bucharest and Beyond

I have a friend who is originally from Bucharest, and I’d been waiting for the right moment to visit with her, a chance to explore her hometown with a local guide. We finally took advantage of a long weekend in May to make it happen, after talking about it for years.

Day 1, Arrival & Bucharest

After an early start (the only downside is that cheap flights to Bucharest only fly out of Beauvais airport!), we arrived at the Bucharest airport, where a bus took us into the city center.

On the way, we started to notice the rather unique architectural style. We also discovered that the Arc de Triomphe was under construction, so we wouldn't be able to go up. We dropped our bags off at an apartment we’d rented right in the center and headed out to explore.

We made sure to grab some local pastries along the way! We spent most of our time wandering through the Old Town, checking out the Caru’ cu Bere restaurant (it’s kind of like the Parisian Chartier, but prettier!), the Stavropoleos Monastery with its very distinct Romanian style, the new, immaculately white bookstore, and plenty of other important buildings in the center.

It’s strange how concrete buildings sit right alongside more classic European-style architecture. But I liked it! Since it was already happy hour, we stopped at one of the many terraces for a cocktail, taking advantage of the cushioned benches to rest a bit after all that walking. Then, we finished up with a great little restaurant serving grilled meat platters. You have to try the mici, a local specialty!

Day 2, Brasov & Bran

The next day was another early wake-up call, as we were catching the train to Brasov.

It’s a charming town nestled in the mountains. Fun fact: the city’s name is displayed in the mountains, Hollywood-style. We took our time exploring this lovely spot, including the central square (Piata Sfatului), the massive "Black Church" (Biserica Neagra), its narrowest street (Strada Sforii), and Catherine’s Gate (Poarta Ecaterinei), which looks like a mini princess castle.

After a nice lunch in the sun and a kurtoskalacs (yum!) for dessert, we took the bus to Bran to visit its castle, known as Dracula’s Castle. Okay, I’m going to shatter your illusions just as mine were shattered: there is no evidence that Vlad the Impaler ever actually spent time in this castle. It’s mostly because Bram Stoker’s description in his novel matches a castle in a region where none exist, and Bran is the closest thing to it…

But Dracula or not, it’s a pretty castle, and the visit was a nice addition to Brasov, which you can see pretty quickly. Then we headed back to the city for a good local dinner and some much-needed rest.

Day 3, Bucharest

We had to head back to Bucharest by train, which meant another early start! Our next hotel was right in Herastrau Park, a perfect spot for families in the summer. After devouring a delicious shawarma from Dristor (a local institution!), we headed toward the Palace of the Parliament (Casa Poporului), an oversized and rather controversial building. It’s still worth a visit, though, for its sheer scale and impressive halls.

In the evening, we had tickets for a piano concert at the Athenaeum (Ateneul Roman), a magnificent concert hall. You can visit during the day, but seeing a concert there is even better!

We ended the evening at La Mama restaurant, which I highly recommend. I ate some delicious local dishes there! The beef soup (ciorba), a plate of tochitura, and the dessert I’m still dreaming about: papanasi (a type of sweet fried dough with fresh cheese and jam).

Day 4, Bucharest & Departure

The last visit my friend had planned was the Village Museum (Muzeul National al Satului). It’s an open-air eco-museum where you can find houses, churches, windmills, and more, all typically Romanian and from different eras. It’s a lovely visit when the weather is nice since it’s located within Herastrau Park.

Once we finished the tour, we grabbed lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe Bucharest before taking the small ferry back to the other side to reach our hotel. It was already time to head home!

Verdict

In short, I really enjoyed this long weekend in and around Bucharest.

• Maybe because it allowed me to discover the city where my friend spent a large part of her life.
• Maybe also because I really loved the local Romanian food.
• Or because there are so many beautiful things to see.
• Perhaps also because it’s a fairly affordable region.

For all these reasons, and because there’s still so much left for me to discover there, I’d love to go back one day!