Have you ever wondered how the foreign ambassadors see the capital of Romania? Where do they like to take their friends who visit them? Or what places in Bucharest fascinate them? The Order of the Day challenged the foreign ambassadors in Bucharest to look at the city with the eyes of the tourist who arrived here, a tourist eager to visit as many places as possible.
And so I discovered the image of a Bucharest of diversity, a city where there are infinitely many places waiting to be found. But also a city that should rely more on its strengths to rank higher in the top tourist destinations.
S.E. Mr. Andrei Grinkevich, the ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Romania, characterizes Bucharest as a pearl of the Eastern Europe, which attracts tourists due to the large number of very well preserved authentic architectural objectives.
“In my opinion, Bucharest, which is a city with an extraordinary architecture, with spacious boulevards and a huge number of parks, invariably attracts a huge number of tourists. Every lover of novels about Count Dracula will certainly visit this city, a significant part of the tourist circuits is related to the theme and the stories related to this character. Also, the Romanian capital is one of the best cities in Romania for a family vacation. Tourists who come with children to the city have a wide range of entertainment possibilities. And the best way to get acquainted with the national traditions and customs of Bucharest is to attend the national holidays. For example, each spring season begins with a wonderful holiday, on March 1st, which is celebrated in Bucharest by the International Festival “Martișor” “- E.S. Mr. Andrei Grinkevich, ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Romania.
Victory Avenue, magnet street for tourists
The diplomat confessed to us that it was difficult enough for him, from a multitude of beautiful places in the Romanian capital, to stop at only three landmarks. So he nominated, first of all, the Old City – the heart of the Romanian Capital. “It’s one of the great places where you can take relaxing walks. The streets of the historical center are well maintained, and the buildings form a unique architectural ensemble, in Parisian style. Also, it should be noted that, in every city with a long history, there is a street like a magnet, which attracts tourists. In Bucharest, this street is Victory Avenue. Along this artery are some of the most interesting objectives of the Romanian Capital: the Cantacuzino Palace, the National Art Museum of Romania and the Revolution Square”, says the ambassador.
When he wants to break away from the daily commotion, Andrei Grinkevich prefers to go to one of the many parks in the city. “Not only because of its museums Bucharest is beautiful. And its extensive parks give it a special elegance. One of the best parks, in my opinion, is the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Park, which is divided into small islands, so every guest can find entertainment here according to their taste. You can choose to either take relaxing walks along the promenade, or a tennis match or a kayak ride”, says the ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Romania.
In front of many European cities
Due to the large number of cultural monuments, the capital of Romania exceeds as tourist importance many European cities. In this context, when you want to introduce Bucharest to foreigners, it is not too difficult to create a tourist circuit. “And the first invariable visit point is the Parliament Palace, where various trips take place, during which you can walk on massive stairs and huge marble halls. The second attraction is the National Museum of the Village “Dimitrie Gusti”, located in a very picturesque place, on the green side of Bucharest, on the shore of Lake Herastrau. The Village Museum is a place where you forget that you are in the heart of a modern European metropolis. And for a perfect end of the day, I recommend my guests to take a walk in the old town and visit the restaurants with traditional Romanian cuisine”, shows Andrei Grinkevich.
The representative of the Republic of Belarus recalls that “Bucharest is a modern European city, formed at the crossroads of western and eastern influences, in which old buildings and skyscrapers are beautifully interwoven giving birth to a unique style. Here you can see a centuries-old church next to a glass and steel office building and concrete buildings erected in the communist era. Bucharest has its own charm and a unique atmosphere. The city is very crowded, energetic, but not aggressive. I discovered that the city is called “East Paris”. However, I found it similar to many cities in other countries. In Bucharest, I discovered elements from Austrian, Soviet and Turkish culture. A mixture of cultures, excellent infrastructure, active development of the economy and IT technologies perfectly integrate the city in the international landscape. And yet, Bucharest differs from other capitals of the world, just as Romania differs from other countries, through its unusual history, unique hospitality and favorable weather at any time of year.”
