Bucharest: a surprisingly interesting, vibrant city!

My old school friend and I had been discussing our annual meet-up. We always meet at some point over the course of the Summer when I was back home in the UK. We live in different areas now, and so try to find a meeting point halfway. This year, however, we decided to be a little more adventurous. We wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before. Somewhere abroad. We’d done the whole package holiday in the sun thing when we were younger, and so wanted to experience something different. Somewhere where it would still be warm and sunny so that we could sit on a terrace or three, but also where there would be some history and different aspects of the city to see and experience. After a little research, we decided on Bucharest; a surprisingly interesting, vibrant city!

As we would be travelling at the most expensive time of the year, my first port of call was to check out the Aviasales.com site to help find and compare the best price for flight tickets. The site has multiple languages and currency options, making booking and figuring out costs super easy. Then, when you have found your ideal flight, you are redirected to that flight’s website to make your purchase. We then looked at booking a place to stay on Booking.com. We stayed in an apartment in the old town, which was both close to the majority of the sites and the airport. Using Aviasales.com, the flights were £225 each return and the apartment was £205 for three nights for both of us.

We arrived early afternoon in the midst of a heatwave in the city. Honestly, we just wanted to get to the apartment we were staying at, dump our bags, shower, and make the most of the aircon for a little while! From researching beforehand, we knew that a taxi from the airport probably wasn’t going to be our best option. There was, however, a train and a bus to the city centre. We opted for the number 100 bus, which led us slightly closer to our accommodation than the train.

There is an app where you can buy public transport tickets and travel cards, but we bought ours from the STB ticket machine just outside the airport next to the bus stop. We opted for the Multiple card, which is intended for visitors to the city. Then once on the bus, you just swipe it on the yellow and black box, or barrier if using the train and metro. I have to say that the transport system in Bucharest was pretty good and we didn’t come across any issues with it during our stay. As we were staying for three days, we bought the 72 hour multiple card which was 20 lei, roughly £3.50. And could be used on all trains, metros and buses in the city.

My first impression of Bucharest as we drove through the city on the bus was that it seemed dull and uncared for. The buildings looked drab and most were crumbling down, some were even derelict. I wondered how we would fill three days here. It didn’t look as though there was much to see or do. I felt like we had been driven into a hot, bustling concrete jungle.

But, how wrong was I! Bucharest turned out to be interesting, intriguing, and fun. Vibrant and full of life with plenty to explore. I feel that I barely scratched the surface on our visit!

We began the first evening of our trip with a free walking tour. We thought it would give us some insight into the city’s history and culture from a native’s perspective. As well as being advised on some of the things to see and do that we might have missed when researching!

The company we booked the tour with was Walkabout Free Tour. They are easy to spot with their big orange umbrellas! Our Tour guide was Daniel. He was very informative and interesting to listen to with his friendly, easy-going persona. He was knowledgeable in his stories and facts about communist times and also resourceful in providing photographs and newspaper cuttings demonstrating what it was like for people living through those communist times. And he also gave the group a couple of good recommendations of places to eat and have a drink in the city! I would highly advise booking a walking tour to get some insightful information about Bucharest itself with Walkabout Free Tour.

As the tour ended, we decided to head over to one of the rooftop bars as it was such a lovely warm evening. Also, it felt like the perfect spot, and about time to sample some cocktails! We decided to try out Linea/ Closer to the Moon. It had a very chilled vibe, which was nice and just what we were looking for. Plus, the views of the city were just amazing and beautiful from all angles. The cocktails were lovely and the service fantastic. But, the entrance to the bar and the corridor-type alleyway to the lift up to the roof weren’t very well advertised and with a very small entrance. So if you blink, you’re likely to miss it!

The next day of our trip we went to visit the National Village Museum in Bucharest. This is an open-air museum showcasing rural houses, churches and other buildings from different parts of Romania. It was really interesting to walk around and get a real sense of what homes and villages used to be like. It also gives you an insight into how people lived and worked the land at those times with artefacts and tools. I just loved the attention to detail and the craftsmanship that had gone into some of the designs. It cost 40 lei for an adult ticket, which was about £7 for entry.

Bucharest has many parks and green spaces to explore. Which was very much appreciated when you’re visiting during a heatwave! A 15-minute walk from the National Village Museum is the King Michael I park. A pretty green space with paved walking and cycle lanes. And with cafes and restaurants along its routes. All surrounded by a lake that is used for water sports. So it was the perfect place to escape the heat of the sun for a short while. I found it quite refreshing and peaceful to take a walk along one of the paths in the shade of the trees. And of course, stop off at one of the restaurants for a beer!

Right at the entrance of the King Michael I park is the Arcul de Triumf. It sits right in the centre of a very busy interchange acting as a roundabout for traffic. It stands at an impressive 27 metres high and was built as a memorial to celebrate Romania’s victory in World War I.

We were keen to take a stroll around the old town with it being one of the main attractions. We were also keen to see some of the architecture and sample some of the traditional foods. However, the constant ‘greetings’ and offering of free shots to tempt us into the restaurants was frankly annoying and off-putting. I get that they want and need to drum up business and that it’s probably part of the culture, but we just wanted to take a stroll and be left in peace to experience the surroundings!

Nonetheless, the old town was lively and had a happy vibe. The architecture was beautiful and pretty unique in parts. The restaurants and bars were vibrant with Bucharest appearing to have an exciting nightlife. As we made our way through the cobbled streets, we made a few pit stops for drinks before deciding where to have dinner.

We decided on a restaurant that advertised traditional Romanian dishes on its menu. We opted for sarmale. Cabbage rolls filled with pork meat and compacted rice balls on the side. They were delicious. Certainly a must try and something I’d definitely order again! And mititei. Grilled skinless sausages made from a mixture of beef, lamb and pork served with chips. These were ok, but I wouldn’t say they would be my favourite choice. I much preferred the cabbage rolls!

Then for dessert, we tried the papanasi. These were fried or boiled doughnuts served with jam and cream. The cream is usually made with cottage cheese and then topped with sour cream. Although there can be different variations. To be honest, the thought of cottage cheese and sour cream on a doughnut didn’t seem very appetising at first! But they were actually really delicious, if a little stodgy! I’m glad we ordered just the one portion to share!

The following day, we made a visit to one of Bucharest’s many libraries, Carturesti Carusel. Which translates as Carousel of Light. It really was impressively light and airy as you stood at the entrance and stepped inside. The pillars and spiral staircases are beautifully designed and well worth a look in themselves. This particular huge, impressive library is situated in an historic building and is considered to be the most beautiful bookshop in Romania . The building has been modernised to host several floors of books and gifts. There is also a café on the top floor with a lift leading to each of the six floors.

After our visit to the library, we went for another walk around the old town and the surrounding area making a pit stop for iced coffee. We wanted to visit some of the other important buildings of Bucharest we’d researched and been told about during the walking tour the day before.

As we were making our way towards the opera house, we stumbled across a small, local bar. It was sandwiched in between two tall buildings and was almost unnoticeable as you walked down the fairly quiet street. But we were intrigued by the locals chatting and laughing. So we decided to go in for a drink. A tad nervous as we were foreigners walking into a local, non-touristy bar.

As we walked through the small garden gateway, it opened up into a reasonably large terrace with several tables full of friendly, jolly locals just having a few beers with friends. You wouldn’t realise what it was like inside from out on the street. We ended up staying for more than one drink! It was quite a funky bar and a good little find, but unfortunately, we didn’t catch the name of it. I only remember it being a 10-minute walk from the opera house.

The one thing I was most looking forward to on this trip. And we saved it till last. One reason being that it was close to the airport, so we could easily make the short trip back for our flight that evening. The other reason being that we were advised not to go on a weekend, as it can be super busy. So we went on the last day of our trip, which was on a weekday.

We left first thing to make sure we were there when the spa opened to get the most out of our day there before we needed to head back to the airport. However, when we got there, before 9am, we were already several back in the queue. Once 9am struck and the cashiers opened, to be fair, the lines moved pretty quickly and we didn’t have to wait very long at all to get in.

We had our locker key, which was actually a watch you wore on your wrist, and a map with a timetable ready to head in. The slides part was already super busy with families, so we boycotted that part until later. Instead, we headed straight upstairs to the sauna rooms. There were several to choose from inside and outside on the terrace. My friend wanted to book a massage, but unfortunately, there were limited spots and they had sold out by the time we got there, even though we were at the spa early!

With the timetable, we were easily able to identify the sauna multisensory wellness experiences we wanted to attend. At other times, you could just experience the saunas as they were. I opted for the Salt Ritual, Minty Exploration, Herbal Scrub, and, a little later, the Water Aerobics. All of which I’d highly recommend.

After sitting on the terrace for a little while, as recommended by the staff, we went downstairs to experience the pool. It was such a glorious, warm sunny day that we went straight to the outdoor pool. Very chilled and relaxing. Also, the jets and waterbed massages were appreciated and are a must-try.

Feeling a little thirsty and peckish by this point, we put our gowns on and headed over to the Greens restaurant for water and a salad wrap. It was lunchtime, so it was super busy with families and children. You had to order from a machine and give your ticket to the cashier once your food was ready. A bit like they do in some McDonald’s restaurants. Some of the machines weren’t working, which was a bit annoying as it took a little longer. But the wrap was totally delicious.

Once we’d eaten, we sat outside on the terrace for a bit enjoying the sunshine before heading back towards the pool and sitting in the mineral spas for a little while. We felt totally chilled and relaxed! Then we decided it was time to head back over to the pool and the poolside bar to sample one or two of the cocktails they had on offer.

I personally recommend their pina colada! And, so convenient to have the key watch to swipe and pay before you leave. Just a quick 10-minute dip in the jacuzzi before it really was time for us to make our departure and head back towards the airport.

All in all, we spent roughly seven and a half hours at the spa, but really, to experience most things, a full day would be needed. The cost of a day ticket was 193 ron, which was roughly £33. Then the extras once inside from the key watch for things like lunch, bottles of water and a poolside cocktail were about 150 ron. So in total the day cost around £58.

Thank you, Bucharest. It was a fun and interesting couple of days.