Balkan Travel Pt 1: [ Romania] Bucharest Sightseeing

Balkan Travel
Everyone who has been to the Balkans says it is beautiful and recommends it as must-visit destination. It is unclear exactly how many countries are classified as Balkan states. Britannica says there are 10. Other sources say there are 12 and even 13. Anyway I visited 8 of them. After returning from an exhausting trip there, I hold a similar opinion. Balkan Peninsula which is home to the Balkan states is indeed a splendid land but splendor that comes with crazy hours of travelling and long waits at immigration check points. Passports have to be stamped at every national border and the long wait to cross them can bite into precious sightseeing time. Public toilets are tiny and are hard to come by albeit their usage is free. These are the price to pay to see its gorgeous attractions and panoramic spectacles.

About Bucharest
Bucharest was my first port of call. It is the capital and largest city of Romania. Nicknamed 'Little Paris' because of its elegant architecture, Bucharest has churned out a few other surprises. It is among the top 15 cities in the world with the fastest internet connection. Things are also very cheap here. It is a vibrant city, colorful and full of energy.

Visiting Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
By the time I checked out of Bucharest airport it was past 4pm. The sun sets at 6.40pm. The daylight is inevitably shorter as I was visiting during autumn. The first attraction I visited in Bucharest is Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum. It is an open air museum located in King Michael I Park that showcase a Romanian traditional village on the shores of Lake Herăstrău.  It features among other structures more than 60 original houses, farmsteads, windmills, watermills and churches that date back to the 18th and 19th century which have been relocated from all of Romania's historic regions. I read about this attraction prior to my visit and was looking forward to seeing all the authentic and cultural structures and architecture. Unfortunately we were only given half an hour. 😢. I detached myself from the long winded tour guide and took as many pictures as I could before the half hour was up even though I didn't make it to the lake shore. 
I am sharing some pictures here. 

Village Museum Photo Gallery

The entrance to the Village Museum: Entrance Fee for adult is 10 Lei (approx RM9.80)

 House from Jurilovca 

Beautiful painting on door of House from Jurilovca

A woman selling hand painted eggs.

A shrine

A cozy restaurant in the village.

A rustic wooden gate

Museum's Souvenir Shop  

Bucharest City Orientation

Bucharest boasts of a host of fantastic monuments and buildings. I saw some of these gorgeous landmarks from a moving bus and managed to snap some 'not so perfect' shots of them.

The pride of Bucharest, The Palace of the Parliament is the world’s second largest administrative building (after the Pentagon). It is also said to be the heaviest building in the world. Boasting more than 3,000 rooms over 330,000 square meters and constructed with marble and steel, it was originally called the People’s House.             

Arc de Triomphe or The Triumphal Arch, built in 1935 is modeled after the renown Arc de Triomphe of Paris.

The Romanian Athenaeum is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest. Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city’s main concert hall and home of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic and of the George Enescu annual international music festival.

The National Museum of Romanian History (Romanian: Muzeul Național de Istorie a României) is a museum which contains Romanian historical artifacts from prehistoric times up to modern times. It is another gorgeous architecture seen during my orientation tour.

I caught a glimpse of this unique tower and found out that it is called  Glory to the Infantry Statue located at Bucharest Kiseleff Park.

Another building that caught my attention was The Zlatari Church, located in the midst of the city.

This Classic Orthodox Church is not really a prominent landmark but there are many such churches as the main religion in Romania is Eastern Orthodox.

That's me posing in front of Central University Library.

House of the Free Press was the tallest building in the Romanian Capital for many years. It was the headquarters of the Communist Party newspaper before the Revolution in 1989.

Kretzulescu Church, an Eastern Orthodox Church is one of the most notable places of worship in Bucharest. It stands out due to the slenderness of its bell tower and its red bricks. 

People's Salvation Cathedral is also another orthodox church. It was undergoing some restoration work. 

These images mark the highlight of what I saw on my first day in Bucharest. After dinner, I retreated to a hotel near the Old Town of Bucharest.

Related Posts: Click To View
Balkan Travel Pt 1: [ Romania] Bucharest Sightseeing
Balkan Travel Pt 2: [Romania] Bucharest Walking Tour
Balkan Travel Pt 3: [Romania] Peles Castle , Dracula's Castle & Romanian Scenery
Balkan Travel Pt 4: Bulgaria Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 5: [Bulgaria] Sofia Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 6: [North Macedonia] Skopje A City Of Mutifarious Statues
Balkan Travel Pt 7: [North Macedonia] Memorable Moments In Skopje
Balkan Travel Pt 8: [North Macedonia] Ohrid Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Pt 9: [Albania] Glimpses Of Albania and Its Capital City Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 10: [Albania] Walking Tour Of Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 11: Montenegro Scenic Drive
Balkan Travel Pt 12: The Charms Of Koto Montenegro
Balkan Travel Pt 13: [Montenegro] The Old Town Of Kotor Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 14: [Croatia] The Charms Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Pt 15: [Croatia] The Old Town Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 16: [Croatia] The Elaphiti Islands Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 17: [Croatia] Plitvice National Park Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 18: [Croatia] Rastoke Villagel

Balkan Travel Part 19: Mostar and Beautiful Scenery of The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Balkan Travel Part 20: Highlights Of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Balkan Travel Part 21: Bihac, Bosnia And Herzegovina
Balkan Travel Part 22: Bled Castle And Lake Bled, Slovenia
Balkan Travel Part 23: Lake Bled And Bled Island, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 24: Postojna Cave Park, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 25: Getting To Know Ljubljana, Slovenia

Balkan Travel Part 26: [Croaria] Zagreb Walking Tour