Global crisis in which corona virus dragged whole world into, got us stuck in our homes, in our cities. Unfortunately, it also meant that we won’t be able to visit capital of Romania, Bucharest, as a part of Erasmus+ project SNIDeR. Instead, we decided to explore Bucharest virtually by checking out some websites about food and travel. We picked places we would like to see if ever got a chance to visit it, as well as found some Romanian traditional food that we’d love to try. So this is our list.
If we were to visit Bucharest, we would like to visit…
Ceausescu Mansion
Without any special knowledge on Romanian history, we were surprised to find out that Romania was for over three decades ruled by (basically) communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, along with his wife Elena. It is fascinating how this man got from shoemaker apprentice to one of the most powerful persons in modern Romania history. It would be interesting to see the luxury in which this couple lived while their people lived in much smaller and poorer homes and communities.
Stavropoleos Monastery
While looking at photos of this place, we figured out that this would be a nice spot to see more of fine representations of byzantine art. Very interesting information is that this place contains a library famous for its large collection of byzantine music books, as well as thousand books on theology, art, history, and even some old manuscripts.
Cișmigiu Gardens
What about breathing some fresh air between visiting famous buildings of Bucharest? Cișmigiu Gardens are described as one of the oldest and, with its 16 hectares, one of the largest parks in city’s center surrounding central artificial lake. Sounds like a nice place to take a break.
The Romanian Kitsch Museum
Explosion of colors, motives and details – that’s what we expect to find in this museum that sounds too entertaining to just pass by. Maybe we would even be disappointed to find out that Romanian kitsch is not as “kitschish” as we expected it to be? We will never know.
Parliamentary Palace
Parliamentary Palace of Romanian government is the largest administrative building in the world, but also one of the largest buildings in general. It is said that it perfectly depicts megalomania of Nicolae Ceausescu with its 365.000 square meters. It was built during 1980’s and intended to be residence. (Residence – for who, half of the Romania? Joke aside…) Despite being filled with reception halls, museums and government office, it is still one third empty. It would be really interesting to see (and even more interesting to explore) this concrete giant.
Romanian Athenaeum
Imagine concluding your tourist day with some beautiful place filled with soothing sounds. From outside, Romanian Athenaeum impresses with its beautiful architecture and exterior made of colourful rich gardens, and from the inside, we imagine it vibing with the most famous pieces of classical music. Why? Because this building is a home of The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra.
If we were to visit Bucharest, we would like to eat…
Salata de vinete (Roasted Eggplant Salad)
Feeling tired of a long walk and craving for some delicious traditional food? We made one full four-course meal menu for you. If you ask us, we would like to start with roasted eggplant salad which, according to pictures, is actually in form of paste. Do they serve it with some crispy bread or crackers?
Ciorba Radautean (Radauti Soup)
After cold, it’s time for warm appetizer. We found this soup with sour cream, garlic and chicken breast as a meaty ingredient. It is said that it is not too fatty, not too heavy, but it could nonetheless make you full.
Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls)
If we would be even able to open our mouth for the third meal, we would choose sarmale. But the thing is that it is not some new meal to Croatians – in Croatian cuisine, we have very similar dish with a very similar name, “sarma”. It is a mixture of meat, rice, herbs and spices rolled into cabbage leaves slowly cooked in the sauce. The only reason why we would still try it is to establish which version is better – if there are some differences.
Dessert – what would you choose?
For those who are a bit picky and safe-bet players, we would recommend plăcintă cu ciocolată which is a thin pastry filled with chocolate and chopped nuts, flavoured with orange zest and vanilla extract. Sounds jummy, but are you willing to experiment a bit more with papanași? It is donut-shaped pastry that can be either fried or boiled. It is usually filled with unsalted cheese, topped with sour cream and some fruit jam – preferably strawberry or blueberry one.
So, what do you think about our imaginary tour around Bucharest? Feel free to add some of your own suggestions and save this post for some better days when you will actually have a chance to go to Romania.
Posted by team from Private school Futura
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