Architecture of Bucharest: The National Bank of Romania at night
Hello, guys!
In this blog, I'd like to share one of my travel experiences in a European country - Romania. I visited it a few months ago and had a great time there.
The main reason to choose this destination was that Romania is very close to my country, and I have no problem going there by car, the only thing needed is just a passport. I planned my trip upfront with a friend of mine, who joined me for the excursion. So, before we left, we already had some places in mind - to stay at the capital of Romania - Bucharest - for three nights and make some additional trips to the castles of Peleș and Bran. I will give more information about them later.
video source: www.youtube.com
As I said, we were traveling by car, and the first interesting thing that amazed me was Danube Bridge. It is situated on the border between the two countries - Bulgaria and Romania, so a part of it is Bulgarian territory, and the other part is Romanian. It passes above Danube river and is large enough to be used by different vehicles - cars, trucks, etc. In fact, the north border of Bulgaria goes along Danube river, forming a natural barrier between the countries.
Danube Bridge, image source: www.google.com
After crossing the bridge, we were already in Romania. The landscape of this country is nothing special, there isn't much to see, besides small villages. We were a little concerned about entering Bucharest because it is a big city (almost two million population) and we didn't have a map. Only online maps, which we didn't have access to, due to lack of internet connection. So, I was glad that after circling around the center several times, my friend managed to navigate to the right direction.
We booked a double room at a hostel close to the Old Town of Bucharest - we were 15 minutes walking distance from there. The city is actually divided into sectors or districts (Sector 1 to 6). During our holiday, we made a couple of walks during the day and also one night walk to see the lights of the city.
Sights in Bucharest
Bucharest impressed me with its unique architecture. All buildings have their own style, different colors, design, and ornaments. But my favorite was the Old Town. Here are five of the sights one can visit when going to this city:
1. The Parliament
This is a massive building surrounded by a green park with lots of alleys. The size and the architecture of this place make it visible from a long distance, and the night view of its lights is magical. It is not a coincidence that this building is called the Palace of the Parliament.
The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest
2. The Old Town
When you walk into the Old Town of Bucharest the feeling is as if you are in another city. Tiny paved streets, plenty of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, fast foods, etc. And I remember they also had many international restaurants - Italian restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Greek tavernas, Arab cuisine, Spanish clubs... It was very strange for me to see so many different cultures gathered in such small area.
Statue in the Old Town of Bucharest
3. The Triumph Arch
It is situated outside of the center of the city, in the middle of a roundabout. We had real trouble making photos of the arch because there is no appropriate place to park close to that attraction.
The famous Triumph Arch in Bucharest, Romania
4. Herăstrău Park
This is the largest park in Bucharest, and it is right behind the Triumph Arch. There is a lake inside the park, with an alley going around and next to the water. It has multiple facilities for playing, benches, statues, and busts. A place to have a nice walk and watch the birds, living in the lake. Part of the park hosts the Village Museum, which has typical village houses, and I recommend it for a different experience.
One of the alleys and the lake in Herăstrău Park
5. The Malls
Although these are not historical places, and they are part of the modern world, we visited some of the shopping centers when we were there. The one we spent the most time in was called Băneasa Shopping City and was outside of Bucharest to the north. One of those shopping areas with plenty of choices but no urban area nearby. We spent an entire afternoon walking around the floors of this shopping center.
The shopping mall in Băneasa Shopping City
Peleș Castle
This castle is situated 130 km to the north of Bucharest in the mountain town Sinaia. Since we were already in Romania, we decided to visit because I'm not sure when I will have the time to go to this country again. It was hard for us to find the castle in the first place since the area has many winding mountain roads and there aren't many signs. But we asked the locals and found our destination.
Peleș Castle in Sinaia, Romania
Peleș Castle is a magnificent building, with a yard in front of it, which has fountains, statues, sculptures, and a grass plot. We waited at least one hour to enter inside probably because it was the weekend and lots of tourists wanted to spend their time there. I liked the interior of Peleș very much - the palace has three floors open for visitors, and each of them has its own history. The style of the castle is Neo-Renaissance with the design typical of that time period. You can see expensive paintings, thrones, various works of art.
Statue in front of Peleș Castle
Next to Peleș Castle there is another tourist attraction, called Pelișor Castle. We saw only the outside of it because it is smaller than Peleș, and we thought that we can skip entering it. The architecture of both castles is very similar, and they are located in the same complex of buildings.
Bran Castle
View of Bran Castle
Bran Castle is further to the north - 50 km more from Peleș. It is just outside of the village Bran, close to the city of Brașov. The building is on a natural hill in the Carpathian Mountains, and it looks like it is put directly on the rocks. According to the legends, it was the castle of Count Dracula, the vampire who lived there and tortured his victims. Although it is not unquestionably proven that Vlad Dracula actually lived there, the castle is now known by his name. This historical figure is so mysterious that until now, the specific events happened by the time he lived are not yet determined.
Dracula – as he is perceived today – is a fictitious character whose name derives from the appellation given to Vlad Tepes, the ruler of Wallachia from 1456-1462 and 1476, and who, for largely political reasons, was depicted by some historians of that time as a blood-thirsty ruthless despot.
Inside one can see knight armors, ancient weapons, and various torture devices. There are many towers and a yard on the inside of the building. This castle was build in the 14th century, but a lot of history is gathered between those walls.
video source: www.youtube.com
I'm glad that we managed to visit so many attractions in Romania during this holiday, as it is always useful and inspiring to get to know other cultures.
Thanks and have a great day! See you later!
- NinaB
