Four Bucharest stops the six main sights skip
The oldest park in the city, a museum in a former princely palace, a contemporary-art wing inside the Palace of the Parliament and the quarter where the king lived — four places that don't make the six main sights.
- Cișmigiu Gardens
- The oldest park in the city
Guides tend to stop at the same six landmarks; Bucharest keeps four more worth a detour once those are done. Cișmigiu Gardens is the oldest park in the city, the Old Princely Court Museum keeps the remains of a princely palace beneath the street of the same name, MNAC is contemporary art in a wing of the Palace of the Parliament, and Cotroceni is the quarter where the royal family lived until 1947.
Cișmigiu Gardens — the oldest park in the city
In the 17th century the site was a pond called Balta lui Dura, then a vineyard around a spring that, by tradition, gave relief during the 1795 plague; the Austrian architect Karl Meyer drained the marsh and laid out an English-style garden, opened on 23 September 1847. The name comes from the Turkish word for a public fountain — a cișmigiu was the person who kept them running. Free to enter, a boat free (boat €2.85/h), a walk around the lake takes 1-2 h.
Old Princely Court Museum — a princely palace beneath the street
The first residence on this site was put up in the 14th century for prince Basarab I; Vlad III, better known as Dracula, rebuilt and extended it in 1459, the same year the city was first documented in writing. A fire in 1718 and an earthquake later destroyed it, and archaeological digs only began in 1953. Today it is a museum over the remains of the foundations. Entry €1.90, Tue-Sun 10-18, closed Monday, a visit 30-45 min.
MNAC — contemporary art in the Palace of the Parliament
The museum was founded in 2001 and moved into a new glass wing of the Palace of the Parliament in October 2004 — a modern addition to what is otherwise the most massive building in the city. Entry €6.10, Wed-Sun 11-18:30, closed Monday, Tuesday, a visit 1-1 h 30.
Cotroceni — the quarter around the former royal palace
The first building on this site was a monastery, put up in 1679–1682 by the Wallachian prince Șerban Cantacuzino; the first complete Bible in Romanian was printed there, in 1688. In the late 19th century, on the order of King Carol I, the French architect Paul Gottereau designed the royal palace, and doctors, artists and officers settled the quarter around it. The royal family lived here until 1947. Walking through the quarter is free and takes about 2 h.
An order that makes sense
Cișmigiu Gardens, along with the Athenaeum, fits into day one in the centre. The Old Princely Court Museum is in Lipscani, on the same route. MNAC shares its building with the Palace of the Parliament, so it goes alongside it on day two. Cotroceni is further west and wants a trip of its own, on foot or by metro.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is Cișmigiu Gardens free to enter?
Yes; only renting a boat is paid, free (boat €2.85/h).
What is MNAC and where is it?
The National Museum of Contemporary Art, in a dedicated glass wing of the Palace of the Parliament; it opened in 2004.
Is there an entry fee for the Cotroceni quarter?
No, it's a residential quarter with no ticket — it's toured on foot through the streets.
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