When visiting the capital of Romania, you soon discover the diversity of the city. Exploring the streets of Bucharest, you will see cultural landmarks and traces of history; you can look for hidden treasures or works of art, or engage with the locals and feel the vibe of the city. Take a one day city tour or get to know its nightlife. Whichever is your choice, Backpacking through Bucharest is a great experience.

When discovering Bucharest one step at a time, your attention will be drawn by the diversity in the landmarks you’ll find along the way. Some of the most emblematic of these landmarks can be found in the center of the city.

Following the itinerary we created for the Cultural Tour, start your search on Victory Avenue, one of the first streets ever built in Bucharest. Initially made out of wood, the Victory Avenue is one of first thoroughfares in Europe to have electrical illumination. Along the road, you can pass near the Romanian Athenaeum – a city symbol and the most famous concert hall– and reach The Revolution Square – where the 1989 anticommunist riot went nationwide – to see the Museum of National Contemporary Art that was once a Royal Palace. Pursuing the same path, you will come across the Casa Capsa Hotel, the National Museum of Romanian History and CEC Palace. At a walking distance, you can enter the “Old Town”, wander its interconnected streets and discover some of the landmarks in the area: The Old Court of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula legend inspiration). And since you are there, you can also check the Stavropoleos Monastery & Church, built in the 18^th century in a Brancovenesc style, and perhaps grab a bite at Manuc`s Inn.

At this point, you should already be familiar with the core of Bucharest. But you still haven’t seen the most controversial building in Bucharest – The Palace of Parliament. Built during the communist regime at the order of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the structure is the second largest “Administrative Building” in the world, as well as the third in terms of volume. In close proximity, you can also see The Romanian Patriarchal Church & Palace – the recently built Romanian Orthodox Church, house of Romanian head of the Church. But to take you further back in time, you need to leave the center of Bucharest and head towards The Dimitri Gusti National Village Museum, walk along old village houses from all regions of the country and learn of the traditional Romanian village life.

For those who would rather discover the back streets of the city and learn more of the people of Romania, we recommend the Hidden Treasures of Bucharest walking tour. You will get to know how Bucharest evolved as a city and hear of the people who helped start the foundation of the metropolis you see today.

Walking through the city, on crowded streets and amongst buildings, one might start to long for a green and relaxing place. There are a lot of choices in Bucharest; small and large parks are spread all over the city, some of the most beautiful and old ones being right in the heart of the capital: Icon Park, Cismigiu Garden and Carol Park.

After a day of walking, discovering the city and having a well deserved dinner, a true backpacker should still have enough energy to experience the nightlife of Bucharest. Since you are already familiar with the streets of the Old Town in daylight, you should compare the atmosphere chance during night time. You will have plenty of choices and chances to meet nice people.

Whether you are an urban backpacker or you would rather spend your time in nature, Bucharest is a city that takes pride in its diversity and strives to fulfill every traveler’s wishes. But to truly experience the beauty of the natural world, the Wild Carpathians as well as the Black Sea are only few hours away from Bucharest.

Safe journeys and unforgettable adventures for you I wish!