Sightseeing in Bucharest

A Taste of History

These are just a few of many possibilities to spend a few hours out and about, or in a museum, discovering more about local treasures, whether they are historical, traditional or natural. Putting them all together will give you an image of Romania's rich spirituality and cultural heritage


By CLAUDIA GABRIELA MITROFAN
from Bucharest, ROMANIA


Summer has always been the best time for people to shake off lethargy by taking full advantage of the beautiful weather and go out for a stroll. Bucharest offers a wide range of possibilities to spend a pleasant couple of hours in a park or museum.

To get a taste of the life of the capital city, you should take a walk around Bucharest's five main squares Piata Victoriei, Piata Romana, Piata Revolutiei, Piata Universitatii and Piata Unirii. You will see a lot of interesting sights, a simple walk being a tour of architectural history dating back as much as two hundred years or more. You could also have a pleasant walk in one of Bucharest's three largest parks Cismigiu, Herastrau, and Carol.

The northern part of the city is, in fact, famous for its parks and museums, which is why we will now give you a few pointers as to the attractions of this part of Bucharest.

The Museum of the Romanian Peasant

In the same northern area, at number 3 Pavel Kiseleff Avenue, there is The Museum of the Romanian Peasant (Muzeul Taranului Roman), whose building is an architectural monument. It was founded in 1906 as a Museum of Decorative and Industrial Art, at the initiative of King Carol I. In 1912, it became the National Art Museum, in 1946, the Museum of National Ethnography and Art, and finally, in 1990, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Here you may view collections of traditional peasant costumes as well as furniture and generic rooms linked to Romanian village life. The museum will answer any questions you may have had regarding traditions, customs and everyday life since ancient times.

Places of historical interest

When it comes to history, you can deepen your knowledge of Bucharest and Romania by visiting a number of monuments and museums. Among them there is The Mogosoaia Museum of Brancoveanu Art (Muzeul de Arta Brancoveneasca Mogosoaia), at 18 Lalelelor Street. It was founded in 1957, but the palace which houses the museum was built in 1702. Here you may admire silver ware, embroidery, woodcarvings, icons and precious stones dating from the time of Brancoveanu. The palace belonged to Constantin Brancoveanu, ruler of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714.

Other history museums worth visiting are The National Art Museum, in Revolutiei Square, The National Cotroceni Museum, located at number 1 Geniului Boulevard, and The National Romanian History Museum, at 12 Stavropoleos Street.

These are just a few of the many possibilities to spend a few hours out and about, or in a museum, discovering more about local treasures, whether they are historical, traditional or natural. Putting them all together will give you an image of Romania's rich spirituality and cultural heritage.