ROMANIA : BUCHAREST - SIGHTSEEING
The city of Bucharest , with a population of
2,100,000, is over 500 years old and was once considered the “Paris of
the East”. Hover, the city’s past elegance crumbled during the communist
years.
As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to have seven
hills, in the tradition of the seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven
hills are: Mihai Voda, Patriarhiei, Radu Voda, Cotroceni, Spirei,
Vacaresti and Sf. Gheorghe Nou.The city has a total surface of 226 km2.
The altitude varies between 55.8 meters at the Dâmbovita bridge in
Catelu, south-eastern Bucharest and 91.5 m at the Militari church.Until
recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but
after 1989, new suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in Ilfov
county
Among the most eye-catching attractions in the city is” Parliament
Palace” listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, under
“Administrative Buildings” as the second largest building in the world
after the Pentagon. During the reign of Ceausescu, work on Parliament
Palace, initially named The House of The People, began on June 25 1984
on a land that had previously held one of the oldest and loveliest of
the city’s neighborhood.
Bucharest today, like any big capital, is a bustling modern metropolis
full of life and diversity. Much of Bucharest’s past can be seen along
Calea Victoriei and Piata Victoriei and the streets leading from them.
Some of the points of interest on Calea Victoriei are The National
Museum of History, The Romanian Athenaeum and The Royal Palace known
also as The National Art Museum, George Enescu Palace and The Museum of
Art Collections.
Bucharest's museums are a destination in themselves, especially the
open-air Muzeul Satului. Located on the bank of the Lake Herastrau in
Bucharest, the museum is a result of Profesor Dimitrie Gusti’s research
on rural regions. The Village Museum was opened in 1936 the same year as
the one from Skansen (Stockholm). Both museums are the first open-air
ethnographic museums in the world.
Other "musts" include the National Museum of Art, once the Royal Palace;
the National History Museum on Calea Victoriei, housing the superb
silverware of the Treasury; and Curtea Veche with its decorated little
16th century church.
Another point of interest is The Old Princely Court Museum, the ruins of
a palace built in the 1500s by Vlad Tepes a.k.a. Count Dracula. Nearby
stands the oldest church in Bucharest, Church Saint Anton, which
unfortunately rebuilt many times does not keep too much of its old look.
Nearby stands the magnificent Church of the Patriarchate, built in 1657
and preserved amongst the contrasting modernity of the Centrul Civic.
And don't miss Stavropoleos Church near Curtea Veche, a real jewel of
Romanian Orthodox architecture. If you are lucky to be in one of these
churches during a christening or wedding ceremony you will witness an
unforgettable ritual.
To escape the noisy center one can visit the Cismigiu Gardens (1860), an
old and historical park located downtown or Herastrau Park, located just
a couple of metro stops from the city center.
All tourists like shopping and you will find department stores around
Piata Unirii and on the main boulevards. Alternatively you can take a
walk in a bazaar district of small traders on the narrow streets around
Strada Lipscani, close to Curtea Veche.
Specialities to look for include local pottery, glassware, linen and
woodcarvings. As an alternative, you may go to the thronging Talcioc
Sunday morning flea market along the Dambovita river for a memorable
experience.
