16 Best Sights in Romania

Echoing Bucharest’s pretensions as the “Paris of the East,” this landmark—built in 1922—commemorates the 1877 War for Independence and those who died in World War I. Climb the stairs for an impressive view out toward the city.

Gorgeous inside and out, this 19th-century concert hall, home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, has a neo-Baroque dome and classical columns. In theory, there are tours, but the building is often locked. For a look at the inside, it's best to attend a concert.

This 1720s redbrick church next to the former palace has lovely, though faded, interior frescoes and a noted iconostasis (screen separating the altar from the nave in Eastern churches) depicting religious scenes.

Completed in the mid-16th century, Bucharest's oldest church is an excellent example of that period's Wallachian church architecture, with alternating horizontal bands of brick and plaster moldings. Note the frescoes next to the altar. The church stands opposite the Curtea Veche (the Old Court Palace).

Dracula buffs can check out the ruins of the palace built by Vlad Ţepeş, the 15th-century prince on whom the fictional count was based. There is a small museum.

In 1808, a wealthy Armenian built this evocative, timbered inn for the convenience of traveling merchants. After extensive renovations, the historic inn and accompanying café, bistro, cellar restaurant, and garden were restored to something of their past glory and all are deservedly popular. Sit around the café's horseshoe bar for a yummy pastry and huge selection of coffee beverages, wine, beer, and cocktails; or under the bistro balcony's timbered eaves. Hearty Romanian-style bistro fare includes copious platters of sausages and potato pudding, or baked seafood with various homemade sauces. You won't go away hungry. The elegant cellar restaurant serves an excellent menu of more refined Romanian classics.

Developed around 1750, the Lipscani district is one of the oldest in Bucharest. Dirty, confusing, and crying for renovation, it's still of interest, especially the charming Hanul cu Tei, a rectangular courtyard between Strada Lipscani and Strada Blănari that houses art and antiques shops.

Housed in a synagogue dating back to 1850, this museum traces the history of Romania's Jewish population—at 750,000, the second largest in Europe prior to World War II. Some 300,000 Romanian Jews perished in the Holocaust, and today’s community numbers just over 10,000.

Wildlife exhibits from around Romania are displayed in realistic settings, as are dioramas of various ethnic cultures.

This open-air museum in Herăstrău Park provides the best possible introduction to the myriad architectural styles of Romania's traditional houses, workshops, and churches. The structures, some complete with regional furnishings, have been brought here from around the country.

The former royal palace now houses the country's most important art collection, including 15 rooms of paintings and sculptures by European masters and a large collection of Romanian art dating from medieval times to the present. Among the collection are pieces by the sculptor Brâncuşi and marvelous works from the Brueghel school.

Don't be discouraged by the initial vast emptiness you encounter upon entering this grand neoclassical building: the museum holds a large collection of objects dating from the Neolithic period to the 1920s. Downstairs, the Treasury section contains a mind-boggling assortment of golden objects spanning from Roman days to the present.

Some 90,000 items, ranging from traditional costumes and textiles to ceramics and icons, are on view here, at the first museum in Eastern Europe to receive the European Museum of the Year award (1996). Information in English is available in each room. There’s also a highly recommendable exhibition on communist-era statues and posters in the basement. An excellent shop sells traditional crafts.

The Cotroceni, which incorporates French, Romanian, Art Nouveau, and other styles of architecture, was constructed in the late 19th century as the home of Romania's royal family. After a devastating 1977 earthquake, it was rebuilt and now houses the official residence of the Romanian president. The lavish furnishings, art, and personal effects afford a glimpse into the lives of Romania's former royalty. Guides are required (no extra charge) for the one-hour tour, but you must call ahead to reserve a tour. Since the palace is a bit removed from other sights, you might want to take the Metro to the Politehnica station or simply take a taxi.

This mammoth modern building, one of the largest in the world, stands witness to the megalomania of the former dictator Ceauşescu. Today, it houses the Romanian parliament. Unlike the royal palaces, every detail is Romanian, from the 24-karat gold on the ceilings to the huge hand-woven carpet on the floor. Forty-five-minute tours of the ground-floor rooms depart from an entrance on the northern end of the building (the right-hand side as you stand facing the building from the front). The building also houses the Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC).

Lovely wooden and stone carvings and religious paintings adorn the exterior of this church, built between 1724 and 1730. Inside are fresco-covered walls and dome plus an icon-filled gold-leaf iconostasis.