Bucharest

Introduction

River view Bucharest

© All Rights Reserved AAY

Bucharest is the capital and largest city of Romania. Located on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River, it is an important industrial and economic centre for the country. For many travellers, it is the gateway into Romania.

The earliest known reference to Bucharest comes from 1459, when it was known as the Citadel of Bucureşti and became the residence of the Wallachian prince Vlad III the Impaler. Throughout the Middle Ages, Bucharest grew in prominence. In 1861, Bucharest was made the capital of Romania.

Neighbourhoods

Bucharest is divided into six sectors. Each sector is managed by a mayor and city council, who have responsibilities provides for local businesses, such as secondary streets, parks, schools and cleaning services. Each of the six sectors contains a number of districts which have no administrative function:

• Sector 1: Dorobanți, Băneasa, Pipera, Floreasca
• Sector 2: Pantelimon, Colentina, Iancului, Tei
• Sector 3: Vitan, Dudești, Titan, Balta Albă, Centrul Civic
• Sector 4: Berceni, Olteniței, Văcărești
• Sector 5: Rahova, Ferentari, Cotroceni, Ghencea
• Sector 6: Giulești, Drumul Taberei, Militari, Crângași.

Sights and Activities

Palace of the Parliament

The palace

© All Rights Reserved cpcoelho

Nicolae Ceausescu, Romanian dictator from 1965 to 1989, is to thank for the Palace of the Parliament, the world's second largest administrative building. Construction was begun in 1983, but not before a large chunk of Bucharest's historic district was torn to the ground to make way for the indulgent dictator's dream. When Ceausescu was overthrown and executed in 1989, the building was nearly complete. Parts of it are still not completed. Tours of the palace are available.

Cişmigiu Gardens

The Cişmigiu Gardens are a welcome oasis in the heart of Bucharest. It is the city's oldest park and remains a popular hang-out for locals. During summer, boats can be hired to go out on the man-made lakes; in winter, many people skate on the lakes.

Memorial of Rebirth

The Memorial of Rebirth is found in Revolution Square. It commemorates the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The memorial, which features a tall pillar with a metal "crown", is quite controversial in Romanian society, owing largely to the fact that the symbolism in its design is very abstract.

Curtea Veche

Curtea Veche was the royal court during the Middle Ages. Today, it is a museum.

Events and Festivals

Weather

In Bucharest, summers are hot and dry averaging around 30 °C in July and August, while winters are cold (around 0 °C). Alltime highs and lows are 41 °C and -32 °C respectively. Rain or snow in winter falls in every month, though summers are rather wetter, with sometimes heavy downpours. Spring and autumn are very pleasant seasons for a visit.

Getting There

By Plane

The Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP/LROP) is located a short distance north of the city and is Romania's busiest airport. Most low-cost airlines fly into nearby Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (BBU), in Băneasa.
Numerous airlines serve these airports, from many European destinations and some cities further away, including New York. Tarom is the national airline with an extensive network. They also fly to several domestic destinations, including Timisoara and Constanta.

To/from Henri Coandă Airport

• Car: Route DN1 connects the airport with downtown Bucharest. The A3 motorway will connect the airport and the city, when finished. Car rental agencies and taxis are both widely available.
• Rial: A direct train service to the main railway station, Gara de Nord, runs from the Airport train station, about 900 metres from the airport. Shuttle buses connect this train station with the departures and arrivals halls and the tickets are valid both for the train and for the transfer bus. The next phase of the airport's expansion aims to locate the train station in the airport itself.
• Bus: The airport is connected by public transport by the RATB system. The 780 route provides express bus service to Gara de Nord railway station in Bucharest and the 783 route provides express bus service to the city centre.

To/from Aurel Vlaicu Airport
The airport is situated 8 kilometres north of Bucharest city centre and is accessible by RATB buses 131, 335 and Airport Express 783, RATB tramway 5 and taxi.

By Train

International sleeper trains arrive in Bucharest from Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Kosice, Krakow, Belgrade, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev, and Chisinau. Train travel is generally slower than bus travel. See the Romanian Railways website for train timetables and fares. You can find a travelmap as well.
CFR operates many trains throughout the country from and to Bucharest. Have a look at this website for inter-city train timetables and fares.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

The Bucharest Metro provides an extensive subway system, and combined with the buses, trolleybuses, trams and light rail of the RATB it is quite easy to get around by public transport in the city.

On Foot

Bucharest can be a very confusing place to walk around on foot. If you do decide to explore it on foot, make sure you have a decent map with you to help you find your way around.

Bucharest is nothing short of a nightmare to walk around, and if I ever find myself teaching a class on how not to organize a city, this city would without a doubt be the best example Europe has to offer.

AAY, in his blog.

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Bucharest
• National University of Music, Bucharest

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Romania's country code is +40. To dial to other countries from Romania, dial 00 and then the international number usually without the first 0.
Public phones work well and are available in all areas. You must purchase a phonecard from a kiosk to use them. When dialing within Romania, dial 0 + three digit area code + six digit telephone. The main providers of mobile telephones are Vodafone, Orange, Cosmote and Zapp.

Post

Posta Romana is the national postal service of Romania. Postal services are generally very affordable, reliable and reasonably fast. Post boxes are red and can be found near the post offices, along the street or in main train stations. Post offices can be found in even the smallest towns and the opening hours are generally Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday 8:00am to 12:00, closed on Sunday. You can buy stamps here or at kiosks. Prices for international mail start at around €0.55 and takes at least 3-5 days to countries within Europe. It's slightly cheaper and faster for domestic mail to be send. Intercontinental post is slightly more expensive but takes much longer. For more expensive but faster services you can also try international courier companies like TNT, DHL or UPS.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website