"Bucharest, Romania" a Bucharest Travel Page by Andraf

Bucharest is the capital of Romania and home to close to 2.5 million people. It is the city where I was born and where I grew up, the place where I lived until I moved to US. I've noticed that many travel guides available in English advice people not to go to Bucharest. I do agree that Bucharest can be a difficult and frustrating city for a foreigner and that there are numerous more photogenic places to visit in Romania. Bucharest was gravely defaced during communism with most of the old town being torn down to make way for the ugly Soviet style buildings that you can see today in many parts of the city. However, most foreigners that return to Bucharest say that the city is the kind that is slowly growing on you and that if you give it more time it will reward you. Personally I think that this city is worth a shot and that if you know where to go Bucharest can be a very pleasant experience. Yes, there are stray dogs, there are street children and beggars and the traffic is crazy. But Bucharest also has beautiful architecture, good restaurants and nice places to go shopping.This page is an attempt to prove my point.

The best time to visit Bucharest is in May or September. The winter is usually very cold and Bucharest sees a lot of snow (I like this, guaranteed white Christmas every year; but if you don't like cold avoid coming here from December to February). Summer (July, August) is really hot (the city is located in the middle of a plain) and it doesn't cool off much in the afternoon. The heat used to be a problem because most places didn't have air conditioning. Not anymore; almost all shops and restaurants are air conditioned now.

I guess you can see the major sites in one day but I recommend that you spend a few days here. There are enough places to see for a few days.