Bucharest, Romania’s capital is vibrant and a top attraction for tourists in search of a unique and authentic experience. If you plan to visit this city, here are some of the best places you should check out:

1. The Palace of Parliament

The Palace of Parliament is thelargest parliamentary building in the world. In addition to this, it is the second largest building on earth after the Pentagon. The building is 84m tall, and extends to 370,000 square meters. It has over 1,000 rooms, most of which are decorated with expensive materials and rare metals. Whether you view it as a display of Romanian engineering skills, or as a testament to the delusion of grandeur of the former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, visiting the Palace of Parliament is one of the best things to do Bucharest.

2. The Old Town

Just like its name suggests, the Old Town is among the earliest settlements in Bucharest. Its structures date back to the early 15^th and 16^th centuries. In the ancient times, the Old Town was a center for trade, the seat of Romanian princes, a crossroad for travelers, and a worship place. The town was able to endure Ceausescu’s 1980 demolition of one-fifths of Bucharest to create a socialist capital. After being a slum for quite a while, the Old Town has been renovated and its historic buildings restored.

3. Dimitrie Gusti Village Museum

Located in Herastrau Park, Bucharest, Dimitrie Gusti Village Museum is an open-air museum that showcase the conventional Romanian village life. The Village Museum contains over 270 authentic peasant houses and farms from every part of Romania. The museum was created in 1936 by Henri H. Stahl, Victor Ion Popa, and Dimitrie Gusti, and is deemed by many foreign tourists as a sight that one cannot afford to miss out. Enjoying a central location in the city of Bucharest, the Village Museum stands out as an oasis of peace and tranquility.

Read also: Top tourist attractions in Bucharest

4. Victoriei Avenue

A walk in this 2.7km stretch from Victoriei Square to the United Nations Square, not only provides you with the best way to see the main cultural and historical attractions of Bucharest, but also offers you with a great starting point to explore the city. The main tourist attractions of the avenue include the Military Palace, the National Museum of History, the National Museum of Art, Cantacuzino Palace, the Museum of Art Collections, the Revolution Square, and the CEC Palace.

5. Herastrau Park

One of the best things to do Bucharest is to visit the Herastrau Park. While here, you can go on a boat ride, rent a bike, allow your kids to play in the beautiful playgrounds. There are various stalls that sell food around the park. In addition to this, if you happen to visit Herastrau Park during the weekend or summer, there are high chances that you will find an event, which you can join and have a lot of fun.

Read also: Ultimate City Guide to Bucharest

6. Cismigiu Park

Located in the heart of Bucharest, Cismigiu Park is the best place to relax you can find in the city. Here, you will find colorful playgrounds for your kids, beautiful green alleys, and a lake where you can ride a boat during summer or participate in ice skating in winter. If you plan to visit a park in Bucharest, it has to be Cismigiu Park.

7. Bellu Cemetery

If you love customs and traditions, then taking a visit to the Bellu Cemetery will be one of the most fascinating things to do Bucharest for you. Bellu Cemetery features a gallery of outstanding funeral tombs and sculptures built by Bucharest’s famous artists of the ancient times.

8. Curtea Veche

Located in the Old Town of Bucharest, Curtea Veche is a small archeological site, which was Vlad III Dracula’s residence back in the 15^th century. Hence, if you are interested in seeing the statue of Dracula, this is the place you should visit. The people of Bucharest will tell you that Vlad the Impaler had very little to do with the character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula Novel. However, the whole thing has been highly commercialized, forcing Romanians to accept it. If you have read the Dracula novel, you need to grab your Bucharest attraction tickets and head to Curtea Veche to find out the truth for yourself.

9. The National Museum of Art

Located in central Bucharest, the National Museum of Art features a collection of both modern and medieval Romanian art. It also houses an international art collection brought together by the Romanian Royal Family. In addition to this, the museum features paintings and sculptures by well-known artists such as Theodor Pallady, Theodor Aman, Dimitrie Paciurea, Gheorghe Tattarescu, and Gheorghe Petrascu.

10. The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant

Another one of Bucharest Museums is the Romanian Peasant Museum. It features a collection of costumes, ceramics, icons, textiles, and many other artifacts showing the Romanian peasant life. Due to its unique and fascinating pieces of art, the museum was designated “European Museum of the Year” in 1996. The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant is a must visit for art lovers out there planning to tour Romania.

11. National Museum of Contemporary Art

Making proper use of the wide area of the Parliament Palace, the National Museum of Contemporary Art features the best works of Romania’s best contemporary artists. The museum also displays works by top international artists, and normal topical exhibitions. The Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the few Bucharest museums able to show the true cultural side of the city. This place is best explored using Bucharest attraction tickets.

12. Cotroceni Palace

When compared to other attraction site in Bucharest, we find Cotroceni Palace to have the most consistent background historically. The current palace was built by Prince Carol I in 1888. Prince Carol wanted to have a royal palace and he commissioned Paul Gottereau to build one for him. The project was successful, leading to the creation of a structure that featured a Classical Venetian design. Apart from its great design, the Cotroceni Palace also houses the Cotroceni Museum, which can only be visited on request.

13. The Jewish History Museum

Housed in a colorful synagogue which dates back to the 19^th century, the Jewish History Museum showcases major Jewish contributions to the history of Romania. The museum features all kinds of documents, models, and arts done by the Jews during their stay in Romania. The main attraction in this museum has to be the memorial room, which is located at the back of the main hall. Through art and pictures, the room shows the depressing aspects of the deportation of Jews to Transnistria.

14. Romanian Kitsch Museum

As a tourist looking for fascinating things to do Bucharest, you will certainly be captivated by the Romanian Kitsch Museum. The museum is solely dedicated to exhibiting Romania’s most creative, garish, and ridiculous objects. The museum is divided into several categories, including one meant for Count Dracula. The other sections are dedicated to showcase Romanian art, interior design, history, and culture.

15. Zambaccian Museum

Being a part of the National Museum of Art, the Zambaccian Museum features exclusive collections collected privately by Krikor Zambaccian in the early and mid-20^th century. The museum features art by French and Romanian artists such as Luchian, Picasso, Pallady, Sisley, Brancusi, and Tonitza. If you are enthusiastic about art, visiting the Zambaccian Museum is one of the best things to do Bucharest.

16. Muzeul Theodor Aman

Being one of the oldest Bucharest museums, Muzeul Theodor Aman has a lot to offer to tourists. Located on the street façade, the museum features collectibles, furniture, and paintings designed by Theodor Aman himself. While here, you will love the fine architectural designs, beautiful tiled stoves, and the painter’s workshop.

17. The National Museum of Romanian History

For those of you out there that want more knowledge in regards Romanian history, paying the National Museum of Romania a visit is one of the best things to do Bucharest. Through different art and cultural artifacts, the museum is able to showcase national history from prehistoric times until now. The museum has a surface area of up to 8,000 square meters and features 60 exhibition rooms, with each of them showcasing different items. There is definitely a lot to admire at the Museum of Romanian History.

18. University Square

The University Square can be related to by most Bucharest locals as it was the place where most significant Romanian historical episodes took place. These were the Mineriad and the Golaniad, both of which took place after the fall of the communist regime in the 1990s. In addition to this, the University Square features four monumental sculptural works, which depict Michael the Brave, Ion Heliade Radulescu, Spiru Haret, and Gheorghe Lazar.

19. Dimitrie Leonida Technical Museum

The Technical Museum by Dimitrie Leonida showcases all kinds of exhibits related to engineering, mining, chemistry, nuclear energy, hydraulics, and telecommunications. If you are enthusiastic about science and technology, you cannot afford not to visit Dimitrie Leonida Technical Museum.

20. National Bank of Romania Museum

Visiting the National Bank of Romania Museum will offer you with a fascinating journey through spaces rich in monetary and banking history. When you enter into this treasury of knowledge, you will discover displays of gold coins, the history of Romania’s currency, and little-known information about those that ran the National Bank.