Romania’s capital sometimes gets a bad rap, but in fact it’s dynamic, energetic and lots of fun. Many travellers give the city just a night or two before heading off to Transylvania, but that’s not enough time.

Architecture

In Bucharest, every era, be it one of joy and exuberance, restraint or even despair, has left a mark on the city’s architecture. Peel back the layers of this city’s history while taking a walk among its most famous landmarks.

Bucharest has an astonishing architectural diversity, making it a playground of contrasts that sees the sensuous curves of 19^th century architecture blend in an original, if not always seamless, manner with the severe lines of Stalinist architecture, a remnant of the country’s communist years.

Museums

Allow at least a few days to take in the very good museums, stroll the parks and hang out at trendy cafes and drinking gardens. While much of the centre is modern and the buildings are in various stages of disrepair, you’ll find splendid 17th- and 18th-century Orthodox churches and graceful belle époque villas tucked away in quiet corners. Communism changed the face of the city forever, and nowhere is this more evident than at the gargantuan Palace of Parliament, the grandest (and arguably crassest) tribute to dictatorial megalomania you’ll ever see.

Cuisine

You can’t visit Romania without trying some traditional Romanian food! Romanians love comfort food, and even though Romanian dishes have touches from the German, Hungarian and Turkish cuisines, they always bring something unexpected to the table that makes them unique and a must-try while visiting the country. With strong flavours and great combinations of meat and vegetables, Romanian food will spoil your taste buds with rich meals made after recipes passed down from generation to generation.