On the border between central and south-eastern Europe, touched by the Black Sea and crossed by the Carpathian Mountains, lies the beautiful country of Romania.
Unlike Western or Southern European countries, Romania does not enjoy strong social media exposure and is therefore not on many people's travel radar. Though, in addition to being full of stunning landscapes and gorgeous cities, it is also one of Europe's most affordable travel destinations.
Romania's capital, the fascinating city of Bucharest, was nicknamed "Little Paris of the East" due to it's mavellous architecture.
Under King Carol I, who ruled Romania from 1866 to 1914, many buildings in Bucharest's city centre were commissioned to French architects to give the city a romantic charm.
Although some buildings and neighbourhoods in the historic centre have been preserved and renovated, many have been damaged or destroyed by wars, earthquakes and the systematisation programme of Nicolae Ceaușescu during the communist era.
Ceaușescu, Romania's second and last communist leader, was in power from 1967 until his overthrow and execution during the Romanian Revolution in December 1989.
After a visit to North Korea, he demolished about 80 percent of the historic centre, including schools, churches and roughly 30,000 houses, to build the Civic Center district, consisting of a socialist-style residential area and the city's most famous landmark - the Palace of Parliament.
Built from 1984 to 1997 in many different architectural styles, including socialist-realist and modernist-neoclassical, the palace is known as the heaviest building in the world, weighing over 4 million tonnes (9.04 billion pounds) and the second largest administrative building after the Pentagon.
Its ornate interior consists of 23 sections and houses an international conference centre as well as the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Though big events organized by the Romanian state and international institutions, such as conferences and symposia, take place in this massive palace, still about 70 percent of the building remains empty. Rumour has it the palace has many additional underground floors not accessible to the public, as well as a nuclear bunker and a secret tunnel system that connects the palace directly to the airport.
To visit the Palace of Parliament's remarkable interior you have to book a guided tour in advance and bring your passport. You can find further information on tours and events on the palace's official website.
Leading up to the palace is a beautiful wide boulevard adorned with fountains, that begins at Unirii Square, where the Bucharest Fountains are located.
Since 2018, these lovely fountains feature shows of lights and music in the evenings from May to October.
Unfortunately the shows were suspended during the Covid pandemic, however, they are now being shown again as of May 14th 2022.
Just north of Unirii Boulevard lies Calea Victoriei, a 2.7 km (1.7 mi) long avenue alongside which many beautiful old buildings and palaces from the times of King Carol I have been preserved. As many of Bucharest's sights are located on or around Calea Victoriei, it is worth taking a walk along this beautiful avenue and marvel at its stunning architecture.
The first outstanding sight on Calea Victoriei is the CEC-Palace, which was built between 1897 and 1900 as the new headquarters for Romania's oldest bank that is now called the CEC Bank.
Right across the street lies the former Postal Service Palace that now houses the National Museum of Romanian History.
A little further down the road you will find the Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse.
Completed in 1891, the arcade consists of two narrow streets covered by a yellow glass roof that provides natural light and protection from the rain.
The architecture of the arcade is somewhat reminiscent of the Italian luxury brand arcades Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and Galleria Umberto I in Naples.
Unlike these Italian galleries, however, the Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse mainly houses gastronomic establishments such as bars, restaurants and hookah bars.
A little bit aside from the Calea Victoriei in a pedestrian zone stands the Cărturești Carusel.
Constructed at the beginning of the 20th century, the building originally housed the main branch of the Chrissoveloni bank. Nowadays it is a picturesque bookshop with a gorgeous interior design.
Closeby is the University Square, which is home to several more beautiful buidings and sights including but not limited to the University of Bucharest, the Colțea Hospital and the Three Hierarchs Church.
Nearby is a landmark from the communist era, the Grand Hotel Bucharest, which is the city's tallest hotel and was designed in a way that each room has a unique panorama of the city.
After that small detour you can find your way back to Calea Victoriei where, on a small 300m (1000 ft) long section, you will pass several examples of awe-inspiring architecture.
The Palace of the National Military Circle, the Odeon Theatre and the Grand Hotel Continental are magnificent buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century.
On that same stretch you will walk past the picturesque Umbrella Street.
If you like, you can take another small detour from Calea Victoriei and visit Cișmigiu Park, the largest and oldest public park in the centre of Bucharest.
Here you will find two artificial lakes, monuments commemorating soldiers of the World Wars and sculptures of artists and politically significant people.
When you continue to walk along Calea Vicroriei you will pass the Revolution Square, where you will find the Central University Library with the Equestrian statue of King Carol I infront of it.
The building was completed in 1893, but suffered a fire during the Romanian Revolution, thus being repaired and modernised until it was reopened in 2001.
Right on the opposite side of the Revolution Square stands the Royal Palace of Bucharest, inside which the National Art Museum of Romania is located. The Palace also was seriously damaged and partially burnt during the Romanian Revolution, but since restoration work was completed in 2013, it has been open to tourists.
A little further along the way the remarkable Romanian Athenaeum is situated, which is a neoclassical building from 1888, that nowaydays serves as a concert hall.
One of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, George Enescu, performed at the Romanian Athenaeum. Enescu was an internationally successful composer, violinist, conductor and teacher and is also featured on the Romanian five lei banknote.
Just 1km (0.6 miles) further along the Calea Vicroriei stands the strinkingly beautiful Cantacuzino Palace, which houses the George Enescu museum.
You can visit the interior of the Beaux Arts style palace with a few Rococo Revival rooms and learn about George Enescu's life for a small fee of just a few lei.
Unfortunately, the museum is currently closed for restoration work, but will reopen its doors in 2023.
As befits a city nicknamed "Little Paris", Bucharest has a neoclassical triumphal arch modelled on the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile in Paris.
Originally, after Romania proclaimed their independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, a wooden arch was constructed. Then, on the same spot, an arch with ornate sculptures and decorations was built after World War I which was then replaced by the current design in 1935.
As the Arcul de Triumf is situated on a very busy roundabout further north of the city centre, it is not convenient to reach on foot. However, it is on the way to the airport as well as to the beautiful city of Brașov, which I definitely recommend exploring if you have time. There are many sights located in and around Brașov which I will cover in a separate post about southern Transylvania.
In conclusion, Bucharest has much more to offer than most people realise. The city's stunning architecture and rich history make it both the perfect destination for a weekend getaway and a great starting point for a tour of the amazing country of Romania.