Walking
Tours
Cultural
Tourism Initiative (tel/fax: (01) 223 2619 or 230 2292; e-mail:
cti@com.pcnet.ro) offers walking
tours, by request. Whether the visitor would like to see the political
buildings, historic centre, art galleries
or neo-classical architectural highlights –
such as the Royal Palace, University Library
and Villacross Passage shopping arcade –
a tour can be arranged (with 24 hours advance notice). The
tour fee is about US$6-23 per person, depending on the
number of people and the length of tour, which can be anything between
one hour and half a day. The length, departure point and time are
discussed beforehand.
Bus Tours
Many English-language bus tours are available from
the Cultural
Tourism Initiative (tel/fax: (01) 223 2619 or 230 2292; e-mail:
cti@com.pcnet.ro). They all
depart from the Ateneul Roman, in
the morning or early afternoon
(as arranged) and most of them last about three hours. Each
has a theme, such as a historical period (from ‘Old
Bucharest’ to ‘The Stamp of the Communist Age’)
or subject, like Bucharest art or traditional Romanian life. ‘The
True Story of Dracula’ is a four-hour tour, taking
in the Military History Museum, Old Court and Snagov Monastery
just outside Bucharest, where Vlad Tepes’ body is buried.
Tours must be arranged 24 hours in advance and
costs about US$19-39 (including museum fees), depending
on the number of people and type of vehicle (car or minivan) asked
for.
Excursions for a Half Day
Cernica
Situated
14 km (nine miles) east of Bucharest,
on an island in the middle of a lake, is the stunning
17th-century Cernica monastery (tel: (01) 255 7595). Within its
walls are two 19th-century churches, a cemetery,
chapels, a seminary and a museum of religious art and typography
– a school of religious painting flourished here in
the 19th century. The monastery was shut down at the end
of World War II but reopened in 1995 and is now occupied by 80 monks.
The relics of a 19th-century saint, who helped refurbish the monastery
after it been abandoned due to plagues, attracts many pilgrims.
The lake is excellent for swimming. The monastery
is open daily and entrance is free. Trains to Cernica leave
from Gara Obor (journey time – 30 minutes).
Excursions for a Whole Day
Sinaia
Visitors should follow the royal precedent and head for Sinaia,
Romanian royalty’s historic summer residence.
King Carol I fell in love with Sinaia’s awe-inspiring
location at the foot of Mount Furnica, while visiting the
monastery there in 1868, and built Peles Castle. This impressive
German Renaissance-style castle with soaring Gothic spires
is now a museum displaying furniture, weapons, paintings and other
royal possessions. The castle is open Wednesday-Sunday 0900-1600
and admission costs US$3. Nearby is Pelisorul,
King Ferdinand’s palace, decorated
in striking Art Deco style (admission is US$2).
Sinaia became a chic resort for the rich and famous.
George Enescu, famous composer of Romanian Rhapsodies, had his summer
villa here (now a memorial house). Yet Sinaia’s breathtaking
scenery has attracted visitors for centuries – from
those drawn to the clean mountain air and mineral springs for health
reasons, to hikers seeking spectacular views along the mountain
trails. Skiing and bobsleighing are popular in winter.
Sinaia Tourist Office provides further information
(tel: (094) 655 003; fax: (044) 315 385). Trains to Sinaia
leave from Gara de Nord (journey time – 2 hours). |
