We travelled to Bucharest because we found cheap tickets, with no big plan besides the Therme that we wanted to visit. We booked a room at Upstairs Boutique (boutique hotel) that I found by accident while scouting on Booking, and to be honest it looked cute and was relatively cheap. We arrived at night and the taxi driver drove around the address we gave him, searching for hotel and he eventually pulled over when he found the number. I want you to feel the next paragraph so I'm going to be very dramatic:
It was dark. The façade was an old and rusty building, with a banner that read "Cinema Bucuresti", with no lights at all and the front door open. It looked deserted. There was little light on the street. We walked in the front door and there was a deserted hallway that led to another door. At the end of the hallway and on our left was an old and dark marble staircase. Nope, that wasn't it. We walked past the dark (but still beautiful garden), went up the metal staircase and up the spiral staircase inside the building..
Long story short, we found the lovely owner on the last floor. And the whole place was actually lovely, super clean, cosy and nice, we felt like home.
It was dark. The façade was an old and rusty building, with a banner that read "Cinema Bucuresti", with no lights at all and the front door open. It looked deserted. There was little light on the street. We walked in the front door and there was a deserted hallway that led to another door. At the end of the hallway and on our left was an old and dark marble staircase. Nope, that wasn't it. We walked past the dark (but still beautiful garden), went up the metal staircase and up the spiral staircase inside the building..
Long story short, we found the lovely owner on the last floor. And the whole place was actually lovely, super clean, cosy and nice, we felt like home.
Day 1:
We walked down Regina Elisabeta street (our hotel's street) and ended up in the park Cișmigiu. There was some snow left on the tree logs which was a good sign. I love snow. The park was endless with a frozen lake, trees, benches and a clock. After a while, Dâmbovița laid in front of us. This river comes from the Făgăraș mountains and expands in 286km. Then we headed back, passed by Cișmigiu to get to the National Museum of Art (ticket is €4)..
The museum was enormous. Split in two; the European building and the Romanian building. First, at the European, there were work from the most famous painters of Europe, from Victor Brauner and Max Hermann Maxy to Rembrandt and El Greco, you name it, everyone was there. It was exceptional art from start to finish, the walls, the wallpapers, the furniture, the magnificent staircase that kinda reminded me of the "Harry Potter" movies. Remarkable collection and a must visit.
We walked down Regina Elisabeta street (our hotel's street) and ended up in the park Cișmigiu. There was some snow left on the tree logs which was a good sign. I love snow. The park was endless with a frozen lake, trees, benches and a clock. After a while, Dâmbovița laid in front of us. This river comes from the Făgăraș mountains and expands in 286km. Then we headed back, passed by Cișmigiu to get to the National Museum of Art (ticket is €4)..
The museum was enormous. Split in two; the European building and the Romanian building. First, at the European, there were work from the most famous painters of Europe, from Victor Brauner and Max Hermann Maxy to Rembrandt and El Greco, you name it, everyone was there. It was exceptional art from start to finish, the walls, the wallpapers, the furniture, the magnificent staircase that kinda reminded me of the "Harry Potter" movies. Remarkable collection and a must visit.
Day 2:
That was the day we were expecting. We booked our tickets to the Therme and we took the Therme Bus that would lead us to a palm-tree filled paradise (it's located in the northern area of the capital). For The Palm, the adult tickets are €17 for three hours Friday to Sunday or €14 for the weekdays. It's a wellness centre with relaxation pools and thermal waters. The Palm was waiting for us and it was an extraordinary experience. I was a bit cautious because the reviews I have read talked about rude staff and long waiting hours but everything was perfect.
Must do: The inside pool is around 30 degrees Celsius but you can swim outside through a revolving door in the pool. There you will experience an incredible contrast with your body in the hot water and your head confronting the cold air if you visit on winter (we were there on February). Everything below the surface was warm and everything above the surface was cold. It's highly addictive and refreshing. You must experience this at least once in your lifetime.
That was the day we were expecting. We booked our tickets to the Therme and we took the Therme Bus that would lead us to a palm-tree filled paradise (it's located in the northern area of the capital). For The Palm, the adult tickets are €17 for three hours Friday to Sunday or €14 for the weekdays. It's a wellness centre with relaxation pools and thermal waters. The Palm was waiting for us and it was an extraordinary experience. I was a bit cautious because the reviews I have read talked about rude staff and long waiting hours but everything was perfect.
Must do: The inside pool is around 30 degrees Celsius but you can swim outside through a revolving door in the pool. There you will experience an incredible contrast with your body in the hot water and your head confronting the cold air if you visit on winter (we were there on February). Everything below the surface was warm and everything above the surface was cold. It's highly addictive and refreshing. You must experience this at least once in your lifetime.
For the night it was time to taste tradition. The cozy little La Mama served us with Papanași which are big fried doughnuts covered with marmalade and cottage cheese (see gallery above) and just the thought of it make me drool all over again.
All in all, Bucharest is a great choice, friendly people, low prices. If you go there you can use Star Taxi App if you want a taxi..
All in all, Bucharest is a great choice, friendly people, low prices. If you go there you can use Star Taxi App if you want a taxi..
