Sarmale with mămăligă
Pickled cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice, simmered for hours with tomato and sometimes smoked bacon. They come with mămăligă, a cornmeal polenta, and a spoonful of smântână, Romanian sour cream.
Where to try it
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Free walking tours in Bucharest
Princes, bankers and revolutionaries in the «Little Paris» of the East.
- 3 themed routes
- 16 stops
- Audio guide
Bucharest grew up around the court of the Wallachian princes, filled with merchants' inns, dreamed of being Paris in the 19th century and lived through one of Europe's most brutal urban demolitions in the 20th. Among brick churches, bank palaces and marble boulevards, the city tells its story at every step. Three free routes to discover it on foot, at your own pace.
Choose your free tour
One city, three walks.
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
History
From Vlad III to the Revolution: six centuries on Calea Victoriei
From the court where Bucharest's name first appears to the balcony where Ceaușescu fell, along the city's most elegant street.
Mysteries & legends
Secret Bucharest: wandering churches, spies and legends
Churches that travelled on rails, a spy innkeeper, an unsolved murder and the shadow of Dracula, always keeping legend and history apart.
Mixed
Bucharest highlights: from Parliament to Cișmigiu lake
A building said to be the heaviest in the world, Ceaușescu's boulevard, a Belle Époque arcade, the kings' palace and the city's oldest garden.
The map
The whole city on foot.
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
History
Mysteries & legends
Mixed
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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Itineraries
How many days do you have in Bucharest?
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
1
Bucharest in 1 day
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2Bucharest in 2 days
A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3Bucharest in 3 days
The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
Flavours of Bucharest
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Ciorbă de burtă
Romania's tripe soup: a pale, velvety broth enriched with egg yolk and sour cream and sharpened with garlic and vinegar. It is served with a green chilli to bite between spoonfuls.
Where to try it
Mici
Little skinless rolls of minced meat flavoured with garlic, bicarbonate and spices, grilled over coals. Eat them with mustard, bread and a beer; at Obor market the queues get long on public holidays.
Where to try it
Tochitură
A stew of pork pieces, sometimes with sausage and liver, in a tomato and wine sauce. It comes with mămăligă, grated sheep's cheese and a fried egg on top. A hearty dish for an unhurried dinner.
Where to try it
Papanași
Romania's favourite dessert: two fried cheese doughnuts, a large ring and a small one perched on top like a hat, smothered in sour cream and sour cherry jam. Perfect to end a meal or as an afternoon treat.
Where to try it