What can I say about Bucharest?
Don't believe the hype.
Don't fall for the 'Little Paris of SE Europe' marketing.
Don't believe the hype.
Don't fall for the 'Little Paris of SE Europe' marketing.
Don;t fall for the 'New Berlin' marketing either.
Don't go.
It's not often I would warn off people from visiting a place, but Bucharest needs a damn good mayor, someone working for the council who understands zoning and about 15 years before it is ready to live up to the hype of the sunday supplements who are regularly touting this as the current 'Must Visit' city break.
How can I describe Bucharest for you so you get the picture? Stand with me on a street corner... Any or all of them are the same. Take a look. What will you see?
Firstly you will spot one 19th Century building of great beauty nearing or fully restored. So far so good.
On the opposite corner a graffitti smothered broken wreck of a C19th building, with no windows and probably at least one missing wall.
Behind both of them or perhpas behind you will be a string of communist era couincil housing style tower blocks, all covered in peeling paint and made of rotting concrete. The splashes from all the air conditioning units will leave you paranoid all day that you have just contracted Legionnaires Disease.
Along the street you will see a communist era governemnt monolithic building... probably converted or in the middle of conversion to a modern era chain hotel such as a Radisson or Hilton. In front of all of this will be a car park. Somewhere in sight will be a sex shop. Nowhere in view will be a cafe or tree.
I spent the day (in 39 degree heat) wandering around trying to find the leafy square with the cafes... There isn't one. There is a nice park with a lake and lot's of monuments to Romanian authors where newlyweds pose for Wedding Day photos. But you can see that anywhere in Eastern Europe and there are a lot nicer places to go for it then Bucharest... Even Prague.
Don't go.
It's not often I would warn off people from visiting a place, but Bucharest needs a damn good mayor, someone working for the council who understands zoning and about 15 years before it is ready to live up to the hype of the sunday supplements who are regularly touting this as the current 'Must Visit' city break.
How can I describe Bucharest for you so you get the picture? Stand with me on a street corner... Any or all of them are the same. Take a look. What will you see?
Firstly you will spot one 19th Century building of great beauty nearing or fully restored. So far so good.
On the opposite corner a graffitti smothered broken wreck of a C19th building, with no windows and probably at least one missing wall.
Behind both of them or perhpas behind you will be a string of communist era couincil housing style tower blocks, all covered in peeling paint and made of rotting concrete. The splashes from all the air conditioning units will leave you paranoid all day that you have just contracted Legionnaires Disease.
Along the street you will see a communist era governemnt monolithic building... probably converted or in the middle of conversion to a modern era chain hotel such as a Radisson or Hilton. In front of all of this will be a car park. Somewhere in sight will be a sex shop. Nowhere in view will be a cafe or tree.
I spent the day (in 39 degree heat) wandering around trying to find the leafy square with the cafes... There isn't one. There is a nice park with a lake and lot's of monuments to Romanian authors where newlyweds pose for Wedding Day photos. But you can see that anywhere in Eastern Europe and there are a lot nicer places to go for it then Bucharest... Even Prague.
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