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.
E.S. Mr. Gabriel Atanasov, the ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Bucharest, has a special connection with the city: he spent many days from childhood here. Moreover, he was baptized, 45 years ago, in one of the most famous churches in the Romanian capital: Caşin Church. He knows Bucharest very well and has seen how the city evolved over time. In fact, he knows a lot about Romania, the country where his grandparents and a part of his family lived.
“First of all, Bucharest is distinguished from other capitals of the world by its citizens and its history. Bucharest and Romanians, in general, are open people, who do not show xenophobia. Foreigners are welcome here. Then, the traditions are preserved and this is a positive thing precisely so that we can distinguish the European cities between them. The atmosphere of the city is shaped by the interweaving of the traditional with the global trend, with the presence in the city of the well-known brands in the world ”- E.S. Mr. Gabriel Atanasov, ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Bucharest.
An ambassador passionate about George Enescu’s work
During the discussion about Bucharest, he confessed to us that he is a lover of the works signed by George Enescu. His favorite musical score is “Rapsodia Română”. And a musician, passionate also about architecture, has no way of missing to indicate the Romanian Athenaeum and the surrounding streets as one of the places he loves in Bucharest.
He also mentioned that, if a ranking should be made, there are several wonderful places in the Romanian capital that are worth mentioning.
“My answer will be a rational one, on the one hand, and a sentimental one, on the other hand. I would say the Romanian Athenaeum, which is also the symbol of Bucharest, with the streets and restaurants around it, then Cișmigiu Park located near the University of Bucharest and Caşin Church in Bucharest with the Arch of Triumph. Each of these places I like for different reasons. The Romanian Athenaeum is a recognized international monument. It is part of the Romanian culture, but also of the European heritage. It is the home of the Romanian Philharmonic entitled “George Enescu”. I know very well the works of the composer George Enescu, and “Rapsodia Română” is one of my favorite musical creations. The Athenaeum was designed by a French architect, like many of Bucharest’s buildings and monuments. No wonder Bucharest is also called Little Paris or East Paris. The streets around the Athenaeum, especially the bars and restaurants, are reminiscent of those in Paris. I visit this area very often with my family and friends. Personally, I would say that I have a particular relationship with France and Romania – countries where I have lived a part of my life. The Athenaeum is a symbiosis in this sense with a strong Romanian imprint”, declared the E.S. Mr. Gabriel Atanasov.
Childhood memories
Cișmigiu Park reminds him of his childhood, of his summer days, when he came with his parents to Bucharest to visit his grandmother and his family living in Romania.
“Every time I used to buy a lottery ticket and very often I was rowing the boat. I also remember the military band from the pavilion, on Sundays. Later, in my late teens, at the Danube University restaurant, I used to stay for the summer on the terrace, for a coffee, because I had a neighbor who worked there. I put on my list the Cașin Church because I was baptized there, 45 years ago. In 2007, when our second daughter was born, I decided with my wife to do the baptism there. Not only in Bucharest, in all Romania there are beautiful churches, but this has a special significance for me in terms of the facts I have mentioned”, says the ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Bucharest.
The fountains on Union Boulevard delight strangers
Referring to the Arch of Triumph, Gabriel Atanasov emphasizes that such a monument symbolizes for each people “victory, but after the one in Paris, I do not think there is one in the world better located and more beautifully built than the one in Bucharest”.
When he receives visits from his friends from abroad he has a lot of places in Bucharest that he would like to show, except that, often, their agenda is very busy and the time is very short. “However, we always find time to visit the Old Center or rather the historical center and certain restaurants in the area. The National Bank building located on Lipscani Street, which has been an important area for traders since Wallachia, is impressive. In fact, the National Bank was designed by the same French architect who also made the Athenaeum, being the student of Garnier who we know well that is the architect of the Opera Garnier in Paris. I like to invite my friends to visit Herastrau Park and stop at a restaurant around the lake. Herastrau Park is an ideal place for sports and walks. When it comes to shopping, there are many malls that are interesting, including the one in the vicinity of my residence. I recommend to my friends also the Palace of Parliament, if they have time. I can tell you that during the summer, the fountains on Union Boulevard, with their synchronized music, attracted the attention of many of the friends who came to visit us. You realize that I would have many other recommendations, such as museums, traditional restaurants, theaters, different parks and many more, but it all depends on the time available”, stresses the foreign diplomat.
A very well integrated city in the international landscape
The ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Bucharest is of the opinion that Bucharest is a very well integrated city in the international landscape. “It is a city that has everything it needs to be the capital of a country in the European Union, in my opinion. The architecture is part of the European landscape although there are buildings built in the typical communist style. I often hear opinions that all these buildings would ruin the city’s image and maybe they are correct. However, we must not forget that communist buildings are also found in other European capitals, and their construction at that time had an important social component. The city is attracting more and more foreign tourists, but also students and expats working in multinational companies. Visited today by hundreds of people from all over the world, the Parliament Palace building, which I mentioned earlier, was built in difficult times for Bucharest citizens and Romanians in general, when access to European freedoms and values was restricted. In this Palace are organized conferences of great importance, as they were, for example, those during the presidency of Romania at the Council of the European Union. Also, some institutions, such as the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are based here. It is a building that deserves to be visited, becoming an international attraction”, emphasizes E.S. Mr. Gabriel Atanasov.
Direct flights to Northern Macedonia
As representative of the Republic of Northern Macedonia in Romania, Gabriel Atanasov expressed the wish that, by the end of his term, a direct air connection between Bucharest and his country could be established. “There are many tourists, especially from neighboring countries, who visit Bucharest by car and bus, mainly because there are no direct flights, as is the case with North Macedonia. I would like to see that, by the end of my term, to have a direct air connection”, says the Macedonian official.
Precisely because many of the foreigners who want to see Bucharest arrive in the capital of Romania by car, it is important that the entrances to the city be resized, the road infrastructure playing a major role in the economy of a metropolis. Gabriel Atanasov considers that a belt of the city is indispensable, above all for Bucharest people.
“Otherwise, Bucharest is making efforts to reduce pollution, although it is not one of the most polluted cities. Almost everywhere, in all the city’s neighborhoods, cleanliness is maintained as best as possible. There are many places to visit in Bucharest that can be promoted in different ways. A concrete answer to the question, maybe it requires an additional question, namely, what kind of tourists do the people of Bucharest want? If the prices of medical services are competitive, medical tourism can be developed, especially through plastic and dental surgery. Fun for young people is not lacking. This also applies to Museums and concerts. In Bucharest, a foreigner can feel safe. It’s not much like in the old days, when the streets were not lightened and people were afraid of thieves. Of course, there are always welcome campaigns in foreign media with clips that highlight the beauty of the city and the economic progress in figures. In conclusion, I would not do more to attract tourists, if I were in your place, because any attempt to artificially attract more tourists does not always mean profit. Instead, I confess that the fruits of the joint efforts of the tourism institutions and agencies in our two countries are beginning to be seen in the mutual attraction of more and more tourists. Finally, all the exchanges between our countries and their discovery by the new generations are also natural things, given the historical relations we have”, shows Mr. Gabriel Atanasov.
Author: Ștefania Enache
Photo: Corina Gheorghe
