History · Bucharest · Romania
8 historic sites to see in Bucharest
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Idobi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Palace of the Parliament, Old Town and Lipscani and Stavropoleos Monastery. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–13 hours across 5 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 10–13 hours
- Areas
- Unirii and the Parliament, Old Town and Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
Historic sites in Bucharest
Architecture · Unirii and the Parliament
1.Palace of the Parliament
Guided tours cover a selection of its halls, staircases and the balcony looking down Bulevardul Unirii; the building also houses the parliament and the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Old Town
2.Old Town and Lipscani
Walk past the ruins of the Old Princely Court, linked to Vlad the Impaler, and the courtyard of Manuc's Inn, an early-19th-century caravanserai now a restaurant, between restored facades and bars.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Food
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Religious site · Old Town
3.Stavropoleos Monastery
Its choir is known for Byzantine chant, and the calm courtyard is a short step from the Old Town's busiest lanes.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Street · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
4.Calea Victoriei
It is partly closed to cars on some summer weekends for walking and events.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Shopping
Historic site · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
5.Revolution Square
The Memorial of Rebirth, the Central University Library and the former Royal Palace surround the square.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
Museum · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
6.National Museum of Art of Romania
Housed in the former Royal Palace, the museum displays Romanian medieval icons and church treasures, modern Romanian painting by Nicolae Grigorescu and others, sculptures by Constantin Brâncuși, and a gallery of European old masters.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
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Museum · King Michael I Park
7.Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
Paths wind under trees between the houses, and craft fairs are held on some weekends.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Landmark · Dorobanți and Floreasca
8.Arcul de Triumf
It stands at the southern end of King Michael I Park and is the site of the 1 December National Day parade.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Unirii and the Parliament | Palace of the Parliament | 1.5–2 hours |
| Old Town | Old Town and Lipscani and Stavropoleos Monastery | 2 hours + 30 minutes |
| Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | Calea Victoriei, Revolution Square and National Museum of Art of Romania | 1.5 hours + 30 minutes + 2–3 hours |
| King Michael I Park | Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Dorobanți and Floreasca | Arcul de Triumf | 20 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 5 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Palace of the Parliament. The longest visit is National Museum of Art of Romania; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Palace of the Parliament: Visits are by guided tour only; reserve a time slot in advance, especially in summer and for English-language tours.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Unirii and the Parliament and Old Town): Palace of the Parliament → Old Town and Lipscani → Stavropoleos Monastery, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square): Calea Victoriei → Revolution Square → National Museum of Art of Romania, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (King Michael I Park and Dorobanți and Floreasca): Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum → Arcul de Triumf, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold, with snow and freezing winds some years; museums and restaurants are quiet.
- February: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still cold and grey, with low hotel prices.
- March: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Spring arrives quickly; mărțișor charms are sold everywhere at the start of the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — Cobbled lanes around Lipscani with bars, restaurants and Stavropoleos
- Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square — Grand avenue of palaces, museums and the Romanian Athenaeum
- Dorobanți and Floreasca — Leafy upmarket north with restaurants and lakeside parks
- Unirii and the Parliament — Monumental socialist boulevards around Piața Unirii and the Palace of the Parliament
More of Bucharest
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Bucharest?
Palace of the Parliament. Begun under Nicolae Ceaușescu in the 1980s after a large area of the old city was demolished, this marble colossus is one of the largest administrative buildings in the world.
+Which of these are free in Bucharest?
Old Town and Lipscani, Stavropoleos Monastery, Calea Victoriei, Revolution Square and Arcul de Triumf.