Where Dracula goes for partying

The Romanian capital Bucharest is an underrated travel destination. Its program includes fine Balkan cuisine, visible history, quiet, elegant parks and the old question of whether garlic protects against vampires or just high blood pressure.

Bucharest is buzzing. The airport is busy late in the evening, as is the drive into the city center, and through the night. The eighth-largest city in the European Union in terms of population operates 24 hours a day.

Except perhaps early on a Saturday morning. Apart from the staff in the bars and clubs in the city center, who (have to) remove the last traces of a night of partying, it is quiet. For a moment, we are almost alone with the cats of Bucharest, who have a confident grip on the city center.

Meow.

Our plan for today is to get to know Romanian culture through its cuisine. That's why we join a foodie tour that combines culinary delights with sightseeing and takes us to places we wouldn't have been able to visit ourselves.

Satisfied with a sesame pretzel, we follow the explanations of our guide, who not only takes us into Romania's theater history, but also into the time around the political change associated with the end of the Soviet Union. In the middle of the city, there is a symbolic milestone marking the beginning of Romania's path to democracy - a remarkable place in the capital of a country that, as one of the youngest members of the EU, NATO and the Schengen Agreement, has consistently looked to the West in recent decades, even if the elections at the end of 2024 may paint a different picture from parts of the population.

 

Elegance: the old town of Bucharest.

Thoughtfully, we follow the curious foodie group deep into the little streets of the quiet “Armenian Quarter”. Just a few intersections beyond the eight-lane boulevards of the city center, Bucharest looks completely different. Wonderful residential buildings from the 19th century alternate with communist functional buildings and ultra-modern apartment blocks. Here, Bucharest shows its eventful past just as naturally as its dynamic present. It is quiet here, only occasionally do we come across wedding parties around orthodox churches, people walking their dogs or removal teams at work in this sought-after residential area.

And then, one block further on and in the middle of a Soviet-style prefabricated housing estate, it's already time for the next snack. Which is a modest expression considering the platters of cheese, cold cuts and vegetables that are laid out in front of us. We sample our way through and really enjoy a local sheep's cheese as well as a spicy eggplant cream. Some of the food reminds us of Middle Eastern cuisine, apart from the fact that all the ham and sausage samples are made from pork.

 

Our route takes us to the Obor market nearby. In two halls, you can find a wide range of groceries as well as tablecloths, detergents and toys. Here, shopping behavior is divided between the generations: While older generations traditionally shop at the market, the younger generation does not seem to be averse to the large Carrefour supermarket. What unites all visitors to the area, however, and is perhaps the real reason for visiting the area, is mici. Small grilled minced sausages, served with mustard and a piece of white bread, are the real star of the show. Market visitors queue for a long time for mici fresh from the grill - at the risk of suddenly being sold out. We are satisfied, enjoy our fresh mici and are soon in the next queue for dessert: gogosi, the Romanian version of donuts, are fluffy and soft, not too sweet and round off our food experience in style.

Fresh from the grill with a whole lot of mustard: Mici.

The amount of calories awakens our unusual interest in a long walk. And so we use the rest of the day - and the next morning - to explore various parts of the city. In amazement. Because Bucharest - also known by some as the Paris of the East - is extremely diverse. Spacious parks alternate with wide boulevards, amidst shiny new buildings, brutalist concrete boxes and small orthodox churches. And an astonishing number of people in vampire costumes, because Transylvania is only a few hours' drive from Bucharest - reason enough for the capital's party scene to pay homage to Count Dracula this Halloween weekend. But the count's castle is certainly worth a trip of its own on another occasion. Perhaps we'll go shopping for a few bulbs of garlic at the Obor market beforehand.

The Paris of the East?

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Good to know

From Switzerland, Swiss connects Bucharest and Zurich twice a day; the flight takes around two hours. A train journey via Vienna and Budapest takes around 30 hours, while a car journey from Zurich along the same route takes around 20 hours.

Accommodation in the Romanian capital comes from all historical eras, including high-rise concrete buildings. We stayed in the middle of the old town. The Marmorosch Hotel is located in the building of a former bank - it is strategically located within walking distance of the most important places. However, the area is also rather noisy at night, especially at weekends.

We booked the food tour through Bucharest through Urban Adventures - a highly recommended, well-balanced tour for people who are good on foot.