Bucharest Activities

Perhaps not the ideal destination for a family holiday, Bucharest offers a restricted selection of attractions suitable for children. Parents with children in the their mid to late teens will get by with the city’s museums and popular historic sights while younger children will enjoy parks and gardens such as Herastrau Park and Bucharest Zoo and seasonal activities such as ice skating.

Bucharest Zoo
Not so much a large scale zoo facility as a small zoological garden, this 5.85 hectare nature centre is home to a varied collection of animal specimens among which are impressive bird and reptiles sections; the former including flamingos and pelicans and the latter including snakes and crocodiles. Elephants, lions, emus, ostriches, camel and deer are among the other highlights of the zoo.

Herastrau Park
Herastrau Park is the ideal spot to take the kids for a pleasant afternoon with its abundance of open spaces ideal for the pursuit of youthful activity. A large lake within the park offers 40 minute boat rides which all the family can enjoy while the abundance of beautiful flowers are something that parents can enjoy while the kids get busy on the grassy areas. Carting tracks, a village museum and a variety of sporting facilities add to the appeal of this 187 hectare-large facility.

Ice skating
Come winter time, the weather gets so cold that the city’s lakes, ponds and waterways are frozen solid, meaning that anyone with a pair of skates and some exceedingly thick winter clothing can enjoy the delights of outdoor ice skating for free. Parents and kids alike can enjoy this chilly but popular pastime alongside the locals who venture out irrespective of the cold. Away from the skating areas provided by nature, there are proper rinks at Patinoarul Floreasca and Stadionul Lia Manoliu, where skates can be rented.

Bucharest excels when it comes to cultural attractions and visitors hoping for visually aesthetic sights won’t be disappointed. Photo opportunities are plentiful, but it’s worthwhile considering that an extra fee needs to be paid on top of the standard entry fee for permission to take photos at most public visitor attractions.

Cantacuzino Palace
Cantacuzino Palace is a French Baroque-style construction designed by the famous architect I.D. Berindei. It’s a magnificent structure that was completed in the early 20th century and was once home to the country’s national composer, George Enescu and his wife Maria Cantacuzino to whom the building belonged and after whom it was named. Besides notable exterior features, the interior is also impressive and is home to the George Enescu Museum which features artefacts relating to the composer’s life and works.

Cotroceni Palace
Another magnificent building and the official home of the President of Romania, Cotroceni Palace was built in the 17th century by Prince Serban Cantacuzin and is home to the Cotroceni Museum, a facility that features an impressive collection of artworks from the Romanian medieval era as well as other of international origin. The museum is open to the general public; however access to the main palace area is by appointment only.

Jewish History Museum
Bucharest’s Jewish History Museum is located within a building previously used a synagogue in the 19th century. The museum’s collection attempts to give an insight the lives of those who were once a part of the city’s busy Jewish community. The centrepiece of the museum is a large sculpture which pays tribute to those Jews deported to Nazi camps in Transdniestr and those whose lives were claimed by the horrors of Auschwitz.

Museum of Romanian Peasants
The Museum of Romanian Peasants is a highly impressive facility that was previously the recipient of a European Museum of the Year Award (1996) on account of its extensive collection and aesthetic layout among other features. The museum’s collection focuses on aspects of rural Romanian life and features 20,000 national costume pieces as well as 18,000 pieces of pottery alongside photographs, furniture, fabrics and items of everyday use.

National Art Museum
Housed in a building designed by Carol the 2nd and formerly used as the Royal Palace, the National Art Museum in Revolution Square features what is arguably the country’s most significant art collection. The exhibitions are split according to themes with, among others, a Medieval Art section featuring more than 9,500 pieces, a Romanian Modern Art section featuring over 8,000 paintings and around 1810 sculptures, an Oriental Art section with around 2,600 pieces and a European Art section with more than 2,450 pieces.

National Museum of Romanian History
The National Museum of Romanian History is housed in a Neo-Classical building, the construction of which dates back to the late 19th century. There are a total of 60 rooms in the museum which cover all of the country’s historical eras including ancient history, medieval history, modern and contemporary history and more.

Food in Bucharest tends to adhere to the national recipes although it’s true to say that you will find a few local delicacies, but you’ll need to seek out the eateries that the locals hang out at to find them.

Romanian cuisine has been subject to a great many influences over the years including Balkan, German, Serbian and Hungarian so suffice to say that it’s a fusion of styles and recipes. Among the better known dishes are caltabosi (rice pudding served with cooked pig intestines); ciorba de burta (soup made from pig stomach); ciorba de perisoare (soup made with meatballs); varza calita (steamed cabbage with fresh or processed meat) and limba cu masline (cow tongue with olives)..

Eating out is exceedingly cheap by western European standards and a full course meal can be enjoyed at a fraction of the cost of similar meal in other places in Europe. You can choose to eat at one of the many Romanian restaurants on offer or opt for international cuisine with Chinese, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Spanish and Turkish eateries on hand.

Western fast food restaurants inevitably have their place in the city and visitors with a hankering for something of this nature will find McDonald’s and KFC at their disposal.

Shopping in the city is a mixed affair with modern malls set amid traditional local traders. If it’s the former that interests you, head for the Bucharest Mall, a modern four storey facility with some 70 retail stores, a movie theatre, video games arcade, supermarket and food court featuring more than 20 eateries. Alternatively, check out Unirea Shopping Centre which is home to more than 200 shops, includes a restaurant area also and is popularly known as the city’s largest shopping area.

Not really the type of city that one would plan a holiday to trip to if outdoor sports and activities were a high priority, Bucharest offers a modest selection of things to do outside of the hotel and beyond the sightseeing trail with the famous Herestrau Park perhaps being the best all-round location with regards to available facilities for outdoor pursuits.

Ice skating
If your trip is in any time in the main winter months, then you’ll invariably find the city’s lakes and other static water sources frozen on account of the subzero temperatures. If you’re brave enough to venture out into the cold then you’ll find some great opportunities for ice skating, either for free at the aforementioned spots or for a charge at the Patinoarul Floreasca and Stadionul Lia Manoliu outdoor skating rinks.

Parks and Gardens
Bucharest is home to a good selection of parks and gardens which lend themselves well to the pursuit of relaxing outdoor activities such as walking, picnicking and sunbathing. Cismigiu Gardens, Herastrau Park, Carol Park and the Botanical Garden offer a mix of scenic flora, open spaces and sporting facilities meaning that come summertime, you can be sure they will receive no shortage of visitors of both domestic and international origin.

Skiing
The nearby Carpathian mountain range offers good opportunities for skiing with a season that runs from November through until March. Winter resorts within easy driving distance of Bucharest include Brasov, Poiana and Sinaia. The slopes at these resorts are aimed at those in the beginner and intermediate ability groups.

Tennis
A popular sport among the locals, tennis is accessible to visitors via a number of venues however the best and cheapest are the courts that can be found at the city’s Herastrau Park. The sports complex there offers courts by the hour and has rackets and balls for hire also. Tennis is a summer-only sport as winter’s extreme cold prohibits play.