Bucharest

Our Trip to Bucharest

In this post I would like to share with you our recent trip to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It was our first time there and we really had a lovely time.

We travelled for Sukkot (a Jewish holiday when we eat in a small outdoor hut called a Sukkah, to remember how the Jewish people lived in temporary shelters when they left Egypt and travelled through the desert, protected by God).We also stayed for Simchat Torah (a joyful celebration marking the end of the yearly Torah reading and the beginning of a new cycle, with singing and dancing in the synagogue).

We stayed in a lovely apartment right across from the Chabad shul (a synagogue run by the Chabad organisation, which helps Jewish travellers and local communities with prayers, kosher food, and holiday celebrations).It was very convenient, and the Rabbi and his wife were incredibly warm and welcoming. Around 150 people joined for the holiday meals, and it was wonderful to meet so many friendly faces from all over the world.

It rained almost the entire time, so we couldn’t sit much in the Sukkah, but the warmth of the people, the shared meals, and the calm relaxed atmosphere made it a beautiful and meaningful experience.

As we were staying in the city centre, we enjoyed many walks around the nearby streets. Bucharest is not a tourist city like Paris or Milan, but it definitely has its own charm. The streets are full of life with lots of traffic, people, cafés, and restaurants. The city is busy and energetic, yet when you drive out of Bucharest, the highways quickly become quiet and peaceful. You soon pass through authentic villages, some more modern and others still traditional, where you can see old wells in front of the houses. It was interesting to see the big contrast between city life and the countryside.

One of the main streets in Bucharest is Calea Victoriei. It is one of the most elegant and lively streets in the city, full of beautiful old buildings, cafés, restaurants, and designer shops. Every Sunday the street is closed to cars and people come out to walk, ride bicycles, and enjoy the atmosphere. When we were there, the city was celebrating the Festival of Lights, with colourful light installations and music. It was lovely to see the streets glowing with art and joy.

We took a day trip to the Slănic Prahova Salt Mine, one of the most fascinating places in Romania. The mine is enormous, deep underground, with beautiful salt walls and cool fresh air. Inside, there are sculptures made entirely of salt, playgrounds for children, and even small sports areas. It was interesting to see how people once worked there and how today it has become a peaceful and unique attraction. The air inside is known to be very healthy, and many people come to breathe the clean salty air for relaxation and health benefits.

We also visited the Old Town, where the streets are full of cafés and restaurants with live music in the evenings. Although we keep strictly kosher and only eat at the Chabad restaurant, which was fantastic, it was still nice to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. In the Old Town there is also a big bookshop called Cărturești Carusel, a beautiful place to explore and admire its artistic design.

The architecture in Bucharest really caught our attention. The city has a mix of many styles that reflect its long and complex history. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Bucharest was influenced by French design, which is why it was once called “Little Paris.” You can see elegant balconies, decorative facades, and large classical columns. Later, during the communist period, many plain grey buildings were built, and unfortunately, some of the older ones have been neglected over the years. Still, even the worn buildings have a certain charm, showing the beauty that once was. Many palaces have been beautifully restored, standing proudly beside the newer modern buildings.

Romania has a long and fascinating history. Over the centuries it was influenced by many cultures — Roman, Ottoman, and French — each leaving its mark on the country’s people and architecture.

Jewish life in Romania goes back many centuries, even to Roman times. Before the Second World War, Romania had a large and active Jewish community with schools, synagogues, and strong traditions.

During the Holocaust, Jewish life in Romania suffered greatly. In some parts of the country, especially in areas controlled by Romania at that time like Bessarabia and Bukovina, terrible massacres and deportations took place, and many Jews were killed. In other parts of Romania, especially in Bucharest and central regions, more Jews managed to survive, partly because later in the war the Romanian government stopped cooperating fully with Nazi Germany.

After the war, under the communist regime, religion and Jewish life were restricted, and many families chose to emigrate. After communism ended in 1989, Romania began to rebuild itself, and today there is again a small Jewish community. We went to Chabad, where we felt very much at home.

We also went to the biggest park in Bucharest, Herăstrău Park. It is a large and peaceful place with a big lake in the middle, surrounded by trees and walking paths. It was relaxing to take a slow walk around the lake and enjoy the green space in the middle of such a busy city.

Inside the park, we visited the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum, an open-air museum that shows how people in Romania lived in villages many years ago. There are traditional wooden houses and windmills brought from different parts of the country. Walking there felt like travelling back in time. It was fascinating to see how simply people lived and how much love and detail they put into building their homes.

Another special part of our trip was travelling to visit the grave of the Pele Yoetz, a famous Jewish rabbi and scholar from the 18th century known for his wisdom and kind teachings. His real name was Rabbi Eliezer Papo, and he wrote the well-known book Pele Yoetz, which gives guidance on how to live a good and meaningful life. His resting place is in the town of Silistra, across the border in Bulgaria.

We travelled about two hours from Bucharest towards the border, planning to take the ferry across the Danube River. When we arrived, we suddenly realised we had forgotten our passports. My husband went out to ask if we needed them, and the guards said yes, so we had to drive all the way back. On the way, we stopped at Comana Park, a peaceful nature reserve with a lake and forest paths. It was a short walk, very quiet as it was the middle of the week, but still a lovely moment to enjoy nature.

When we returned to Bucharest, people told us that in fact you don’t always need a passport to cross there. We laughed because no one had told us before! A few days later, we decided to go again, this time with our passports, and funny enough, no one even asked for them. It really felt like this was the day we were meant to visit.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you ever plan to visit Bucharest and would like some advice or tips, I’ll be happy to share more.