European Union Program
BUCHAREST Romania
Romania At a glance 
Politics: Traian Basescu has been president since 2004. In May 2012, Victor Ponta became Romania's third prime minister in less than six months. He leads a center-left government  Economy: After years of growth, Romania was hit by the global financial downturn. In 2010, it implemented austerity measures demanded in an IMF-led bailout  International: Romania joined Nato in 2004 and the EU in 2007 The largest of the Balkan countries, Romania has dramatic mountain scenery and a coastline on the Black Sea. It has seen numerous empires come and go from the Roman, to the Ottoman, to the Austro-Hungarian. After World War II the country was under communist rule although the leadership pursued a foreign policy independent of that of the Soviet Union. Romania, a slower developer than other former communist countries of eastern Europe, took a major step away from its past when it was one of seven countries to join Nato in late March 2004. Its strategic location and Black Sea air and naval bases make it attractive to the alliance. There have been several complex exchanges of territory over the years, not least when the area formerly known as Bessarabia went to the USSR following a pact between Hitler and Stalin. That region now forms a large part of the Republic of Moldova. Romanian, a Romance language, is essentially the same as Moldovan although the latter has undergone more influence from Russian. The legacy of communist-era leader Nicolae Ceausescu, who was feared and loathed in approximately equal measure, lingered long after the uprising which brought his execution on Christmas Day 1989. Former communists dominated politics until 1996 when a centrist government came to power. It became involved in prolonged political feuding which did little or nothing to promote economic reform. The left returned in 2000 when Ion Iliescu was re-elected president. Failure to push ahead sufficiently with reforms meant that the country was not on the list of new EU members four years later. However, in April 2005 Bucharest signed the EU accession treaty, paving the way for Romania eventually to join the union in January 2007. The Romanian economy suffered badly in the global financial crisis of 2008, prompting the government to launch a draconian austerity programme in 2010. This led to major street rallies and clashes with police in January 2012, which brought down the government of Prime Minister Emil Boc and ushered in a period of political instability.
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The Ultimate Bucharest Bucket-List: Go see the Palace of the People lit up at night
Walk through the Botanical Gardens Explore the Jewish past: Choral Temple, The Great Synogue, The Holocaust Memorial
Visit the Princely Court, where a statue of Dracula is staked out front
Where to eat:
Crama Domneasca
If you want classic Romanian cuísine, this is the place to go. They serve up spare ribs, mutton and many different styles of pork all with fresh baked bread. Str. Selari 13-15,
Caru cu Bere
This location has great deals for students. Supposedly, you can have a two course meal here at lunch for only 5€ as a student! Strada Stavropoleos 5
Dristor Kebap
The classiest (and best) kebap in all of Bucharest! You can get jalepeno peppers on it and you also can choose from an array of sauces for your fries. Try it out! Intersection of Dimitri Cantemir & Str Lanariei close to Unirea
Although Bucharest used to be called Micul Paris (Little Paris), it has a charm of its own. You will be able to visit one of the most famous works of architecture in the city, the People´s Palace. However, there is a darker history of the building that is often not mentioned in tours. The Palace of Parliament, or the People´s Palace, is one of the most controversial works of architecture in Romania. It was the jewel of Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu´s ambitious urban development project in the 1980s. Inspired by Ceausescu´s visit to North Korea, the building of this structure required that Bucharest´s historic districts be destroyed. This included the destruction of 19 Orthodox Christian churches, 6 synagogues and over 30,000 homes in two neighborhoods. In order to finance the building of the Palace of Parliament, Ceausescu had to take on enormous foreign debts. In order to repay these debts, he starved the Romanian people, exporting all of the country´s agricultural and industrial products and threatening the standard of living for Romanians. Foodrationing, gas, electric and heating blackouts became everyday norms; people lived in squalor and poverty as the Ceausescu`s exhibited outrageous extravagance. You can visit this building if you would like. You can visit daily from 10am-4pm. YOU MUST BRING YOUR PASSPORT! Admission: 13 lei for students
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Sights and Historical Places Ateneul Roman Strada Benjamin Franklin 1 This is Bucharest's most prestigious concert hall and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It was built in 1888 in neo-classical style. With its 40 m high dome and the Doric columns, it resembles an ancient temple. The beautiful facade is adorned with mosaics of five Romanian rulers, and on the inside are scenes from Romanian history. This is the place to hear classical music in Bucharest from resident orchestra George Enescu Philarmonic. Arcul de Triumf Piata Arcul de Triumf In northern Bucharest, along Sos. Kiseleff, lies Bucharest's Triumphal Arch. Modelled on the triumphal arch in Paris, the structure was erected in 1935-1936 to commemorate the creation of Greater Romania which took place in 1918. It sits on the spot where two earlier arches stood: the first arch made of wood and cardboard was erected in 1878 to mark Romania's independence from the Turks; the second arch made of timber was erected in 1922 to mark Ferdinand's entry into Bucharest as the first king of Greater Romania. Calea Victoriei Known in English as Victory Street, Calea Victoriei is Bucharest’s oldest and most fashionable street. The street was built in 1692 and originally made of oak wooden beams. It changed its name to Calea Victoriei in 1878 after the Romanian War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. The street connects the two main squares of Bucharest: Piata Victoriei and Piata Revolutiei. Memorial Cross B-dul Nicolae Bälescu 18 A black memorial cross is located a few blocks north of Piata Universitatii to mark the place where the first protestor in the 1989 Revolution, Mihai Gätlan, died at 17:30 on 21 December 1989. The Memorial of the Romanian Holocaust Strada Anghel Saligny The Memorial of the Romanian Holocaust was inaugurated on 08 October 2009 to remember the victims of racism, antisemitism an discrimination in Romania. Between 1940 and 1944, the Romanian State was responsible for the death of at least 280,000 Jews. Parcul Herastrau Soseava Kiseleff 32 This park is considered to be the nicest park in Bucharest. The park is over 400 acres big, stretching from the Arcul de Triunf to the Baneasa Bridge. There are lots of outdoor activities in the park, including boat rentals and tennis courts. The lakes in the park were created to replace unhealthy marshes, and now it is very common to see people enjoying the weather on boat cruises around the lake.
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Museums
National Art Museum (former Royal Palace) Calea Victoriei 49-53 This imposing building, which used to be the Royal Palace, is located in the Revolution Square (Piata Revolutiei), in the northwestern corner. It was first built around 1815 by prince Dinicu Golescu and remodeled in 1882-1885 after plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau, only to be rebuilt again in 1930-1938 after being damaged in a fire in 1926. Inaugurated in 1948, the palace now houses the National Art Museum and displays an extensive collection of Romanian and European art dating from the 15th to the 20th century. Opening Hours: May-Sep: Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, Oct-Apr: Wed-Sun 10am-6pm Admission: 15 LEI (students get 50% discount with valid ID) Muzeul Satului Sos. Kiseleff 28-30 The Village Museum was established in 1936 and it contains over 300 wooden houses, windmills, churches etc. from all over the country. If you don't plan to visit Romania's rural areas which really isnﾂｴt likely for you guys anyway- you shouldn't miss this museum which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Many of the buildings are originals which were brought here in pieces and reassembled. Behind the project from the start was ethnographer Dimitrie Gusti (1880 1955) who wanted the museum to mirror as closely as possible the aspects of the rural life. Because of this the museum is organized as a real village, with clusters of houses being linked by winding paths. Opening hours: Mon-Friday, 9am-3pm Admission: 2,5 LEI Muzeul National George Enescu Calea Victoriei 141 Found in the Catnacuzino Palace, the George Enescu Museum displays documents and various objects that belonged to the great Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu. Enescu is most well known for his piece the Romanian Rhapsodies, and in 1936 received the French Legion of Honor for Oedipe, his tragic opera that premiered in Paris. The architecture of this building is fantastic! Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm Admission: 1,5 LEI National History Museum Calea Victoriei 12 This monumental and simply superb Neo-Classical building was constructed from 1894-1900 to the designs of local architect Alexandru Sﾄプulescu. It originally served as the headquarters of the Romanian postal service. The museum's exhibitions include a fine collection of antiquities, including statues brought from a Bronze Age necropolis close to present day Cernavoda. The finest exhibit is the replica of Trajan's Column in the central lapidarium. The bizarre statue on the museum's steps - which appeared during May 2012 - allegedly represents the emperor Traian holding a wolf. It has not unsurprisingly been the subject of much ridicule, and is a popular object for both locals and visitors to ironically have their photo taken with. Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday: 10am - 6pm (summer); 9am - 5pm (winter), Mondays and Tuesdays closed!
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Religious Sights Kretzulescu Church Calea Victoriei 45A On one of the corners of Piata Revolutiei, next to the former Royal Palace, lies the beautiful red brick Kretzulescu church, one of the oldest churches in Bucharest. Commissioned in 1722, its style blends Byzantine and Western architectural elements together with indigeneous forms. The church suffered damage during the 1989 revolution but was recently restored. The frescoes in the porch are especially beautiful. Inside one can still see fragments of the late nineteen century frescoes by Gheorghe Tattarescu, a great Romanian painter. To the side of the church stands a memorial bust of Corneliu Coposu who spent 17 years in prison for his anti-communist activities and was awarded the Legion d'Honeur by French government. Stavropoleos Church (Biserica Stavropoleos) Junction of Postei Street with Stavropoleos Street This small church is one of the most beautiful in the city. It was built in 1724 during the ruling of Phanariot Prince Nicolae Mavrocordat by the Greek monk Ioanichie. The church is representative for the Brancovenesc style which blends Ottoman and Western elements together with traditional Romanian architectural forms. The inside is equally beautiful, with wood and stone carvings, paintings and frescoes. Mihai Voda Church (Biserica Mihai Voda) Strada Sapientei To make way for his civic center, Ceausescu ordered the demolition of all the buildings located in and around Unirii Square. The Brancovenesc Hospital, the Sf. Vineri Church, the Sf. Spiridon Church, the Vacaresti Monastery and many others historic buildings and monuments as well as lots of private houses were virtually wiped out. It happened that a few old churches escaped demolition. However, they were moved from their initial location, and hidden from sight behind the grey apartment complexes of the new civic center. Mihai Voda is one of these churches. It was moved 280m on rails and dumped in a back yard behind some blocks of flats. Once a beautiful monastery, built in 1591 by the great voivode Michael the Brave, its medieval cloister and old buildings were demolished and only the church and the gate tower survived. Despite its sad location the church still looks nice‌. Templul Coral Strada Sfanta Vineri 9 Built in 1857, the Choral Temple is a red brick synagogue. This is the largest active synagogue in Bucharest, and services are held daily at 8am and 7pm, as well as on Saturdays.
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Food Romanian cuisine is very diverse, having large influences from the former AustroHungarian and Ottoman Empire, as well as the western Balkans. Most traditional meals heavily feature meat, and cabbage rolls, and sausages. Stews are popular main dishes and come with polenta and potatoes. Soups are almost always offered on Romanian menus.
Transportation Navigating Bucharest by public transport is relatively easy, as the Romanian capital is served by a decent metro, a vast bus network and trams. Metro In a city that lately has become paralyzed by traffic, Bucharest's metro is by far the most reliable form of public transport. Built in 1979, the metro is clean, cheap, safe and covers the city pretty well. Trains run between 5:30 am and 11:30 pm; during peak hours they run at about 5-8 minutes while off-peak they run every 20 minutes. Tickets can be bought at the booths inside the stations; All trains have maps posted inside the wagons. Tickets valid for two journeys cost 3.00 lei, tickets valid for ten journeys cost a bargain 9.00 lei. Cabs The important thing to remember when getting into a taxi in this city is that there are two kinds: those which are operated by a tried and trusted taxi company (good) and independents (bad). The problem is spotting the difference. By and large, trustworthy taxis are easy to spot as they are emblazoned with the name and phone number of the company they are associated with. To counter this, the independents have also started to plaster phone numbers (usually 9403) over their cars, alongside copy-cat logos that look cunningly like those of decent taxi companies. Do not get into any taxi with the number 9403, 9373 or 9323 on it, or one displaying the words Persoana Fizica Autorizata. If you're in a taxi station and there are 4 taxis waiting but still people wait around and then flock to one taxi that just stopped to let out a passenger, then it's sure that nobody trusts the independent taxis. Always make sure that the meter is on.
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Conversion Rate:
$1: 3,55 Romanian New Lei (RON) â‚Ź1: 4,53 Romanian New Lei (RON)
It is NOT safe to drink the tap water.