Why Bucharest, Romania, Belongs On Your Journey Want Listing Now

Bucharest by night

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I like places that are not obvious. I like cities with complicated stories, with architecture that is not always beautiful, and with a noticeable sense of transformation and change. I especially like cities with a civil life that doesn’t revolve around me as a tourist. And so I thought I would like Bucharest.

A century ago, the capital of Romania was known as the “Paris of the East” for its Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture in the French style and its vibrant cultural life. Unfortunately, the 20th century wasn’t good for Romania. Between World War II, one of the most brutal communist dictatorships in Europe, and an earthquake in 1977, the city lost much of its size.

It’s been replaced with something more interesting: a mix of Art Nouveau remains – like the old mansions lining wide avenues north of the city center, elegant parks around romantic lakes, and a full replica of the Arc de Triomphe – and brutalist communist-era apartment blocks. And then there is the Parliament Palace, perhaps Europe’s largest monument to communist ill-rule and megalomania.

The Parliament Palace

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Former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu commissioned the 1,000-room, nearly 4 million square foot folly in the 1980s. The heaviest building in the world and one of the largest, it is indeed a testament to Romanian engineering schools and materials (marble in particular). The hour-long tours on offer only take up a fraction of the place, but a simple ride through the giant tells you what you need to know.

“He called it the ‘House of the People,’” said my excellent guide Alex Grigorescu. “But it only caused human suffering,” as the construction displaced hundreds of families and consumed much of the country’s financial resources.

Grigorescu, who is also a historian, translator, radio host, and accomplished genealologist, was just one of the reasons I was grateful that my trip was organized by Beyond Dracula. The young company was founded by two Romanian women (and one of their husbands) who had worked internationally for McKinsey before deciding to develop luxury itineraries for travelers to discover their country. It is the only one of its kind in Romania.

The Caru cu Bere beer hall in the old town of Lipscani (before Covid)

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“The thought of staying in Romania [when I came back from nine years abroad] shocked me, ”admits co-founder Raluca Spiac. “And that wasn’t okay because I’m Romanian.” And so she set out to get to know her country better – to the point that, despite everything she had heard during her time as an emigrant, she could fall in love with it and then also help visitors to find things they loved.

Their approach is to show Romania beyond stereotypes – and yes, beyond Dracula, even though they took me to his fictional home in Transylvania (stay tuned) – rather than dwell on the darker chapters of the story. (Grigorescu gave me one of my favorite examples: The first and only foreign edition of the New York Times Book Review was published in Romanian, a nod to the country’s enduringly rich cultural and intellectual life.)

Because Bucharest actually feels like a place where the ink of the history books has not yet completely dried. Of course, the history of a place is not fully written, but there have been some dramatic changes and upheavals here only recently. On today’s Revolution Square, where Ceausescu fell as one of the last European communist dictators in 1989, you can still see the bullet scars on the buildings, which was one of the bloodiest.

Stavropoleos Church

Ann Abel

But 30 years makes a big difference and the city is now optimistic. The serious-sounding memorial of rebirth on this Revolution Square is more often referred to as a potato on a spit. (The disrespectful description is not wrong.) Historic hotels are being renovated and opened under flags such as Corinthia and the Marriott Autograph Collection. The city has built a reputation for nightlife (even if that was subdued during these pandemic times), particularly along the narrow streets of the old town and the Lipscani district. There’s also a surprising café culture, with eateries across town serving Chemex pour-over coffees and fancy cold brew.

And although Romanian still food tends towards stuffed cabbage with pork and beef, tripe soup and other meats, there is more and more variety. The new POT stories has an airy, open design and a menu based on international flavors and a good number of vegetarian dishes. The lakeshore David’s house has a seafood, pasta and risotto menu with a clear Mediterranean accent. and Le Bistrot Francais, a Relais & Châteaux restaurant, is located in a beautiful 19th century villa.

Other historical landmarks have been preserved, especially the many beautiful Eastern Orthodox churches and small chapels across the city, such as Stavropoleos Church, which is hidden in busy Lipscani. The concert hall of the Romanian Athenaeum from 1888 survived the upheavals of the 20th century and is absolutely beautiful inside. It is the residence of the George Enescu Philharmonic, named after Romania’s most important musician, and an international music festival is held here every spring.

The concert hall of the Romanian Athenaeum

Ann Abel

Across the street from the concert hall, the Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest recently completed a renovation of some guest rooms. The result is beautiful and comfortable while staying true to the history of the place. It was designed by a French architect and built in 1914, and it is managed to stay open through everything that followed. From the sleek, marble-clad lobby (which was packed with spies and counter-spies) to the sumptuous Art Nouveau ballroom to the outdoor dining area 2021, the hotel feels both historic and contemporary.

And although I was happy to be in a city that is not exactly shaped by tourists like me, I was also grateful to be in a hotel that looked after us very well.