Modern Bucharest – A Bustling City on the Move

Mountains, castles, picturesque villages and vampires – this must be Romania! Situated in the north east of the Balkan Peninsula, Romania has moved on from its epithet, “the land of the Vampire”…mostly.

The capital, is a relatively small city by European standards. Modern Bucharest has a population of just under 2 million people. With a long and complicated history, there is much to discover in this constantly evolving metropolis.

Bucharest Earthquake

This changing city is always on the move – sometimes quite literally. In 1977 a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bucharest, killing over 1,500 people and injuring tens of thousands more. The destruction in the city was immense, with more than 32,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. The force of the quake was felt in neighboring Bulgaria and Moldova, resulting in several deaths and a few ruined buildings.

When Bucharest was under Communist rule, a lot of infrastructure was laid down. In the 1970s and 80s, wide roads and boulevards, lined by huge apartment buildings, were constructed throughout the city. Nicolae Ceaușescu, the communist leader at the time, was thought to be inspired by a visit to North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang.

The greatest example of this is Bulevardul Unirii, which leads to the monstrous Palace of the Parliament. The Palace is the heaviest building in the world, weighing in at about 4.1 million tonnes. It is also the world’s second largest administrative building, behind only the Pentagon. Construction began in 1984 but was not completed until 13 years later in 1997. It cost the equivalent of €3 billion, making it the world’s most expensive administrative building. It is still in use today. However, the cost of heating and electricity means it is only feasible to use a fraction of the rooms.

The Moving Churches in Modern Bucharest

The earthquake had a hand in creating some space for these giant roads and buildings. However, other surviving structures were at risk demolition. Bucharest has around 17,000 churches and many stood in the path of the new city plans. Religious and historic buildings were not of much importance to the communist regime.

One local engineer, Eugeniu Iordăchescu, came up with a way of saving the churches from demolition – by relocating the whole building to another part of town. To do this, the structure’s foundations were uncovered and reinforced. The entire building was then set onto a metal track and moved to a new position using hydraulic levers and giant pulleys.

The first church to be moved was Schitul Maicilor. This 18th century building was moved 245 metres from its original site. The whole process took 5 months from start to finish. Banks, hospitals and whole apartment blocks were also moved this way. It might be an urban legend, but there are reports that one apartment block was moved with people still inside! There was supposedly a mix-up with the scheduled moving time and the transfer began earlier than planned. The people within had already been moved a few meters before they had finished packing their suitcases.

All the relocated buildings survived. However, 22 were destroyed because they were not moved quickly enough and the government ran out of patience.

Modern Bucharest

A perfect example of the development in the city of Bucharest is Stavropoleos Convent. This Eastern Orthodox nunnery was built in 1724 in what was then a quiet district of the city. Set in a peaceful courtyard, the building contains intricate frescoes that were restored at the beginning of the 20^th century. It has survived earthquakes and communism, but only just. The building remains as a fully functioning convent, but the city has grown up around it. Nowadays it sits right in the heart of the party centre of Bucharest.  

One of the countries defining moments – the Romanian Revolution – took place in 1989. The heart of the uprising took place in what is now called Revolution Square, in Bucharest. This spread across the country and similar protests happened in most towns and cities. The movement would eventually overthrow communism and leader Nicolae Ceausescu.

Ceausescu was tried on charges of genocide, damage to the national economy and abuse of power to execute military actions against the Romanian people. He and his wife were executed on Christmas day 1989.

Over one thousand people who marched for freedom were killed by police. There are still bullet holes in the walls of the buildings in Revolution Square. These act as a reminder of how far Bucharest has come in recent years.

Rural Romania

Today, Bucharest is a modern city with shiny office blocks, trendy apartments, bars and cafes and a forward thinking attitude. This seems very far removed from the traditional towns and villages throughout the rest of the country.

Money in the rural areas is scarce so many young people move to the city or abroad in search of work. Because of emigration, and other factors, the population of Romania has decreased significantly in recent years.

Nearly 19 million people live outside of Bucharest. Many are in smaller cities and towns but there is a high percentage of the Romanian population in villages and rural locations. On the roads outside Bucharest, horse drawn carts taking people from A to B are a common sight. Most farmers use traditional agricultural methods and the majority of the work is done by hand or with basic machinery. Local traditions are very much alive. On holidays and special occasions, people will proudly wear their traditional dress and carry out ancient customs. 

The Legend of the Vampire

Myths and legends are still popular in the countryside. The Strigoi is a monster found in Romanian folklore. Possibly the inspiration for what we know as a vampire, this beast can morph into different animals and has a thirst for blood. Some rural villagers still claim to drive a stake through the navel of the deceased, just to make sure they won’t come back for them after dark!

Of course, tales of Vlad the Impaler still resonate throughout Romania, and Europe. Born in 1431, and son of Vlad Dracul, he is thought to be the inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula. The Prince of Wallachia was infamous for his cruelty, gruesome torture and love of impaling his enemies.

The pace of rural life has barely changed for hundreds of years. Many villagers are self-sufficient and the stresses of fast paced living are non-existent. While the capital city is moving more towards western culture, the countryside is staying firmly rooted in tradition.

Is it worth Visiting Modern Bucharest?

When you ask people what they know about Bucharest, they will most likely tell you about Dracula and gypsies. But the capital is an exciting city that is always moving! Visit bustling Bucharest and experience the modern, progressive vibe with its incredible history. Or head north towards Cluj-Napoca for a slower pace in some of the beautiful surrounding villages and see a different side to Romania.

Direct flights to Bucharest are available from most European countries. Off season flights are usually a bit of a bargain and we have paid as little as £30 for a return from Scotland in February.  We booked our apartment through Airbnb and if you haven’t used Airbnb before, click this LINK to get £35 off your first trip

More Info

Looking for a great place to stay in Bucharest? We regularly stay at Cristina’s place and book through Air BnB. Its in a quiet, old part of town but is within easy walking distance of the buzzing centre. If you haven’t used Air BnB before, use this LINK to receive £35 (or equivalent) off you first trip anywhere!

Click here for BUCHAREST TOURIST INFO

Click here for ROMANIAN TOURIST INFO

Where to Next?

Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, is less than 6 hours away by car and is a great stop on your Balkan trip. Check our blog for some Sofia inspiration HERE

Have you visited Bucharest or anywhere else in Romania? Are you planning a trip and need more information? Drop a comment in the box, we’d love to hear from you!