bucharest sights, attractions and itinerary

Welcome to the Drink in the Sights Bucharest itinerary. Here you'll find information on all the best Bucharest sights and attractions, I'll also throw in a bit of history and lots of pictures for good measure. I hope you find this guide to the best things to do in Bucharest useful. Please also check out my guide to Bucharest Pubs.

Heavy Buildings, Transylvanian Castles, Plastic Money and Blood Sucking Counts.

Lets be honest when someone mentions Romania two names immediately come to mind, Vlad the Impaler, and Count Dracula. Both of which may give you a sense of foreboding about visiting the country, and Transylvania in particular. Try not to be put off though, Romania is an amazing country, and there's loads of Bucharest attractions. Plus because it still uses the Romanian Leu, rather than the Euro it's a seriously cheap location. A pint of beer can easily be purchased in Bucharest for around one pound, and everything else is similarly affordable. Romania has one of the highest rural populations in Europe with only 25% of the population living in cities, which is a shame for them as Bucharest is beautiful, although the
Transylvanian landscape outside is also a sight to behold. The castles Bran (Dracula's Castle) and Peles are incredible, the parliament building is huge, so there's some great Bucharest attractions, and at no point did anyone try to suck our blood.

Before we talk too much about our Bucharest itinerary we need to get you there. Edinburgh, London (Gatwick and Stansted), Bristol, Doncaster, Liverpool and Birmingham all offer reasonably priced direct flights to Bucharest. The cheapest way to get from the airport to Bucharest is the 783 bus, which takes around 50 minutes and costs less than one euro each way. There's a lot of stops though which is why a taxi for around 20 euros only takes 20 minutes. You can book your transfer through shuttledirct here. I guess it all depends on how much of a rush you're in. Once you arrive you'll find a beautiful, welcoming city, with plenty to see and do at a fraction of the cost of most European destinations. So now we've got you there lets drink in the Bucharest sights.

​Dracula and Vlad The Impaler

We really should talk about these two right at the start, just so we can move on to the Bucharest sights without their shadow looming menacingly over us, just as Dracula does in so many films. Everyone knows the story of the Dark Prince originally told by Irish writer Bram Stoker, and adapted countless times for TV and movie audiences through the ages.

It's a long held misconception that Count Dracula is based on Vlad the Impaler, and it has to be said that very few versions of Count Dracula look anything like the historical Vlad Dracula. The reality is that other than sharing the name Dracula the two have very little in common.

Vlad appears to have never occupied Bran Castle, and talk of him drinking the blood of his victims are almost certainly fictitious. Stories of vampires in Romania also predate Stokers work in 1885, so it appears he simply picked a Romanian name that was associated with cruelty for his villain.

Vlad Dracula does appear to have been a Machiavellian figure, content to rule by force and fear, but that's hardly an uncommon trait in a medieval ruler. He is also the epitome of the idea that one countries hero is another countries butcher. While outside Romania Vlad is seen as a vicious and barbaric ruler, in Romania he is seen as a hero. It should also be noted that tales of his cruelty were almost certainly exaggerated. ​  

Vlad Dracula got the name The Impaler by impaling those he killed with spikes through the chest, and leaving them to bleed to death. I have heard other stories about where the spikes were inserted but it's best not to think about that. Lets just say Vlad, like Corporal Jones, knew that they wouldn't like it up 'em. This is probably both true and cruel, but no more so than the practices of other rulers of the time, who also used fear to retain power, and scare off potential foes. Now we're done with the history lesson lets try not to mention these two again, or at least not too often. It really isn't easy to write a Bucharest travel guide without mentioning those two rascals.

Bucharest Sights

Palace of the Parliament

Towering above and beyond pretty much anything else in Bucharest, Romania and a fair chunk of the world is the Bucharest Parliament Building. It's the biggest parliament in the world, and the second biggest administrative building in existence, dwarfed only by The Pentagon in America, but they always have to do things bigger don't they? More impressively, or at least more randomly, it's the single heaviest building on the planet, weighing in at just over 9 billion pounds, or over 4 million tonnes. It's an absolute monster and will top many a Bucharest itinerary.

That's not where the stats end though... Coming in at a cost of 3 billion euros it's the most expensive administrative building in the world. Which seems rather lavish given that Romania is one of the least wealthy countries in Europe. There's 1100 rooms, twelve floors, and it took over 700 architects thirteen years to finally complete the job in 1997. I'll leave it to you to decide if the 3 billion could have been better spent on frivolous things like education, infrastructure or feeding people.

The reality is though regardless of what you're views may be on a spending programme like this you're going to want to have a look inside. Tours cost 45 Lei, which is just over 9 euros, and works out at roughly 1 Lei per a minute. The inside is lavish, which you'd expect for 3 billion euros, and the ceilings are covered in chandeliers, which must make for quite an electric bill.

The highlight is probably the magnificent International Conference Centre. The glass roof is a nice touch which certainly provides more than adequate lighting during the day, and hopefully reduces the energy bill. The tour is certainly good value for money, and the tour guide is full of useful nuggets of information and statistics. It's definitely one of the top things to do, and the view from the balcony looking out over the Bucharest sights isn't bad either...

You can pre book the tour here but it's more expensive than going on the day.

Old Court Church or Annunciation Church of Saint Anthony

This is the oldest and I think the prettiest church in Bucharest. It's also the busiest church I've ever entered, which made me rather loathe to take too many pictures. The people inside weren't tourists, and they were very much there to pray, which if I'm honest makes a bit of a change to most churches I've visited. It did make me feel a little uncomfortable though as it felt like I was interrupting something that really mattered to those inside. So when you visit just stick your head in quickly, unless you're feeling particularly religious.

Take a Walking Tour in Bucharest

You can book a Bucharest walking tour here.

The best way to figure a city out is always to take a walking tour, and Bucharest in no exception. The standard tour only costs £12 which is less than I'd usually end up tipping a guide at the end of a free tour so the value is pretty good and you see all the main Bucharest sights in a relatively small group. The guide also provides a few laughs and loads of extra information about the city so if possible try to do this on your first day in Bucharest just to help you get you bearings and ensure you don't miss any of the top Bucharest attractions.

Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum

As mentioned earlier Romanian life is still predominantly rural, and this excellent open-air museum is a tribute to that life. 

Tickets cost 15 Lei, or about 3 euros, and it's certainly money well spent. The museum contains full size replicas of dozens of old Romanian buildings, some of which you can walk around inside and gain a real insight into the life of Romanian peasants. 

There's everything from farm houses to churches, and thatched roofs galore. You'll also find no end of replica farm equipment in this beautifully tranquil throwback to a time before skyscrapers and parliament builidings.

It's a little bit of a strange quirk that the vast majority of my trips take me to large metropolitan cities, and then I try to find parks and places like this to escape them. There's certainly something appealing about a simpler, quieter existence, but I can't help thinking that once the novelty wears off you're just stuck out in the middle of nowhere, having to milk your own cows. 

Regardless I'd certainly recommend spending a few nice peaceful hours taking in the rural life, and this museum allows you to do just that without staring at the locals so take your time and drink in the Bucharest sights.

Bucharest Attractions

Herastrau Park

On the subject of peaceful escapes Herastrau Park or King Michael's park is beautiful and encompasses the village museum above. The park is littered with lovely little statues, and surrounds a large lake. The head statues in the video are of famous European politicians. I think they are meant to be a homage to them, but appearing in their decapitated form it does feel a bit like a Nigel Farrage fantasy.

Stavropoleos Monastery

This gorgeous little monastery is a nice little freebie right in the center of Bucharest. Originally it was a much bigger complex, but several earthquakes later this is all that remains. It's certainly one of the prettiest buildings in the city, and the courtyard is a tranquil oasis which rarely gets busy. There's few nicer places to take a breather after a hard few hours sightseeing than this.

CEC Palace Headquarters of the CEC Bank

There's two reasons to for me to put this bank in my Bucharest itinerary, the first one is that it's a stunning building, I mean just look at it, it really should be a museum or art gallery, but nope it's just a bank. The second reason is because Romania was the first European country to introduce plastic banknotes. The story goes that the president was worried that the country was using cash too much instead of card. So he told his advisers he wanted the people to use plastic instead. They misunderstood the directive and immediately instructed the banks to produce plastic money instead of paper. It might be true, it might not, but I quite like it as a story.

Bucharest Itinerary Extras

Transylvania Sights Tour from Bucharest

You can book this incredible tour here

It's difficult to imagine Transylvania without picturing werewolves, vampires and storms. Ironically the night before we made this trip we were treated to the most incredible thunder storm any of us had seen before or since. By the time the tour set off though the sky was clear and the sun was out. It turns out Transylvania is actually absolutely stunning. It's a glorious green land, covered in trees, mountain ranges, towns and castles. 

The tour costs around £70, picks you up at your hotel, and gives you a full days worth of memories. The drive takes you through the Transylvanian countryside to Peles Castle, which is one of the most beautiful buildings you'll ever imagine. Then you'll head to the colourful little town of Brasov, before heading over to see the alleged inspiration for Dracula's Castle, Castle Bran. This really is one of the great day trips to do in Europe. So lets begin at the beginning.

Peles Castle

It's somewhere between difficult and impossible to quantify the beauty of Peles Castle. It's also near impossible to fit it all in one photograph, but I tried my best. Long before entering the castle you'll be blown away by the courtyard and views across the Transylvanian countryside. For the record Peles Castle was built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as a summer retreat for King Carol. It certainly looks more fitting as a royal residence than a castle built to withstand a war.  

The courtyard is covered in statues and the kind of gardens you only ever see around stately homes. It would be easy to spend the whole visit to Peles outside, happily taking in the atmosphere and the views, but trust me you don't want to miss the interior. My one gripe with the trip is that you have to pay a small fee to take photos in the castle. Don't worry I did pay, I just don't like that I had to.

The interior is every bit as lavish as the exterior, and again appears more fitting as a palace than a castle, but who am I to judge. Amongst the ornate rooms are two armouries, just to remind people that it's a castle, an imperial suite, a great hall, or hall of honour, and a playroom. With over 170 rooms, hundreds of statues and works of art. There's stained glass windows as good as you'll find in any church around the world, and more sculpted wood than you'll see anywhere else. Without going into more and more superlatives it's difficult to talk much more about Peles, so I'll just leave a few more photos here, and then we can continue the tour.

Brasov

Brasov is the second stop of the tour, and a chance to grab some lunch.  ​

You'll have to go along way before you find a more picture perfect old town than Brasov. The houses, shops, and bear sculpture seem to capture every colour in the spectrum. The streets are lined with plants, and are among the cleanest, and best kept you'll find. Been positioned in the Transylvanian countryside certainly only adds to the beauty of Brasov, and the giant Brasov sign up in the mountains is pretty impressive just in case you forget where you are.

Castle Bran Dracula's Castle

I would imagine this is why most people book the Transylvanian tour, the chance to see the castle Dracula himself lived in, or rather undeaded in. Yes I've just invented a word but I couldn't think of another way to put it. Obviously if you've already read my bit on the infamous count you'll know that the link is in truth pretty tenuous, but here we are. And don't let any of that put you off, it's a proper castle, and while Peles beauty somewhat steals the show, Bran maintains the proper castle feel peles lacks.

There was a rather bizarre rumour in 2014 that Bran Castle was for sale for the princely sum of 47 million pound, but this turned out to not be true. It does make you wonder how much people would actually pay to live in a legendary castle though, and if they would still have it open to the public if they did. 

There has been a fortress on the site of Bran Castle for over 800 years in one form or another. In 1920 the castle passed back to Romanian hands and became the official royal residence. The unfortunate truth about Bran Castle is that it's almost certainly a myth designed to attract tourists, and it works. From reading descriptions of Dracula's Castle in the book it's impossible to see a real connection to Castle Bran, and it's entirely possible Bram Stoker didn't even know the castle existed.

Does this invalidate the trip though? In my opinion absolutely not. The Transylvanian Castles Tour is one of the best you'll ever go on, and isn't the myth sometimes more important than the reality? Bran Castle is a proper hill top castle worthy of any count, dead or alive, and fictional or otherwise. And such is its legend that this guide to Bucharest and Transylvania can't end anywhere other than where it began, at Castle Dracula. And anyway if knowing that Castle Bran wasn't Bram Stokers inspiration puts you off the visit look at it this way instead, you get to see Transylvania, one of the most beautiful castles in the world, and a proper fortress. Plus you get to tell your kids you went to Transylvania, and you survived. For many people this will be the star Bucharest attraction.

To book the Transylvanian Tour click here

Now that we've covered all the main Bucharest sights and attractions lets search Expedia for your Romania trip using the search box below. If you want anymore help planning your Bucharest trip let me know via Facebook or my free Trip Planning Service page. I hope you found my Bucharest itinerary useful. I have also written a guide to the best bars in Bucharest.