Mixing the sights of the city center with the taste of the countryside, this tour takes you on a historical, architectural and culinary adventure through the many facets (and tastes) of Bucharest! Journey deep into the various neighborhoods of La Belle Époque period, while sampling traditional food made with ingredients sourced from local farmers.

Your tour begins in Piața Universității (The University Square), considered the heart of the city, geographically and culturally. Immediately after the Romanian Revolution, this was the scene of bloody clashes between miners and anti-communist students. Absorb all that sociopolitical history before starting down Strada Batiștei (Batiștei Steet), where you can see the former site of the United States embassy, a grandiose 19th century palace, right across the street from a sophisticated Art Deco building that used to host a Soviet organization. The entire area is famed for its diverse architecture, from richly ornated Eclectic buildings, to the national Neo-Romanian style, to Mediterranean and Ottoman influences, to the sleek simplicity of Art Deco and Modernism.

We’ll also visit the Armenian neighborhood, formerly inhabited by wealthy Armenian merchants, many of whom served as ‘middlemen’ for the Ottomans. This neighborhood also includes the oldest house in Bucharest, dating from the 17th century. After this taste of old city, we will jump back to the present for a quintessential contemporary experience of Bucharest: the local public transport.

Taking a short ride on a tram down the historical Moșilor Street, you’ll enter Communist Bucharest, with its regimented blocks and housing projects, heading for the famous Obor Market.
Before reaching the market, we will stop at a local restaurant for an introduction into Romanian cuisine. You will be sampling various traditional Romanian starters (gustări), depending on the season, including: a Romanian spread, local cheese and ham, plus local beer and brandy.