10 sights to see in Bucharest

When it comes to sightseeing in Bucharest, you really need to make a very good plan to visit. That’s because the city is full of historical, cultural, artistic or natural attractions that will make you want to discover it better.

Bucharest, the capital of the United Principalities since 1859,“Little Paris“, bears the imprint of the human and urban transformations of the last centuries.

As a tourist in Bucharest, you’ll be fascinated to stroll through the old city center, take a tour on Calea Victoriei, visit the History Museum or admire the Cșmigiul.

See below which are the most beautiful sights in Bucharest to put on your list!

• Tourist Attractions Bucharest
• Places to visit in Bucharest
• Accommodation București
• Restaurants Bucharest where to eat well

Top 10 sights to see in Bucharest in 2025

The city of Bucharest, being still quite contrasting, can either please you very much or leave you with a bitter taste.

Passed through different historical phases, from rulers, boyars, Phanariots, monarchy or even communism, the city has kept the irreversible imprint of all of them.

That’s why the streets of the capital are filled with the scent of the past mixed with modernism. It’s the atmosphere of a city at the crossroads of East and West, East and West.

So, come with us on this tour of the most interesting places to visit in Bucharest!

1. Calea Victoriei – No.1 in top tourist attractions in Bucharest

The top of the most beautiful sights in Bucharest can only start with the most beautiful street of the city, Calea Victoriei.

Calea Victoriei, the artery running through the old center, is a tourist attraction in itself.

The oldest street in Bucharest, built more than 300 years ago, is waiting for you to discover its buildings that tell centuries-old stories.

A stroll down Calea Victoriei takes you back in time to the Belle Epoque, when the city bustled with life, shops and fancy cafés.

Here are just some of the sights you’ll discover on Calea Victoriei:

Tourist Attractions Bucharest – Calea Victoriei

• National Museum of Romanian History – The museum is housed in a building inaugurated in 1900. This was the Central Post Office until 1970. Since 1972, it has been the Museum of History. Here you can see Romania’s treasure, a life-size copy of Trajan’s Column and other valuable objects.
• The CEC Palace – House of Deposits, Consignments and Savings is located right next to the National Museum of History. It was built around the same time. The entrance is richly ornate, with an impressive dome. It now belongs to CEC Bank and cannot be visited inside.
• Casa Capșa – Opposite the National Military Circle is the famous cafeteria and confectionery – Casa Capșa. It was built as far back as 1848 and still treats visitors to the finest desserts.
• Palace of Telephones – The building built in the style of American sky-scrapers is sure to catch your eye. With a height of 52 meters, the Palace of Telephones is the first metal-skeleton building in Romania.
• Crețulescu Church – Among all these buildings of the last century, the Crețulescu Church, built between 1720 – 1722. It was built by the great logofăt Iordache Crețulescu, Constantin Brâncoveanu’s son-in-law.
• The Royal Palace – The Royal Palace houses the Romanian Art Museum. Casa Golescu, where Alexandru Ioan Cuza himself lived, became Carol I’s royal residence in 1866. The new palace was completed in 1937.
• Romanian Athenaeum – The Romanian Athenaeum was built by public subscription between 1886 – 1888. The concert hall has about 800 seats and is one of the most elegant in Europe.
• Cantacuzino Palace – This palace is one of the 3 built by Gh. Grigore Cantacuzino. Istoria palatului s-a legat și de compozitorul George Enescu, acesta căsătorindu-se cu văduva fiului Nababului, Maruca. It is currently the Music Museum, closed for restoration.
• Casa Filipescu Cesianu – The house is a beautiful aristocratic residence built at the end of the 19th century. It currently hosts the Museum of Ages exhibition.

These are just 10 of the 24 sights you can see on Calea Victoriei.

Guided tour Bucharest – Discover Calea Victoriei

We have prepared for you a guided tour in Bucharest that you can do with your phone.

It includes 24 sights on Calea Victoriei, which you can discover as if the guide were next to you.

All you have to do is press play and let yourself be inspired by the stories of Bucharest’s past.

Access is unlimited. You can always access the tour in your account.

2. Parliament Palace Bucharest

The Palace of Parliament, or People’s House, is astonishing in its megalomaniacal proportions. You don’t even know what to feel when you look at this behemoth of a regime so much maligned.

However, the People’s House remains one of the most visited tourist attractions in Bucharest.

Actual construction began in 1980, and by the Revolution the building was largely completed.

Did you know that the size of the People’s House has put it in the Guinness Book of Records in several categories?

It’s the heaviest building in the world, with 1 million cubic meters of marble.

It is the world’s second largest “Administration Building” after the Pentagon.

In terms of volume it ranks 3rd in the world.

More more, the building has 9 levels above ground and 9 underground, with over 1000 rooms.

The sightseeing tour includes about 10 administrative halls, which you will pass through with your guide. We really recommend such a guided tour. You’ll be impressed by the apparent pomp and pageantry of the totalitarian rulers. But be careful, the tour must be booked in advance on the institution’s website. Otherwise, you probably won’t get a seat.

3. Cotroceni National Museum

Cotroceni Palace must be on your Bucharest sightseeing bucket list.

It’s a place with a 300-year history.

On this site, between 1679 – 1681, the ruler Șerban Cantacuzino founded a monastery and a royal palace. During the reign of Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei (1849 – 1853, 1854 – 1856), the palace was modernized and became a summer residence.

The new palace was built between 1893 and 1895 by the Romanian state for Crown Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and in 1918 the Treaty of Bucharest was signed with the Central Powers.

The palace’s decor was strongly influenced by Queen Marie, who helped modernize it.

After the 1977 earthquake, a new wing was built, which now houses the Romanian Presidential Administration. In 2001 the Cotroceni National Museum was established in the old part of the palace.

For tour information, see the official website.

4. Village Museum Bucharest

On the shores of Lake Herăstrău, in the heart of Bucharest, is the museum that takes you through the cultural history of our country.

In the National Village Museum “Dimitrie Gusti” you will admire buildings specific to the various ethnological areas of the country, some of them over 300 years old.

The village museum includes households, churches and shrines, pastoral buildings, community buildings and folk-technical installations.

It’s wonderful to wander through old farmhouses, traces of bygone civilizations, but beautiful in their simplicity. Here you can find out more about what it was like to live in a sheepfold in the Sebeș Marginimea or a 19th-century inn.

What’s more, here you can also see how the windmill, the clothes pike and the whirling, the wine or wax press worked.

Find out more on the museum’s website.

5. Botanical Garden Bucharest

The Botanical Garden “Dimitrie Brândză” of the University of Bucharest is located in the immediate vicinity of the Cotroceni Palace. It covers an area of 18.2 hectares and has over 10,000 plant species.

Whatever the season, a walk through the Botanical Garden in Bucharest is a delight. Here you can admire rare plants, Mediterranean plants, rosarium or the island and flora of Dobrogea. At the center of the garden is a 9,000 m² lake and an island, where water-loving plants are cultivated.

Visiting program:

March 16 – October 15 – Ticket price = 10 lei

8.00 – 20.00

October 16 – March 15 – Ticket price = 5 lei

9.00 – 15.30

6. Fountains in Unirii Square – among the most visited sights in Bucharest

The urban fountains in Union Square are a true spectacle of lights and music. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from May to October, there are water symphony performances.

The music, water and light show usually starts around 21:30. The fountains in Union Square were completely refurbished in 2018, becoming the first in Europe with state-of-the-art equipment. The show lasts about 45 minutes and admission is free.

7. Ceausescu House or Spring Palace

The Spring Palace was built as a protocol residence between 1964-1965 by Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej. It was extended by Nicolae Ceaușescu between 1970-1972 and became the residence of the presidential couple.

The palace exuded the opulence that the Ceausescu family wanted to show. That’s why foreign leaders like Charles de Gaulle (1968), Richard Nixon (1969) and Fidel Castro (1972) were invited here.

Currently, the palace houses a museum which can be visited from Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 17:00.

8. Old Center of Bucharest – Top tourist attractions Bucharest

The old center of Bucharest is that effervescent space that carries the stories of the city of yesteryear. It’s the place where the streets are bustling with life, the bars tempt you to a terrace and the souvenir shops lure you in with unbeatable offers.

Lipscani Street, Macca – Villacrose Passage, Marmorosch Hotel, Caru cu Bere or BNR Building are just some of the beautiful sights to see in the old center of Bucharest. Set aside at least 2 hours to explore the Belle Epoque streets!

9. Old Princely Court and Princely Court Church

Curtea Veche is the first royal court in Bucharest. It consisted of the Voievodal Palace, the Church of the Annunciation (Curtea Veche), Houses, Chancellors, stables and gardens. The Royal Court was built on the site where Mircea the Elder had built a fortress between 1386 – 1418.

It became non-functional after the fire of 1718. Later, the New Court was built. The ruins of the Voievodal Palace became a protected archaeological site and a museum, the Old Courtyard Museum, was set up.

10. Manuc’s Inn – More than a tourist attraction in Bucharest

Manuc’s inn is the link with the city of yesteryear. It bears witness to the Bucharest of two centuries ago, when inns dotted every slum. Manuc Bei, an intermediary between the Russian and Turkish armies, holds the 1812 peace negotiations in his inn.

Over the decades, the inn has served as a hotel, theater, restaurant and masked ballroom. Nowadays, you can enjoy a tasty meal here at the Manuc’s Inn restaurant, just like in the old days.

Places to visit in Bucharest

Put some of the city’s great parks on your Bucharest sightseeing list. After touring the old city center or visiting a museum, choose to relax in one of the capital’s parks.

Cișmigiu Park

Cișmigiu Park is the oldest public garden in Bucharest. It is very close to the old center. Its style is reminiscent of English parks. Inside is a lake, where ice competitions have been organized since 1883.

Here you can take a leisurely stroll, admire busts of great Romanian writers and other monuments.

IOR Park (Alexandru Ioan Cuza)

IOR Park is the second largest park in Bucharest. It is located in the Titan neighborhood and was developed between 1963-1964. IOR Park was built around the only natural lake in Bucharest, Lake Titan.

On the lake there are also several small islands that can be visited: Pensioners’ Island, Ducks’ Island, Fishermen’s Island, Art Island and Dog Island. In summer, visitors can take a boat trip on the lake.

Herăstrău Park (King Mihai I Park)

Herăstrău Park is the largest park in Bucharest, covering an area of about 110 hectares. This park is also built around a lake, the Herăstrău Lake. The walkway around the lake is over 5 km long.

Herăstrău Park bustles with life whatever the season. There’s a summer theater, exhibition pavilions, nautical and sports clubs, restaurants and many other leisure activities.

Accommodation Bucharest – Recommended accommodation

To see all those Bucharest sights you want to see, you’ll most likely need to spend a few days here. Your accommodation has a big influence on the whole atmosphere of your vacation, so you need to choose it wisely.

See below our Bucharest accommodation recommendations, where you will surely have a good time and want to come back!

New Era Hotel Old Town

New Era Hotel Old Town is a 4* hotel right in the heart of the old center of Bucharest. The location is ideal and, although it is in the heart of the city, the rooms are very well-furnished. A big plus is the free parking offered in the Unirea Shopping Center.

Rembrandt Hotel

Rembrandt Hotel is also located in the old center of Bucharest, very close to Lipscani street. It is an intimate and elegant hotel, with very good prices for the old center, and breakfast included. The view from the balcony to the architectural gems of the old center is wonderful!

Restaurants Bucharest where to eat well

We have now reached the chapter Bucharest restaurants, an important section of our article. Any vacation is spiced up with good food, so you need to carefully choose the restaurant where you will eat.

See below our recommendations of good restaurants in Bucharest, where we’ve eaten and liked.

Namaste Indian restaurant

Namaste Indian Restaurant in Bucharest is the place where you taste Indian through all your senses. Here we have savored the best Indian dishes ever. From Kaju Curry to Butter Chicken or Shrimp Masala, everything is rainbow on the palate. Plus the location is close to the old city center.

See Namaste restaurant menu!

QEZ Restaurant

Restaurant QEZ is located in the old center, but far away from the hustle and bustle of Lipscani. We appreciate intimate restaurants with good taste and personality. And QEZ Restaurant is one of them.

You’ll find it at the exit of the Macca-Villacrosse passage, on Eugeniu Carada street.

The dishes are carefully cooked with attention to detail. We will definitely come back again.

See the location!

Which sights in Bucharest did you visit?

Share your experience in the comments!