I follow a lot of travel bloggers, most of whom travel full-time and never seem to have a plan when they visit new places. They often make comments along the lines of “I never plan out my day…I just want to wander around and see what I can find…I just want to have a natural experience where nothing is planned…” and everything in between. And while I’ve done this type of travel before, it’s definitely not the norm for me.
I work full-time and have limited vacation days. I’d love to be able to just show up at a new location with no plans and all the time in the world…but it’s just not a practice I can engage in on the regular. There are places I want to check out, pictures I want to take, food I want to eat, and adventures I’ve been dreaming about since forever.
During my recent trip to Romania, I knew that I was going to have a full day in Bucharest to play tourist while my friend was attending a wedding elsewhere. How was I going to occupy my time? I was going to be taking a free walking tour first thing in the morning and an alternative tour the following day, so I had an idea of what we would cover…but Bucharest is a HUGE city!
Thinking that I wanted to bring out my inner-tourist and set her free, I consulted the Holy Grails of all things travel-related: Pinterest and Instagram.
JUST KIDDING!
But seriously, I turned to those sites and plugged in a search for places to check out that were popular on the tourist trail. Fortunately, many travel bloggers had been to Bucharest as part of the #ExperienceBucharest event and had already published some guides. After checking out a handful of them and basically reading the same to-do lists and must-see pictures, I figured I had my handful of places to scope out.
Here are some of the “top” places in Bucharest to take pictures, as recommended by bloggers and influencers on Pinterest and Instagram:
Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse
There are so many little alleys and hidden gems behind old and seemingly abandoned doorways. In reality, if you look past a lot of the decay, you’ll find a wonderland of adventure. I took the free walking tour of Bucharest and we ventured into the Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse.
What the Instagram posts don’t really tell you is that you’ll be overwhelmed with the smell of shisha as soon as you get anywhere near this iconic spot. Yes, the hidden passageways (plural, as there are 2 that converge at a certain point) are mystical and leave you a little stunned, but it’s also a place where you’ll run into so many students cutting class and acting grown.
Cărturești Carusel
I love bookstores, and this one is no different. Cărturești is a bookstore chain that has a few properties in Bucharest, with Cărturești Carusel at the helm…and for good reason.
This bookstore not only has the visual appeal, but the stock to back it up as one of the leading bookstores in Romania. It is constantly listed as one of the top bookstores in the world and I’ll agree with it.
There are numerous vantage points that would make any Instagrammer drool with anticipation. The inviting atmosphere, quirky gift shop, and delicious cafe will keep any visitor occupied for hours.
Pasaj Victoria
Remember when I said that there are numerous hidden gems tucked behind decrepit doorways? Pasaj Victoria is one of them. I’ve dreamed about getting a picture of the Pinterest-fodder rainbow umbrellas for some time now.
Yes, I say that proud with my head held high. They’re beautiful and I love color. I’m not ashamed to admit it.
The colorful umbrellas adorn a passageway that encompasses numerous cafes and herds of Instagrammers. Seriously, I must have passed 3 groups of people taking pictures with a brightly-clad young lady scampering up and down the alley. I’m sure the patrons eating at the tables were entertained.
Even on a dreary and rainy day, this passageway will brighten up your day, no matter how many times you walk by.
Caru’ cu Bere
It’s hard to not be swept up into another time and century when you walk into Caru’ cu Bere. The stained glass windows, aged wooden balconies, traditionally-clad staff and musicians all add to the romanticism of a time long gone. Caru’ cu Bere, literally “The Beer Wagon,” touts the moniker The Soul of Bucharest and sits as the authority of old town Bucharest.
And rightly so – it’s beautiful and full of history. 130+ years ago, a wagon full of beer barrels would lumber into town, where waiting townsfolk would bum-rush the wagon with their vessels, hoping to get their fill of beer. Where Germany had beer gardens to keep their beer chilled, Romanians relied on their beer wagon visits.
The center of the main floor is taken up by a large, old-school bar which is extremely fun and impressive to look at. The food is traditional and yummy for sure, but definitely not the best I’ve ever had. If you pay a visit to Caru’ cu Bere, do so for the atmosphere and Instagrammable pictures!
Arcul de Triumf
Yup, there’s an arch in Bucharest! I think out of all of the places I wanted to visit and take a picture of, this was my favorite. I wasn’t going to be stupid and risk crossing into the center of the roundabout to get an “epic shot,” so I opted for a crazy selfie.
I love places with a lot of history behind them, and this one fit the bill. The arch was originally built out of wood in 1878, right after Romania first gained independence. It was hurriedly built as to accommodate the victorious troops that were to march through it. After World War 1, a plaster version was built on the same site in 1922. After some nasty erosion and decay, the arch was then built out of stone and designed in a Neoclassical style by Petre Antonescu. Inaugurated in 1936, the current arch stands as a beautiful monument, demonstrating Romania’s admiration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Romanian Athenaeum
The Athenaeum completely blew me away! To get to this place, you need to enter via side door, give whoever is guarding it 10 Lei, and he’ll hand you a sheet of paper with facts on it. While they didn’t have an English one, I was ever-so-grateful my friend speaks Romanian and could tell me all about the architecture.
Dubbed the “Romanian Temple of Arts,” the Athenaeum is first and foremost a concert venue. It was built in the late 1880s and still holds concerts to this day. We were fortunate to arrive just after a rehearsal of some sort and saw the musicians as they left. The entry hall pictured above is a diva, ready for photographers at every angle.
Even though I might sound sarcastic in my descriptions of the above pictures, I had a great adventure tracking them all down. If you manage to visit Bucharest and have a list from #ExperienceBucharest articles on Pinterest and Instagram photos, you will undoubtably find beautiful architecture and colorful exhibits.
If you stop there, you miss out of the history and stories that make these places so much better than you can ever imagine. Romania, and more particularly Bucharest, has a complicated and harsh past that adds so much flavor to the city and its venues.
Do yourself a favor – take the pictures. Find the hidden gems. Create your own to-do list…but take it a step further. Learn about the places you’re visiting. Why are they there? What kind of cultural significance do they play? I promise you will enjoy them so much more!
Have you been to Bucharest? What pictures did you take?
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