1. The Romanian Atheneum - instantly recognisable, this old and elegant concert hall is not only one of the most beautiful cultural landmarks of Bucharest, but also a symbol of the timeless identity of the Romanian capital. Finished in 1888 in a neo-classical style it is still the place to be for various fascinating concerts and events, and it is interesting to know today that at that time a large parte of the funds came from a public subscription. Inside and outside you will discover at each and every visit something new, from the Doric columns to the mosaics or the paintings, and no matter how many times you return the Atheneum will still charm you from the very start. 2. The Village Museum - of course there are several other museum in Bucharest, but for those who come here for the very first time this rather unusual and surely a sight to remember. Another rather old landmark of Bucharest, it was actually established in the 1930s and nowadays you can see here over 300 wooden houses, churches, windmills brought here over time from all over the country, the oldest dating from the 17th century. A history of traditional rural life, organized and thought of from the beginning as a huge real village, it is often the host of fairs and festivals.
3. The Cismigiu Gardens - not Bucharest's largest park, this oasis of nature and calm in the very center of the city is both one of the oldest of it's kind (with an interesting history where fact meets and often is replaced by myth) a meeting place, a beautiful garden and the place to relax and enjoy. It's origins date from about 1830 when it was first laid out by Carl Meyer, a German landscape architect for the Romanian prince Gheorghe Bibescu, and would take about three decades to gain the form it has today. Strange for a noisy and crowded city to have such a special place, and you should enjoy it.
4. The National Theater - one of the newest cultural landmarks and tourist attraction, the building was actually errected in 1973 after the previous National Theater was destroyed in the bombings of WW2, and a new and modern one was a dire necessity for Bucharest. It was renovated and once again changed in the middle of the 1980s, and is today named after one of the greatest Romanian writers of all times, I.L. Caragiale, famous especially for his plays.
5. The Old Court Church - or Biserica Curtea Veche, if you are interested to know the Romanian name, one of the oldest in the country still in existence, as it dates from the 16th century. Restored in the 19th and the 20th century, the first time after a devastating fire, and keeps it's charm and traditional beauty, as well as it's historical significance, as this was the place where the princes of Wallachia were crowned for about three centuries.
Photo: wikipedia.org
