Bucharest – The Chaotic Capital of Romania
Paris on the Danube they called it, that is until the Communist authorities got their filthy hands on it. What had once been, was quickly erased in a flurry of totalitarian efficiency when Nicolae Ceausescu rose to prominence. The dictator quickly put his mind to redesigning a one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, rebuilding it to his fashion. His efforts would result in the Centrul Civic, a monstrous failure of unimaginable proportions, swallowing large swaths of elegant old Bucharest.
Fast forward to 2017, Bucharest is a rapidly changing mega city discovering what it wants to be. Can it look back to its illustrious past and move forward towards a brighter future? Only time will tell!
Table of Contents
- Geography
- History
- Principality of Wallachia and Ottoman Rule
- Phanariot Ottoman Rule
- Kingdom of Romania and the Modern State
- Arrival in Bucharest / Transportation
- What to do in Bucharest?
- Conclusion
Geography
Bucharest is located in historical Wallachia, a territory located north of the Danube River (the Bulgarian Border) and South of the Carpathians, where the region of Transylvania lies. The city was built on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, a stream that eventually flows into the Danube.
History
Principality of Wallachia and Ottoman Rule
Bucharest was founded in the late 13th century either by a Shepard called Bucur or a prince called Radu Voda. It emerged in conjunction with the Principality of Wallachia, itself arising during a peasant revolt against Hungarian rule.
Before the establishment of the city a large forest covered the site. Although unoccupied in antiquity, this part of the principality belonged to Dacia. During the fall of Rome barbarian migrations swept the land and this region fell to Bulgaria before being taken by the Tartar Mongols in 1241. The principality was made vassal to the Ottomans in 1417. No mention of the city is made until 1459 when reference is made of Vlad III’s court. Yes that Vlad! Impaler by name, Impaler by reputation! Under his leadership the settlement would become an important one in Wallachia, one of two capitals. Furthermore its citadel was known for its thick defensive walls.
During the following centuries, the city was caught in a power struggle between the Turks, Austrians. It was destroyed on multiple occasions by the Ottoman Empire, most prominently in 1594 when Romanian national hero Michael the Brave led Wallachia into rebellion.
During the 16th century Bucharest became the leading center of Wallachia and the city was rebuilt in the Brâncovenesc architectural style. This distinct style is a mix of traditional Wallachian and Italianate Renaissance styles.
Phanariot Ottoman Rule
In 1716, the Ottomans placed Wallachia under the rule of the Phanariots, powerful Constantinople Greeks. The Turks felt that they could no longer trust their vassal Wallachians to serve their interests and as such used the Greeks to push unpopular imperial policy. This rule was chaotic, hard pressed by their enemies, the Ottomans could not protect the city and it was sacked by the Austrians on multiple occasions. Greek rule ended in 1821, in a prelude that would lead to the Greek War of Independence.
Under Alexander Ypsilantis, the Greeks led an unsuccessful revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Alexander was a member of the Filiki Eteria, a Greek secret society hoping to destabilize the Empire. Unlike his brother Demetrios, a hero of the wars in Greece, Alexander lacked the charisma needed to lead men. He fell out with his Wallachian ally, Tudor Vladimirescu, and the Ottomans occupied Bucharest in order to put an end to Phanariot rule.
Kingdom of Romania and the Modern State
In 1862, Wallachia and Moldavia merged to create the Principality of Romania and in 1881 it became a Kingdom with Bucharest as the capital. Independence was good for the city, it industrialized and grand boulevards were built reminiscent of Paris. This process continued until the Great Depression put a damper on the success of the interbellum period. The Second World War would bring about a Fascist Regime and a pogrom of the city’s Jews, once a large part of the citizenry of Bucharest. As an ally of Germany the city was bombed by the Allied and when the Royal Family rebelled, imprisoned the Fascist and switched sides to the allies, it was bombed by Germany. After the war the communists exiled the royal family and set about transforming the capital. Tall concrete apartment blocks were constructed and during the reign of the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu large swaths of the old town were obliterated to construct a new presidential district, the Centrul Civic – containing a monstrosity – the largest parliament building in the world. What little remained was often sacrificed to the wrecking ball. Meanwhile the people were oppressed by crushing austerity to pay for the dictators excesses. He was killed in the 1989 Romanian Revolution. In post-communist Bucharest, rebuilding has begun but corruption remains.
Arrival in Bucharest / Transportation
I arrived in Budapest, late at night and surrounded by darkness. After my day hiking in Sinaia, I was ready to drop off my bags and grab a beer. I exited my train at the Gare du Nord and began to walk to my hostel. Unfortunately it was a busy weekend and I was not able to secure lodging at the hostel in the Old Town (the Old Town Hostel looks fabulous!). The residential area around the station is extremely seedy and I was accosted by a group of unsavory/sketchy looking men around a burning barrel. One of them came up to talk to me and from his menacing tone I knew it was time to move on! I walked away as quickly as I could, and found my accommodation.
As a word of caution, keep your valuables close at this rail crossing, it is a well known hub for pickpockets preying on unsuspecting tourists. Otherwise, this is the extent of your worries, public transportation is surprisingly clean and safe in Romania. The Bucharest metro is a well run system and is safe for tourists!
The Gare du Nord is the main train station of Bucharest and as such you will likely find yourself here at some point. I recommend taking the metro to and from the Old Town to the station as the route on foot was rather unpleasant.
Funnily enough my trouble did not end at the hostel door. The logging (run by Canadians like me none the less!) was dirty and the owners exhibited rather odd behavior. They became quite agitated when asked about what part of Canada they were from and seemed to dislike it, strange as they had a Canada flag draped outside their balcony. They also rented me a car with a broken speedometer among other things! It makes for a great story but I wont burden you with the details! All I have to say is stay at the Old Town Hostel instead.
What to do in Bucharest?
Ceausescu’s Bucharest (Centrul Civic & more)
When Ceausescu set his sights on Bucharest he had a grand vision to rebuild the city in a socialist manner and one of his first projects was to create a grand public space and transportation hub. You should start any tour of Bucharest at Unirii Square, just outside of the Old Town where, coincidentally, most walking tours start. A metro station is conveniently located in the square and as such it is easy to access. When you emerge from the underground you will be presented with the grandeur and folly of the communist authorities. The scale of the square and the surrounding buildings is off, as if you have entered a concrete desert in the center of the city. Everything is massive! At the center stands a large central fountain surrounded by large pools with water jets. At the time of my visit these pools were dry but after renovations they have been refilled and now offer a sound and light show. Running underneath the square there is a tangled mess of major roadways, the metro and the Dâmbovița river itself, its flow redirected. From all directions run wide boulevards lined by tall towers. A disorder of this magnitude could only look attractive from afar, from a drone or a plane. Another thing springs to mind, the communist authorities must have of loved wide spaces such as these, it would be easy to suppress protests and to fire into the crowd. Th narrow streets of the Old Town would at least offer protesters some measure of security.
Maybe I’m just biased but I find human scaled spaces more attractive.
The square is located near the Centrul Civic, a neighborhood constructed over most of the beautiful Old Town – a disaster that only a central planner could imagine. One of the major arterials, the one running west, is the Unirii Boulevard, leading to the Romanian Parliament. Along its length are a series of fountains and the daunting hulk of the Palace of Parliament, the monstrosity looming above the city. The odd thing is that this street had many wedding dress shops on the first floor and strip clubs on the second.
The area around the Parliament Building is a desolate wasteland. A large large grass area extends all around the building itself and a massive asphalt parking lots ruins much of the picture taking potential from the front of the site. This is the largest government building in the world with a total area of 365,000 square meters, a fact reflected in that the building is still mostly unoccupied! The socialist realist building took 13 years to build and was not completed until 1997, after the fall of communism. It was commissioned by Ceausescu and required the destruction of the historic Uranus-Izvor neighborhood. It is located on Dealul Spirii hill, where the Mihai Vodă Monastery -one of the largest of such structures in Romania – was once located (the monastery was moved 300m north but more on that later. The building cost millions to heat and maintain!
One of the trademarks of the anti-religious communist authorities was that they could destroy neighborhoods but could not touch religious structures out of fear of inciting the deeply religious Romanian population. They decided to move them hundred of meters on rails from their original destination but not yet content, they set their sights at hiding the religious buildings from the public. Apartment buildings were built around them, so that they could not easily be located. This did not apply solely to churches and monasteries. If you visit the old Jewish district to the east of Unirii square you will find many synagogues hidden in similar ways. Speaking of which you will find the Jewish Museum of Bucharest in this area!
Old Town (Lipscani)
Just north of Urinii Square is the Old Town of Bucharest, famous for its torrid nightlife, strip clubs and bachelor parties, but more on that later. The area is referred to as the Lipscani (Leipzig) district. It is unfortunately all that is left of told Bucharest. As such it is the prettiest district of the city. It was slated for demolition by the communist authorities but fortunately that plan never came to be. Today the neighbourhood is a pedestrian zone with a great variety of patios and restaurants.
The first building you will come across when walking from Urinii square is Manuc’s Inn. The building houses many businesses including a restaurant and a coffee house. I found the restaurant to be lacking but do make sure to come for drinks, there is usually live ethnic music being played and the interior courtyard has an electric atmosphere. The building was constructed in 1808 by a flamboyant Armenian entrepreneur as a caravanserai for travellers. The building, recently restored to its former glory, has played host to some of the most important events in Bucharest history; it hosted preliminary talks for the Treaty of Bucharest (1806–1812 Russo-Turkish war), served as a town hall in 1842, saw the first Romanian operetta and held the Sala Dacia talks for Romania to enter WW1, in the goal of creating Greater Romania. Like much of old Bucharest the property was confiscated by the state and restored to its original owners after the war. The inside of the inn reflects its caravanserai past, multi levelled balconies surrounding a courtyard with a terrace and performance space.
Across the river from Manuc’s is the Romanian Court of Appeals, it is housed in a beautiful 19th century palace.
Outside of the inn you will find Sfântul Anton square and church. The church, built in 1556, belonged to the Voievod (Prince of Wallachia) and is one of the oldest remaining in the turbulent country.
To the west of the square you will find the ruins of Curtea Veche – The old Princely Court of Vlad III, the Impaler (Impaler by name, impaler by reputation!). It dates from 1459 and at the front of the building is a bust of the man considered the national hero of Romania. This was the medieval heart of the city. Although Vlad is seen as a man of cruelty and violence his struggle for Wallachian independence resonates with a Romanian people subjected to the whims of great empires such as the Austrian, Soviets and Ottomans throughout the centuries.
Not far from the court you will find Strada Șelari (street). This is one of the premier nightlife streets, although it is also a great place to grab a beer one the many terraces.
Other churches you should look out for in the Old Town area include the Saint Demetrius, Sfântul Nicolae Șelari and finally the Stavropoleos Monastery Church. The latter is the most impressive church in the city and showcases the best example of Brâncovenesc style in the city. It was built in 1724 during the Greek rule of the city and is inspired by the byzantine art. It hosts the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. It hosts a massive library and beautiful murals. Architecturally, the building is clearly influenced by both the Orient and the Occident.
The most beautiful part of the Old Town is located near the National Bank and the Palatul Pinacotecii, just west of the Stavropoleos Monastery. The ornate buildings have been restored to their former glory and showcase bright copper roofs!
Again moving west you will find the National Museum of Romania. On its steps you will find one of the most controversial statues in Romania (if you want to troll a local just tell them you love this piece of art!), the Statue of Trajan and the She-wolf. The Capitoline Wolf plays into the founding of Rome but also represents the Dacian Draco, the battle symbol of the ancient people that once occupied Romania. The Dacians were conquered by Trajan. One would think that this statue would be a fitting tribute to the country’s past but the problem is that the statue is awkwardly sculpted and the wolf seems to be levitating. For some reason Trajan is naked and the world is wearing a scarf. The latter part made me laugh quite a bit!
On the other side of the street you will find the Palace of the Deposits and Consignments, an early 20th century bank building with a glass roof and ornate exterior. It is the most iconic secular building of old Bucharest.
The north end of the Old Town features university square with its crescent shaped buildings. Watch out for the Bucharest Municipality Museum, the interior is beautiful.
Other buildings you should check out include the Colțea Hospital and many other administrative or institutional buildings. I have included a slideshow to show off a little more of the old town, it really makes you think just how much better Bucharest would be if it had not been for communism.
Nightlife
The Old Town of Bucharest is the center of nightlife in Romania and as such you will find the highest concentration of bars in the Old Town as well as the best selection. Since this area attracts the most tourists I would be wary of scams and offers that seem to good too be true. Inform yourself about the bars and other establishments you may wish to frequent before going out to ensure they are trustworthy. Don’t accept any offers in the street that you are unsure of.
The strip clubs will have topless girls dancing in the windows and the bars will have promoters outside trying to convince you to come in. Choose wisely and circle around a few times to make your derision! The nightlife in Bucharest is pretty busy any day of the week so there is no bad day to go out. A good place to start is Strada Șelari.
For those more interested in a more relaxed environment, I recommend either Manuc’s Inn or the Caru’ cu bere (The Beer Wagon). The latter is located on Stavropoleos Street and is one of my favorites in the city. It is a historically important beer hall, first opened in 1879 by a Romanian family living in Austrian Transylvania. The Art Nouveau building is known for its ornate wooden interior with stained glass windows. After the revolution the building was given back its original owners! Even if you are just in Bucharest to party, I would stop off for a pint. Like Manuc’s this place is a must visit.
Just North of the Old Town
Just north of University’s Square you will find some of the most impressive building in Bucharest. Although not “technically speaking” part of the old town, as the streets are not pedestrianized, one can consider this area as such. Just some of these buildings found within a ten minute walk of the old town are the neoclassical University of Bucharest, Kretzulescu Church (1720), the Memorial of Rebirth (honouring the 1989 revolution), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (where Ceausescu gave his final speech) and the National Museum. The crown jewel of this area is the Romanian Athenaeum, an 1888 concert hall designed by famous Romanian architect George Enescu.
Outside the Old Town
Outside of the Old Town you will find an eclectic mix of modern apartments, a decaying Brâncovenesc housing stock, churches from various denominations and 20th century commercial buildings. A famous landmark is located in the north end of the city. It is the Arcul de Triumf – a memorial to Romanian WW1 dead that resembles the Parisian Arc de Triomphe. Just a few blocks from the arch you can find the award winning Romanian Peasant Museum along with a large public park (King Michael I Park) built around a river lake. Another interesting museum nearby is the House of Ceausescu, if you would like to know more about the cold war dictator this is your hangout!
For those with no time to visit the beautiful Romanian countryside I suggest a visit to the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum located in the park.
Conclusion
Bucharest is not my favourite city in Europe by any means but it is an interesting place to be. Although the city suffers from neglect, it does seem to be improving. Like it or not, this is the richest city in Romania and prospects for the county’s youth are better here than in most of the country. Chaotic super highways as well as massive boulevards cycle traffic in all directions, the Old Town is filled with pedestrians and the nightlife is pulsing, it seems that something is always happening. While it may be a bachelor party destination today, one hopes that it could one day rise again as the Paris of the Danube. I left the dirty and chaotic city for the comforts of the city of Constanta on the coast and was relieved to do so. After two months on the road I was excited to take it a little easier.
