It’s so great to see a city through the eyes of such passionate locals and it’s hard for that passion not to rub off, but I often wonder when I’m doing press events how much of the experience is “put on”.\u00a0 The hotels, restaurants, and tour groups involved usually roll out the red carpet, which is great, but I usually suspect some of that enthusiasm is for the cameras.<\/p>\n This was not the case in Bucharest, at least in my experience.\u00a0 Aside from all of the people personally involved in Experience Bucharest, it seemed that everyone in the city was eager to talk about their home and happy to have it seen through foreign eyes.\u00a0 Every Uber driver and barista happily shared their favorite things and “must sees” in the cities.\u00a0 In fact, the only people I found in Bucharest with anything negative to say about it were a drunk English couple at a kabob shop around 3am, and frankly I think they were the problem.<\/p>\n Bucharest needs that kind of promotion to reach an international audience.\u00a0 I admittedly knew very little about Bucharest going into this experience.\u00a0 However in talking to friends from around the world before and after returning, it seems the perceptions about Bucharest and Romania as a whole are either complete ignorance of it’s existence or pretty negative (and mostly false) stereotypes.\u00a0 The responses I got varied from “watch out for gypsies” to “oh, I thought you said Budapest, that’s supposed to be great “.<\/p>\n Art and Arc<\/span>hitectur<\/span>e<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This is where Bucharest really shines.\u00a0 The history of the city is evident in the architecture.\u00a0 Affectionately known as “little Paris”, you will find ornate Gothic and French Baroque architecture along side the blocky grey communist era buildings.<\/p>\n Some find this a bit choppy and unappealing (though I’d argue that it’s kind of cool), but if you look just a bit below the service, you’ll find examples of stunning architectural design, street art installations, and soaring indoor arcades.<\/p>\n Bucharest just might be the worlds most instagramable city, and rumor has it that’s a pretty big deal to Millennial travelers<\/a>, but there’s way more to Bucharest that instagram likes.<\/p>\n The Folklore<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, let’s address the elephant …er vampire in the room.\u00a0 Those who have an opinion of Romania have mostly borrowed it from B Movies.\u00a0 A dark mountainous landscape, lightening, old peasant women with crucifixes… you get the picture.\u00a0 To tell the truth, that’s perhaps what I was most excited about in Romania.\u00a0 Of course I knew it was a real place with real people, most of whom are not vampires, but I still needed to see Dracula’s Castle and get to know a little more about everyone’s favorite impaler.\u00a0 In reality, Bran Castle and the surroundings in Transylvania are more “fairy tale princess” and less “dark and stormy night.”<\/p>\n While you will still hear of remote villages in Romania where the traditional folklore is alive and well, the people of Bucharest are as modern and cosmopolitan as any European capital, and just as surprised and confused as the rest of us when they find out people are still driving stakes through corpses’ hearts<\/a>.\u00a0 While this folklore is fascinating, it’s also not doing much for Bucharest’s image as a modern metropolitan city abroad, and that needs to change.<\/p>\n The Food<\/strong><\/p>\n Sure to keep vampires and close talking strangers at bay.<\/p><\/div>\n Part of the origins of the vampire myth in Romania stem from the Romanian’s abundant use of garlic in their food, and that’s never a bad thing.\u00a0 Like many cities, Bucharest is experiencing a resurgence in popularity of what was once brushed off as “peasant food.”\u00a0 The comfort foods your grandmother used to make that are far more embedded in the culture of a place than the fast foods or fusions we’ve become accustomed to all over the world.\u00a0 And yes, there are still Romanian grandmothers espousing the more metaphysical benefits of garlic, but who’s going to argue when it taste so good!<\/p>\n Momite- the neck glands of a pig minced, mixed with spices, and deep fried… basically Romanian Boudin Balls<\/p><\/div>\n Of course in a city the size of Bucharest, you’ll find every imaginable type of cuisine.\u00a0 There are still several traditional Romanian restaurants that have been operating for years.\u00a0 The traditional foods are similar to the rest of Eastern Europe.\u00a0 You’ll find very “meat heavy” dishes, polenta, sour kraut\/cabbage, and sausages.\u00a0 If you don’t try the Mici (a caseless sausage made of ground meat with various spices) while you’re there, you’re doing Bucharest wrong.<\/p>\n The Party Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n Shoteria – The latest craze in Bucharest. A bar that sells exclusively shots instead of cocktails.<\/p><\/div>\n Romanians know how to party.\u00a0 I drink, perhaps more than I should by some estimations (talk to my dad), but Romanians can DRINK.\u00a0 Bucharest is a great party city.\u00a0 The booze is cheap, the people are fun, and the clubs and bars are abundant.\u00a0 Seriously, I just got back from my first trip to Vegas and they have nothing on Bucharest.\u00a0 Romanians are a special kind of drinker and I simply cannot keep up (without a little practice \ud83d\ude09 ) For this reason Bucharest is emerging as a hot destination for European stag and hen parties.<\/p>\n The Quirky<\/strong><\/p>\n Bucharest is full of wacky “off the beaten path experiences” too.\u00a0 I experienced my first cat cafe in Bucharest.\u00a0 The cats were mostly indifferent, but the lemonade was great (Bucharest’s lemonade game is STRONG) and there was a dog there too so that was cool.\u00a0 And in news you never knew you needed to know, Bucharest is actually home to the worlds largest collection of irons and corkscrews at the Museum of Romanian Records<\/a>.\u00a0 You’ll be surprised and amazed at the amount of dirty corkscrews on the market.<\/p>\n Bucharest also has a recreation center (the largest of it’s kind in Europe) that’s part indoor pool, part beach, and part botanical garden called Therme<\/a>.\u00a0 Perhaps best of all, Bucharest has no shortage of rooftop bars, and that’s something we can all get behind.<\/p>\n![\"Bucharest](\"https:\/\/magsonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_5583.jpg\")
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