Why go now? Coming on like a kind of New Berlin, it’s the city’s closely-knit creative scene that makes Bucharest worth visiting. The highlight of the hipster year is undoubtedly the Rokolectiv festival for electronic music and related arts, between 11-13 April. The line-up includes DAT Politics, Underground Resistance, and the 79-year old electronic pioneer Jean Jacques Perrey. However, one of the real attractions is the venue: the last day of the festival will be held in the MNAC gallery, housed in one wing of the gargantuan House of the People. Enjoy a beer and some far-out sounds in the second largest building in the world.
Checking in: Aside from the major chains, Hotel Rembrandt is a sensible choice, offering comfort right in the centre of the old city for about E90 a double. If you’re thinking of splashing out, try the Carol Parc Hotel, a historic building recently renovated by a team of Italian designers, where a double will set you back upwards of E500.
Hit the streets: The Lipscani area is the place to soak up the ‘Paris of the East’ ambiance of old Bucharest. Cafés, bars and even the odd gallery have all sprung up recently, though the area still retains a refreshing air of authenticity, given that every other villa is still inhabited by poor gypsy families. After a stroll down Kiseleff Boulevard, once a famous spot for promenading, make for the award-winning Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Their café is a good spot for traditional snacks, and the only place in the city where you’ll see the word ‘organic’ bandied around.
Coffee break: With a bar housed under the boughs of a huge tree, Green Hours is an oasis of calm smack-bang in the middle of the city. Watch out for the live outdoor jazz during the weekends. A little harder to find, but well worth the effort, is Ceai La Metoc (Str Popa Rusu 21), a tea-garden that most Bucharest residents don’t know about. Enjoy a ‘tea-beer’ or ‘tea-shake’ in one of the leafy corners.
Neighbourhood watch: Leave the small city centre and you’re into Bucharest’s neighbourhoods, vast swathes of community housing that stretch as far as the eye can see. Surprisingly, all of the neighbourhoods close to the centre are incredibly safe places to be, and it’s well worth heading out there to see what life is like for 99% of Bucharest’s residents. Try taking the wonderfully communist Metro to Obor Station. The huge bustling market is fun if you’re in the mood for grilled ‘mici’ sausages, cheap beer and loud Manele music.
Retail therapy: Unless you get a weird thrill from buying designer goods at about three times the usual price, don’t come to Bucharest for the shopping. One exception is the hip boutique Zebra Society on Calea Victoriei, where you can pick up cute, handmade jewellery and local, limited-edition comic books. Alternatively, try trawling the second hand shops for stupidly cheap vintage gear. Though the market for pre-89 memorabilia is non-existent, you can kick-start your communist badge collecting by rummaging around the junk-shops on Lipscani.
Worked up an appetite? Caru cu Bere, in the old centre, is the place to sample ‘Sarmale’, stuffed cabbage leaves served with polenta. The restaurant used to be an intellectual hang-out during the ‘Golden’ inter-war era, and the spectacular décor manages to retain this period charm. The Writers’ Institute on Calea Victoriei is another well-kept secret, with forgettable food served in a memorable setting of faded decadence.
The big night out: The fact that the best bar in the city doesn’t even have a name says a lot about Bucharest. Number 26 Dr Staicovici street, known as ‘Ota’s place’, is an airy villa basement offering gourmet soups every Wednesday and warm-up sessions at the weekend. If big-name DJs playing big-room sounds are your thing, then make for Studio Martin and Session, where the attractions include minimal techno played on bowel-loosening sound-systems. The discerning crowd, however, makes straight for Embryo, which looks like a milk-bar straight out of A Clockwork Orange. Nu-disco is the order of the day – as is dressing like an 80s bag-lady.
Escape the city: To enjoy an eyeful of Brancovenesc architecture, head north to the dreamy lakeside Mogoşoaia Palace. Mooch around the grounds and you’ll stumble upon a huge prostrate sculpture of Lenin that used to stand in front of the Stalinist press building.
Escape the city: To enjoy an eyeful of Brancovenesc architecture, head north to the dreamy lakeside Mogoşoaia Palace. Mooch around the grounds and you’ll stumble upon a huge prostrate sculpture of Lenin that used to stand in front of the Stalinist press building.