Bucharest is the gorgeous capital city of Romania and if you are thinking about traveling here for your next vacation, you probably know all the main spots: the Palace of the Parliament, the various museums, Calea Victoriei, Revolution Square, etc.
These are the spots that all the tourists try to hit, and with good reason: these are great places to visit. If you want to follow the mob of tourists, there is no shame in that, but if you want to visit some awesome spots that are slightly off the beaten path, then read below!
1. Carturesti Carusel
Maybe you bibliophiles have already heard of this one, but for the rest of you: this is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world! No joke, just look it up on Google – some people travel to Bucharest just for this bookstore. It is in Old Town Bucharest, it is bright and white, filled with plenty of art and gorgeous multi-story columns. You could spend hours in here, and luckily there is a café on the top floor to help you fuel your book shopping.
2. Carturesti Verona
This book store is slightly popular but just as beautiful as the previous bookstore, albeit, in a different way. This bookstore is located in the center of Bucharest and is currently in what used to be a house. Every room in the house is decorated slightly differently, and there is even a café in here.
Aside from being decorated differently, each room as a certain genre of books and plenty of space to sit, and as you walk through this book shop you see plenty of people hanging out and reading something from the shop. It is much homier than the previous book shop, and also smaller. Both have their own charm, so we would definitely recommend giving both a visit!
3. The Pura Vida Sky Bar
Unless you are staying at the Pura Vida Hostel, you will probably miss this bar. It is located on the roof of the hostel and there are no elevators, so you will have to walk up the five flights of stairs yourself. Even though that is a lot of stairs, it is 100% worth it! The bar is very affordable, and they make great cocktails, but the real reason to go is the view of the sunset. If you go around sunset time, you will have an amazing view of the sun falling over Old Town Bucharest.
4. Bucharest City Hall
One would think that more tourists would head over here, but this is still an under-visited spot in Bucharest. It actually used to be closed to the public, and perhaps this is why it does not get as much foot traffic today. We recommend visiting here because of the beautiful neo-Romanian architecture found inside. Plus, you can combine this with a trip to Cismigiu park or even the Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest’s knock-off of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
5. Pasajul Victoria (the Umbrella Passage)
If you have been looking up Bucharest on Instagram, then you likely have already heard of or seen this spot: it is a passageway shaded with colorful umbrellas. Snap some Instagram pictures for yourself, then head over to the Pizza Colosseum for a quick bite or check out the St. Nicholas In-One-Day Church.
The church is named this way because construction began and ended on the same day – if that sounds impossible, that is because it took a year to build, but it was finished the same day construction began (tricky, huh?).
6. The Old Princely Court
Also called Curtea Veche, this was once the residence of Vlad the Impaler. As Vlad lived many centuries ago, the place has been restored and is now a museum. It is a beautiful little museum, at the spot of what has been for many years the heart of commerce and trade for the city of Bucharest. If you are trying to chase Dracula through Romania, this should be on your list!
7. Therme Bucharest
This one is just 10 minutes north of Bucharest, but this little Oasis is definitely worth a visit if you have time! This spa gets thermal waters from deep underground and uses the water to supply 10 pools, 6 saunas, 4 wet saunas and 16 water slides.
No matter what time of the year the thermal water remain at about 33 degrees Celsius, which is 91 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great spot to visit if you want to participate in an ultra-relaxing activity or you just want to get away from the city for a little. The facility is absolutely gorgeous, and it costs little to go inside.
8. The Politehnica Subway Station
Ok, you might be thinking that it is weird we are suggesting you visit a subway station, but trust us, this one is good! The station was inaugurated in 1983 and that station’s floor is made out of prehistoric fossils from the Apuseni Mountains in northwestern Romania. The fossils are 65 million years old and you can see them as you walk through the station.
What is crazy is that if you don’t know about the fossils, you would probably just walk through the station and not know it. What is even crazier is that when the station was originally built, the construction workers had no idea that they were using such valuable materials – had they known, they most definitely would not have used the precious fossils. But what’s done it done, and now that you know this information you can walk through the station as a knowledgeable tourist!
10. The Macca-Vilacrosse Passage (Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse)
This is a fork-shaped, yellow glass covered street in the middle of Bucharest. It is arcaded, meaning it is lined with a succession of contiguous arches, columns, and piers. Walking into this structure, it really feels like you are both indoors and outdoors.
The yellow glass allows the light to shine in with a yellow hue, making this walkway appear a lot warmer in color. There are shops and inns, and this is a great place to find refuge in if it is raining or if there is bad weather outside!