The line between Bucharest’s places of cultural interest and locations that would make it on to a list of ‘must-see’ places is fairly blurred and many of the city’s most interesting places sit comfortably under either heading. Museums, palaces, churches and monuments are all represented with the highlight perhaps being the Casa Poporului or Palace of the Parliament, as it is otherwise known.

Arch of Triumph
Not to be confused with Paris’ Arc de Triumph, Bucharest’s Arch of Triumph is a 27 metre-high monument that was erected as a tribute to the Romanian soldiers who gave their lives in WWI. The monument was unveiled officially in 1936 and is the work of architect Petre Antonescu.

Casa Poporului
The work of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu, Casa Poporului is an imposing building standing some 84 metres high, comprising a hefty 12 floors and covering a whopping 330,000 square meters. Highlights of the building include the Unity Hall which covers an area of 2,200 square metres and is an impressive 16 metres high. The hall is home to an especially notable chandelier, which at a weight of three tons and featuring 7,000 bulbs, is the biggest in the whole building. After America’s Pentagon building, the Casa Poporului can claim to be the world’s biggest building.

Cotroceni Palace
Constructed in the 17th century by Prince Serban Cantacuzin, Cotroceni Palace is a large and splendid building that serves as the Romanian President’s official residence. Visitors are permitted access to the main interior area by appointment only so after from appreciating the fine exterior views of the building, the remaining feature of interest is the impressive art museum contained within.

Kretzulescu Church
Take the time to visit the Kretzulescu Church and you’ll be rewarded by a variety of magnificent sights both inside and out. Built between 1720 and 1722 under the direction of Iordache Kretzulescu and his wife Safta, the church is typical of the style of architecture from the Brancoveanu era. An impressive fresco gracing one of the church’s interior walls is the work of Romanian painter, Gheorghe Tattarescu.

Romanian Athenaeum
Founded in 1888 and designed by French architect Albert Galleron, Bucharest’s Athenaeum is a predominantly neo Classical style building with aspects of ancient Greek architecture added for effect. The building is used primarily as a concert hall and is where you’ll find the famous George Enescu Philharmonic based and popular annual events such as the George Enescu Festival. The building offers some interesting interior features including a collection of frescoes by Costin Petrescu and a statue of Mihai Eminescu, the popular Romanian poet.

Village Museum
Not a conventional indoor museum by any means, Bucharest’s Village Museum is situated close to the Herestrău Lake and is hailed as one of Europe’s largest and oldest museums. This open-air historical centre features more than 300 original structures hailing from various historical eras and includes churches, houses and windmills. The museum owes its existence to the famous Romanian sociologist, Dimitrie Gusti.

Take the Dracula and Transylvania Tour. A variety of tour companies offer trips which last anything from several days up to a week and specialise in taking the visitor to all of the places associated with Bram Stoker’s most famous fictional character. As Dracula was based on the real life historical figure known as Vlad the Impaler, trips include visits to his castle and other sites associated with his life. A trip to the Golden Crown Hotel is often included as this was where the character Jonathan Harker stayed in the early stages of the story.

Take a Bucharest City Tour and enjoy some of the most famous sights in Bucharest. Popular stop-offs include the Arch of Triumph, the Village Museum, Revolution Square, the Romanian Athenaeum, the National Museum of Art, the Kretzulescu Church, the Memorial of Rebirth, the Central University Library and the Palace of Parliament.

Attend a concert of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. The Romanian Athenaeum is the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, the country’s greatest classical music outfit and one of the world’s most famous and revered orchestras. If your trip coincides with a performance of the orchestra and you are a fan of classical and contemporary orchestral music, then be sure to take a trip to the Athenaeum for what is sure to be a memorable experience.

Enjoy a traditional Romanian meal. Set aside at least one night of your trip for the purpose of enjoying some traditional local cuisine then make the effort to seek out a venue with an authentic selection of south east Romanian dishes. Enjoy favourite dinner dishes such as sauerkraut with mutton, lamb, onion and garlic stew, turkey with dried apricots and lemon-sauced chicken before considering something of the desert menu such as sour cherry pie, pumpkin strudel, stuffed cantaloupe, rice pudding or cream of wheat and chocolate pudding.