Nobody is happy when it rains. Especially if it’s also cold and you are travelling.
A lot of rain means that most of your travel plans will be ruined.
No more strolling in the parks, no more enjoying the historical avenues or visiting open air museums.
But that doesn’t mean there is nothing interesting that you can do instead in Bucharest.
The city is packed with museums, great shops and other fascinating places where you can enjoy your time even when it’s raining outside.
Museums
There are a few museums that you should not miss while in Bucharest and fortunately they are all located close to Metro stations, making your walk to reach them not very long.
Palatul Primaverii: the former house where Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, lived with his family for around 25 years. This place shows how lavish the lifestyle of an absolute country leader can be. You will get to see their bedrooms, luxurious bathrooms, spa and huge wardrobe. Guided visits in English are organized very hour, the groups are small, so it’s a good idea to reserve your spot. Check out their website for more details
Bulevardul Primăverii 50, București
www.casaceausescu.ro/
National Art Museum: located in the former Royal Palace of the Romanian Royal Family, this museum is perfect for those who love art, be it Romanian or European. Check out their schedule here
Calea Victoriei 49-53, București
www.mnar.arts.ro
Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum: the first museum to feature dioramas in the world, it is a fun place to discover nature for kids and adults alike. It’s closed on Mondays, but otherwise open from morning until the evening. You can find the schedule and location here
Şoseaua Pavel D. Kiseleff 1, București
www.mnar.antipa.ro
Book shops
Bucharest has some of the loveliest book shops in the world! They are so adorable, cosy and filled with many cool things, you will end up spending hours chilling in these places:
Carturesti Carusel:
the largest book store in Romania, this place is a work of art. The building stands in the heart of the Old Town. They sell everything from books in various languages, music, DVDs, tea cups, bags. There is even a nice little bistro if you are hungry.
Strada Lipscani 55, București
www.carturesticarusel.ro
Carturesti Verona:
the first book shop from the Carturesti company. It is still a favorite for many Bucharest locals who want to get away from the busy city life for an hour or more. They play some really great music inside.
Strada Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15, București
www.carturesti.ro/artist/verona
Coffee shops:
Romanians love coffee and not just in the morning, but throughout the whole day.
That is why there are plenty of superb places where you can enjoy a perfect cup of coffee and warm up from the cold weather outside.
Check out our special article about the best coffee shops in Bucharest here
Top Cafés in Bucharest
Top Cafés in Bucharest – Bucharest Old Town
Shopping:
This is a favorite activity for locals on weekends and that means there are plenty of big shopping malls to choose from.
Even if most are located outside the city center, many of them are close to Metro stations. So they are easy to reach by Metro.
The shopping malls we would recommend in Bucharest are:
Unirea Shopping Center at Piata Unirii
AFI Cotroceni Mall near the Politehnica Metro station in the West
Sun Plaza Shopping Center near the Piata Sudului Metro station in the South
Promenada near Aurel Vlaicu Metro station in the North
Free Walking Tour
