5 unique walking tours to experience in Bucharest
Follow some of the exciting guided tours through the city and discover Bucharest’s many secrets. Stroll through bohemian areas, lush courtyards and hip neighborhoods.Experience everything from beautiful buildings inspired by the era of “La belle epoque” and instagram-friendly umbrella alleys to alternative street art, abandoned cinemas and mythical cemeteries.
translation from
Many probably associate Romania’s capital with being a party city. It is certainly true that many people travel to Bucharest just for a party and because they can do it for a very cheap money, (more about party and party in the next post).But I can reveal that Bucharest has so much more to offer its visitors waiting out there.
You will soon understand why Bucharest is usually called “little Paris” and that this is a city of many contrasts. The truth is also that Bucharest is one of Europe’s most underrated capitals, with a reputation that is not always in its favor. Experience Bucharest wants to change this by showing off its hometown and showing everything amazing it has to offer.
Who is Experience Bucharest?
Experience Bucharest is the largest project in Bucharest whose main goal is to lift Bucharest as a tourist destination through social media.The people behind the project are real fire lovers who really love their city. Over one weekend, me and 49 other travel bloggers from all over the world got the chance to experience Bucharest in the very best way. Nothing I heard and thought about the city before I got there really tuned in. So put the prejudice on the shelf and see the city with your own fresh eyes. You may be saved as well as I did.
Walking tours
Every day during “Experience Bucharest” you could choose between different walking tours. As a rule, I went to two a day which automatically led to me seeing and knowing an incredible amount that I had no idea before I got there. In addition, I got a good deal of fitness on the purchase.
These “walking tours” listed below were the ones that caught my interest the most, but there were many more to choose from in the selection.
- The Bohemian Market Tour
- The Alternative Tour
- Royal Centery Tour
- Dark Side Tour.
- Beer Tour
- (Last day I also found peace in the Intercontinental Bucharest Spa).
The Bohemian Markets Tour
The Bohemian markets tour organized by the Interesting Times took me to Bucharest’s most bohemian neighborhood with several culinary stops along the way. This walk shows a totally different side of Bucharest, with green gardens, lush courtyards as well as beautiful buildings and artistic houses. The neighborhood here is not like anything else I’ve seen before. Maybe that’s exactly why it was this walk that became my big favorite. Here you can read more about the Interesting Timesand their guided tours.
Highlights: The highlight of the walk was the visit to Dianei 4 where we got to sit in the leafy courtyard and taste local food and drink. Just the bohemian atmosphere I was looking for and expected to get during this tour.
Best Day ever- You know well that “Locals know”.
The Alternative Tour
For those who want to discover Bucharest beyond the tourist routes in a unique and different way, the alternative tour is the right choice.For me, the alternative areas have always attracted more than the usual tourist attractions. Therefore, this walk was an obvious choice.The alternative tour organized by Open Door Travel took me to hip neighborhoods full of graffiti and street art with both political messages and a cultural experiment. There were also visits to a couple of cool coffie shops and trendy clubs. Here you can read more about Open doors travel and about their guided tours in Bucharest.
Highlights: the visit outside the Grand na Cinema Capitol cinema.The cinema that opened in 1912 and was destroyed by the 1977 earthquake when it was abandoned.The building still stands today but is the type of house that will first collapse during an earthquake. For a while you could visit the abandoned garden inside the cinema but in today’s situation it is too risky. Another of the highlights was the visit inside the trendy club Contol Club, which is as good to visit in daylight as late in the evening.
There are many famous street art artists operating in Bucharest. All with their own style and unique message. Big and small. Which is your favorite?
Street art doesn’t always have to look the same. Doesn’t this little figure look a little familiar? Well, that’s Vlad III the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula.Something that is also strongly associated with Romania.c
The Royal Centery tour
Listen to fascinating stories from the history of the monarchy while discovering a hidden world of palace, romance, mysticism and impressive architecture inspired by the belle epoque era. During this walk organized by Walk about free tours, you will also be able to visit some of the city’s most Instagram-friendly places such as the Pasajul Victoria umbrella alley, the English passage that once transformed from luxury hotel to brothel and Macca Vilacrosse passage which is thought to the Middle East. Suitable for anyone who is a history geek but wants to take unique photographs.Read more about Walk about free tours here.
Highlights: The umbrella alley and the exciting story of the English passage.
The beer tour
The beer tour was the only guided tour that I myself could not put the gloves on. Since there were only a limited number of places, some in the group came before me. But this is a “walking tour” entirely in my taste. Experience “little Paris” while getting a taste of local craft beer in historic settings. What can go wrong? The beer tour is organized by Interesting times and you can read more about it here.
The Dark side tour
Get to know the dark side of Bucharest and listen to scary stories from the past. Everything from stories about Bucharest’s own “Jack the Ripper” to stories of prostitutes who stole men’s hearts.You will also spend a lot of time inside the Bellu Cemetery which is one of Europe’s most fascinating cemeteries. The many unique tombstones all have their own story.It is said that the older men who guard the cemetery can each one of them. Truth or myth? In any case, it’s very fascinating. One tomb is more lavish than the other and has something special that symbolizes the time on earth. A mountain climber’s grave symbolizes a mountain and a writer’s pile of books. The crypts of rich families are large as chapels and it is clear that this is a burial ground for the rich, famous and intellectuals. Many of the graves have beautiful ornaments and statues depicting angels and mourning women.
One of the most famous graves at Bellu Cemetery is Lulia Hasdeu’s tombstone (1869-1888). She is said to have been the first Romanian woman to study at Sorbonne and was a very intellectual and well-traveled young woman who tragically died of tuberculosis. She is said to have drawn her own crypt and in the monument on her grave are both her favorite books and other things that symbolize her life and travels as well as a clock that stopped at the exact time she died.Unexplained phenomena are said to have happened at the grave which no one could really explain. The Dark Side Tour is organized by Interesting times and you can read more about it here.
Highlights: The visit to Bellu Cemetery where you could actually stay for a few more hours. Really a fascinating and unique place.
Relax at the Spa
On the last day of my weekend in Bucharest you can say that I was so tired after all my long walks all the way through town. Then it was so nice to rest up at the Intercontinental spa a whole morning before the farewell dinner in the evening. Here were hot pools, jacuzzi, sauna and a large balcony with sun loungers with a fantastic view of Bucharest’s skyline. A perfect ending to a fantastic weekend that I will not forget late.
Highlight: The beautiful view and the beautiful sunbeds
Which of these options would you prefer to travel to Bucharest?
The Bucharest press trip was organized by Experience Bucharest
Leave a Reply