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Bucharest · Mixed

Bucharest highlights: from Parliament to Cișmigiu lake

A mixed route to understand Bucharest in a morning: the contrasts between communist gigantism and interwar elegance, between roaring boulevards and the calm of a romantic park. Everything can be enjoyed from the street, with no need to go inside anywhere.

  • 5 stops
  • 3.4 km
  • 2 h 15 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Unirii Boulevard with fountains and the Palace of the Parliament at the end

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Palace of the ParliamentCeaușescu's former House of the People: 365,000 square metres, 1,100 rooms and an entire neighbourhood wiped off the map.
  2. 2 Unirii Boulevard and Unirii SquareThe boulevard with which Ceaușescu wanted to outdo the Champs-Élysées, laid out over the heart of old Bucharest.
  3. 3 Macca-Villacrosse PassageA horseshoe-shaped arcade under a glass roof, the most Parisian corner of «Little Paris».
  4. 4 Former Royal Palace (National Museum of Art)The palace of Romania's kings, where in 1944 a young king switched sides in the middle of the war.
  5. 5 Cișmigiu GardensAn unhealthy marsh turned into Bucharest's oldest romantic garden, with a lake, rowing boats and busts of writers.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Bucharest highlights: from Parliament to Cișmigiu lake

Colossal scale

In front of the Palace of the Parliament you will see how far Ceaușescu's ambition went.

Belle Époque

The Macca-Villacrosse Passage and the Royal Palace recall the elegant prewar city.

A green finish

You end with a stroll by the lake in Cișmigiu Gardens, the green lung of the centre.

Keep exploring

More routes in Bucharest

Back to Bucharest
HistoryFrom Vlad III to the Revolution: six centuries on Calea Victoriei Mysteries & legendsSecret Bucharest: wandering churches, spies and legends

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 2

Bucharest in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Bucharest in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary