The Arch of Triumph
Initially built of wood in 1922 to honor the bravery of Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I, Bucharest's very own Arc de Triomphe was finished in Deva granite in 1936. Designed by the architect, Petre Antonescu, the Arc stands 85 feet high.
An interior staircase allows visitors to climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city. The sculptures decorating the structure were created by leading Romanian artists, including Ion Jalea, Constantin Medrea and Constantin Baraschi.
The Romanian Athenaeum
The work of French architect Albert Galleron, who also designed the National Bank of Romania, the Athenaeum was completed in 1888, financed almost entirely with money donated by the general public. One of the preeminent public fundraising campaigns ever in Romania, the "Give a penny for the Athenaeum" campaign saved the project after the original patrons ran out of funds. With its high dome and Doric columns, the Athenaeum resembles an ancient temple.
The lobby has a beautifully painted ceiling decorated in gold leaf, while curved balconies cascade in ringlets off a spiral staircase. Renowned worldwide for its outstanding acoustics, it is Bucharest's most prestigious concert hall and home of the Romanian George Enescu Philharmonic.
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The National Village Museum
The National Village Museum of Bucharest is unanimously deemed by foreign tourists a sight not to be missed out, being rated one of the best and most complete museums in the country. Enjoying a virtually central location in Bucharest, the museum stands out in sharp relief as an oasis of tranquility, a dreamlike set seemingly clipped from a time immemorial rural legend.
This outdoor museum fills a surface of some 10 hectares, a park populated with examples of Romanian rural architecture. The park aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the architectural styles used in building the traditional rural homes throughout Romania, in sundry regions of the country (Moldavia, Oltenia, Transylvania, Banat, and Dobrogea, for instance).
Victory Avenue
Calea Victoriei is Bucharest's oldest and arguably, most charming street. Built in 1692 to link the Old Princely Court to Mogosoaia Palace, it was initially paved with oak beams. The street became Calea Victoriei in 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence victory. Between the two world wars, Calea Victoriei developed into one of the most fashionable streets in the city.
Stroll along this street from Piata Victoriei to Piata Natiunilor Unite to discover some of the most stunning buildings in the city, including the Cantacuzino Palace, the historical Revolution Square, the Military Club, the CEC Headquarters and the National History Museum.
Herastrau Park
The uniqueness of the Herăstrău Park lies in the fact it is the largest park of Bucharest. Thus, it stretches on a surface of 110 hectares, of which 74 hectares are filled by the Herăstrău Lake. In fact, the lake was the core around which the park was later built, the shore of the lake being the favorite promenade for the high society of Bucharest since the early 19th century.
The lake is part of the network of lakes on the stream of the Colentina River. The park was inaugurated in 1936, after a 6-year period when drainage works were carried out in order to make way to the future leisure venue. Formerly known as the Carol II Park, the National Park or even the I.V. Stalin Park, the Herăstrău Park is, at present, one of the most complete leisure opportunities locals and visitors in particular can enjoy exploring while in Bucharest.
