Cheap flights to Bucharest from $847

Why visit

You would never know that Bucharest, Romania’s thriving capital city, was the site of a devastating revolution: It was here that protesters tore the streets apart while ousting the Communist regime from the city merely two decades ago. Today, Bucharest is a vibrant city that remembers its past while embracing the new.

The festivals that take place in the city each year showcase the plethora of artistic and musical talent cultivating in Bucharest, while the universities inject a youthful energy into the nightlife scene. All of this refreshing activity takes place alongside the solemn structures built throughout the reign of Nicolae Ceau?escu, the Communist president of Romania whose urbanization plans displaced thousands of people and forced them to move into these cold concrete buildings still standing today. Ceau?escu’s control of Romania ended with the 1989 Revolution, when he was publicly executed in the series of weeklong riots and violent protests that ultimately overthrew Communism in Romania.

One of the first things travellers notice when they visit Bucharest for the first time is the city’s intense artist community: the locals’ innovative music and performance art gained momentum in the wake of the political turmoil the city was one burdened by.

Bucharest is famous for its house music, with clubs scattered throughout the neighbourhoods of the city blasting bass into the early hours of the morning. Most of Bucharest’s annual festivals revolve around music and celebrate music in all of its forms, from street percussion to classical voice. Regardless of when you book your Bucharest flight, you’re sure to be surprised by the artistic, creative adventures that await you in this city that spans the centuries.

What is good to know if travelling to Bucharest?

• Bucharest is home to the Palace of Parliament, which, after Washington DC’s Pentagon, is the second largest building in the world. Ceau?escu oversaw the initial stages of the Parliament’s construction but was executed before its completion, and today the massive structure is home to the Romanian Senate. A visit to the Palace is a must: this man-made behemoth was constructed entirely of Romanian materials and is testament to the skill of the country’s best artisans. 
• Calea Victorie is one of Bucharest’s oldest surviving streets – its first planks of oak were laid in 1692 under orders of then-in-power Romanian Prince Brâncoveanu. A walk down Calea Victorie is an excellent way to explore the city as the street connects the two main plazas: Pia?a Victoriei and Pia?a Revolu?iei. 
• Head to Herastrau Park- the sprawling green oasis covers roughly 1 square km of the centre of Bucharest and is a popular spot to meet and socialise. With cafes lining the park, meandering walkways, and boats for hire on the pond, this park makes for an ideal retreat if the hustle and bustle of city life grows tiresome for an afternoon. Herastrau Park is also home to the Village Museum, which is a great way to introduce the kids to Romanian culture: The Village Museum meticulously maintains 272 buildings and peasant farms that are modeled after villages from all over Romania. 
• Revolution Square is an important point of reference and place of historical significance: it was here that Ceau?escu’s last moments in power ticked by in 1989. Revolution Square is a good first stop as several attractions are located within a stone’s throw from here. The square is also home to Bucharest’s neoclassical Royal Palace, the National Art Museum and the Romanian Athenaeum.