Why Bucharest Should Be Your Next City Break
Romania is a beautiful country and no place compares to their capital Romania, or otherwise called “Little Paris” as it is not too unsimilar to the romantic French capital. Often overlooked as Romania is not a huge tourist destination but attracting more and more each year with people wanting to see more of the world than just hotels and resorts, Bucharest is an up and coming must-see city so beat the crowds and visit the country while it’s still affordable.
1. Bars and Restaurants
If you go into the old town of Bucharest, you will find streets upon streets of all different bars and restaurants that are open from early lunch time until well into the wee hours of the night. Ranging from traditional Romanian food to Chinese, Italian, and American all on the one menu, these restaurants know how to please all their customers and the prices are even better. Two steak dinners, two desserts, and a bottle of wine averaging at around £20 all in! It can be hard to pick one to go into but the friendly staff outside the doors will try to persuade you to come into their restaurant.
2. Night Life
If a quite holiday is what you’re after then don’t be mistaken, the people of Bucharest like to party, and they party hard. In most countries, the old town is a quaint and quiet section of the city but not in Bucharest, that is the party central with clubs being open right up until 6am every night of the week. Drinks are dirt cheap but it’s the entry cost that may catch you out, not that you will feel the need to hop between clubs throughout the night as they are all so much fun, you couldn’t possibly pick a favourite.
3. Architecture
The architecture of Bucharest is like no other in the world, with a mix of old communist buildings and newer modern builds it really does make for a beautifully interesting mix of history unlike anything I have ever seen before. Before visiting Bucharest, it’s worth reading up on the city’s history to fully appreciate the city and its architecture.
4. Countryside Scenery
If you are fortunate enough to spend a bit of time in Romania, obviously visit the country’s capital but also make sure that you can see some of the beautiful countryside. Try to visit some sights and see Dracula’s castle or Brasov, around an hour and a half’s drive away from Bucharest, to see some more of the countryside on the way.
5. Shopping
Bucharest is also a great place if you’re looking for a shopping trip with a large shopping centre just five minutes from the old town and cute local markets that are held each day just outside of the shopping centre. There are also a lot of great shops further along the city centre that you wouldn’t find in the UK, not to mention a tonne of great restaurants and bars to stop for refreshments.
6. Culture
A great way to soak in a little extra culture when staying in any foreign country is to stay in an Airbnb or local apartment of some kind. By staying where the locals would stay rather than in a hotel you get to see a little extra that you maybe wouldn’t have seen otherwise. This can lead to finding some amazing cafes or shops popular among the locals that you wouldn’t have found if you weren’t staying there.
