Happenings of Hayley

I spent 4 days in the Romanian capital, with a couple of day trips, and here are six great things to do in Bucharest!

I visited in January, and whilst it was freezing cold and there was plenty of ice on the ground, it was a very magical time to visit and I would recommend.

Because most Romanians are Orthodox Christians, their Christmas Day isn’t until 7th January, so when I visited, almost all of the decorations were still up, which as someone who comes from a country where all the decorations were long gone, it was nice to elongate it a feel Christmassy for that little bit longer.

1. Wander the Old Town

As with any European capital city (or most cities really), there is always an old town, normally with some cobbled streets and beautiful buildings – and Bucharest is no exception.

Make sure you visit the following sites:

• The Church of the “Stavropoleos” Monastery – an Orthodox monastery & church from 1724, which was partly rebuilt in the early 1900s after earthquake damage.

• Zlătari’s Church – another historic Orthodox church with beautiful stained glass windows inside.

• National Bank of Romania – no longer a bank but now home to numismatic collections & historical exhibits in the bank’s former 19th-century headquarters.

Also in the old town is the Villacrosse Passage, a yellow glass-topped 19th century passageway which is home to many pubs and restaurants. When visiting in winter there’s heat lamps and blankets for use, making it all very cosy and in a beautiful setting!

2. Drink Romanian beer

There’s no shortage of places to sample some delicious Romanian beer in Bucharest, but the best and most popular place is probably Caru’ cu bere.

In here you’ll not only find great food and drink, but will be able to enjoy both of these in an absolutely stunning building – complete with wood panelling and stained glass windows.

And whilst we’re on the topic of beer, the other reason this is the best spot is because it has it’s own brewery which dates back to 1879, as does their house beer which is very tasty.

3. Day trip to Brașov

A trip to Romania wouldn’t be complete without heading into Transylvania – and a great place to chose is Brașov as it’s pretty easy to reach, being only two hours away by train from Bucharest.

When in Brașov you’ll be able to explore the very picturesque city centre which at its core is the Piața Sfatului, or the Council Square. This former market square is surrounded by colourful buildings that house a city hall, bars and many restaurants.

And, if visiting in January like I did, you’ll see a HUGE Christmas tree in the middle of the square!

Some other things you can do whilst visiting Brașov:

• Climb (or get the cable car) up to Tâmpa mountain – fantastic views of the city, especially beautiful in the snow
• Get another train over to Bran Castle – the supposed home of Dracula
• Visit the Bastionul Țesătorilor – a preserved 15th century fortress
• Marvel at the Turnul Negru – a restored 15th century 11 meter tower with a glass roof
• Wander the Strada Republicii – a quaint street with more great restaurants, bars and souvenir shops

4. Day trip to Peleș Castle

Another great day trip is to the small ski resort town of Sinaia to visit the insanely impressive Peleș Castle.

Only about 1.5 hours by train from Bucharest, you can’t miss this amazing little place.

Again, visiting in the snow makes it extra magical, but word of warning, it gets very cold. I went mid January and at about 3pm it got down to -13 degrees C!

Once off the train you follow the signposts towards Peleș Castle up the hill, and for £16 you can tour inside the Neo-Renaissance residence of King Carol I, complete with a museum of national heritage artifacts.

I’m not going to put a photo here because you need to see the beauty for yourself in real life – it is a stunning sight to behold!

Sinaia itself is also really lovely to walk around, plenty of cute streets and lots of choice for traditional Transylvanian and Romanian food.

5. Partake in a walking tour

If you’ve read my other posts, you’ll probably be sick of me suggesting a walking tour, but there’s honestly no better way to learn about a city and country than from a local whilst walking around the sites.

For mine we met outside Hanu’ lui Manuc, a classic Romanian restaurant in a historic building with a courtyard (delicious food by the way). This also sits across from St. Anthony’s Church, which is a beautiful building with architecture from the Ottoman Empire.

I learnt many things from this tour, but one of the most striking was just how much of a complicated past Romania has, and that it very much wears this on its sleeve. Being ruled by the Ottomans, then a country in the grips of communism and now struggling with the effects of the Ukraine/Russia war – you learn about it all.

Highly recommend!

6. Visit the famous library

A library might not be thought of as top of people’s lists, but as with many other libraries in the world, they are often housed in picturesque settings – and this is no exception.

Cărturești Carusel is a more modern experience than some others in the world, but the design inside is really lovely and makes for a great explore. You can have a cake and a coffee on the top floor, and there’s an English book section should you be so inclined.

It’s also the perfect way to escape the cold, if visiting in Winter like I did!