Private Walking Tour of historical Bucharest

Sightseeing  :  Romania  :  Bucharest  :  Bucharest  :  City Tours

The three hours private walking tour of Bucharest will introduce you into the major historical events of the Romanian capital's past. You'll find out why the city's birth certificate was signed by Vlad the Impaler (who inspired the fictional character of Dracula), admire the ecclectic old buildings erected during the flourishing reign of King Carol the First, and learn about the dreadful communist regime, whose marks can still be seen scattered around the city centre. The three hours walking tour includes the most famous attractions in Bucharest, as Victoriei Avenue, the former Royal Palace, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Revolution Square, where the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu spoke in public for the last time, and the Old Town.

Main attractions:

• Victoriei Avenue, the oldest street in Bucharest, is the place where you can see today the most important museums in the city.
• Built late 19th century by our first king, Carol, and expanded by his grandson King Carol II in the 1930's, the former Royal Palace houses nowdays the National Art Museum. The building survived a huge fire, the air strikes during the WWII and the revolution against the communist regime in 1989.
• The Romanian Athenaeum was designed by a French architect, and displays the features of several different architectural styles. It's the most famous concert hall in Romania, and hosts the George Enescu International Music Festival.
• The Revolution Square has a strong connection with the last moments of the communist regime. In December 1989, Nicolae Ceausescu gave his last public speech right there, and then tried to escape by helicopter from the top of a building facing the square.
• Further on Victoriei Avenue, one can admire the spectacular ecclectic buildings of the National History Museum and CEC Palace, the first Romanian Savings Bank.
• The Old Town is a small historical quarter, where one can see some of the oldest buildings in Bucharest. The main attraction is the Old Princely Court, built during Vlad the Impaler's rule late 15th century. The Wallachian ruler inspired the Irish novel writer Bram Stoker in creating the fictional character of Dracula. His statue guards the old medieval ruins of the court, reminding the present generations that Bucharest's birth certificate has his seal on it. Manuc's Inn - the oldest inn still standing - and Stavropoleos Church, a masterpiece of the Romanian traditional architectural style, are also a must see while discovering the Old Town.
• Close by the Old Town, there is the oldest hospital in Bucharest, commisioned by a famous Romanian landlord who also erected Sinaia Monastery, the church around which the famous mountain resort hosting Peles Castle was built.