Welcome to Bucharest!

Compared to other European capitals, for the average traveler, Bucharest is practically an unknown destination. Few are those who dare to venture deep into the former communist countries of Eastern Europe such as Romania. The majority of tourists that chose to come to Bucharest usually do so because they want to experience something new, unlike the Western European style they’re already familiar with.

But even for the brave ones which do eventually come over here, Bucharest might prove to be a hard pill to swallow, especially if the travelers have a fixed set of expectations before arriving. At first sight, the city is just an amalgam of communist architecture and crumbling old buildings, sprinkled with a good dose of stray dogs. Anyone experiencing only this side of Bucharest will surely leave in dismay, never to come back again. They’ll likely complain that there is nothing to see in this city and would advise others to choose other destinations. On the other hand, those who are curious enough to take look beyond the appearances, instantly recognize Bucharest for the gem in the rough it really is.

The first step for a good experience in Bucharest is getting to know the locals, which are generally very friendly towards foreigners and most of which have a good command of English (especially the younger folks). After befriending a few locals you can let them show you their favorite places around Bucharest. Thus, you’ll discover a city packed full with all sorts of cozy bars, intimate tea houses, cultural venues, appetizing restaurants etc….most of them being located in totally unassuming buildings in which you’d never enter by mistake.

The charm of the city is almost always hidden from plain sight. Consider that you’re part of a game in which you are rewarded every time you discover a new piece of the puzzle. The more you build up the image, the more you see Bucharest for what it really is. And once you get hooked, you’ll never want to leave. In fact many travelers plan to stay for 1 or 2 days in Bucharest (because ‘there isn’t much to see’) and end up staying for a week or more….some of them even moving here for good!

The aim of this website is to help you easily discover some of the hidden parts of Bucharest in order to make your trip as pleasant as possible. Think of us as the first local you meet and let us show you things that the average tourist would have no idea of.

Short intro

Bucharest is the capital of Romania, a former communist country within Eastern Europe. The city is located in the south part of the country close to neighboring Bulgaria and has a population of around 2 million people. It’s generally a safe destination, although it might not seem so at first sight.

It has two airports, but one of them (Baneasa) has recently been shut down for commercial flights, leaving only the Otopeni international airport functional.  After the admission into the EU many cheap flights to Bucharest started appearing overnight leading to a slight increase in the number of tourists.

However, tourism as a whole is underdeveloped in the city and as a result it does not get near as many visitors as other capitals in Europe.  The nightlife scene is highly active and diverse. Bucharest has a vast array of clubs and bars many of which are open all night long and which have decent prices compared to Western European rates.  On top of that, the girls in Bucharest are beautiful by any standards, enhancing any night out’s experience. In busy areas there also are restaurants and fast food stalls open until early morning.re are plenty of hotels and hostels but aside from accommodation, other tourist facilities have severe deficiencies. There are few or no tourist information centers, souvenir shops, guided city tours etc.

Getting around town is not very difficult as the transportation network is quite well developed. There’s a metro system, plenty of buses and cheap taxis at your disposal. But after 23.00 o’clock the only means of transport are night buses (which come every half an hour or every hour) and cabs.

The best time to visit would be in May-June or the end of August-September when the temperatures are more suitable for sightseeing and wondering around. During the middle of summer it can get very hot (up to 40 Celsius in the shade) and during the winter months it can get extremely cold (as low as minus 25 Celsius).

Bucharest also has a large population of stray dogs, which usually don’t cause any problems. There are situations when people do get attacked by dogs, but it should not be a cause of concern as these reports are exceptions.