Bucharest, Romania comes in as major city #57 on my Major City project and here I’ll share a few first impressions covering the city with my camera. While it’s been called “The Paris of the East,” Bucharest can get a bad rap. While I don’t really see where the Paris comparisons came from, Bucharest does have character. You just have to look for it more than many capital cities. It’s not the prettiest city, with a feeling of neglect and communist past in its atmosphere and architecture, but there’s interest in its edge with some exploration. And beneath that rough exterior, you’ll also find a young, dynamic vibrance to the city mixed with history.
So here are my first impressions of Bucharest, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
7 First Impressions of Bucharest
(From a Street Photography Perspective)
1. Little info online for such a big city
At over 2 million people, Bucharest is one of the largest cities in the EU. It’s also a very known city, but surprisingly has little info online compared to many other less known and smaller capital cities. I always research beforehand so I have a head start on areas to explore and places of interest for photography, and from there I walk as many places I can to find more to capture. But in Bucharest, most info ends at the small old town. So, this meant even more walking and discovering on my own.
Bucharest feels like a very livable city, which is echoed by how many EU expats there are moving here recently, but for a visitor it can be more difficult to find interest. Bucharest takes time to get to know and you really need to do it on your own. You won’t find much help, but for many that can be enjoyable in itself. And after putting many kilometers on foot in Bucharest, hopefully I can add a little help for future visitors and street photographers. A city like Bucharest is one of the major reasons I started this blog for others.
2. A Mix of Old & New, Neglect & Vibrance
Bucharest has been called “The Paris of the East” in the past, but once you see it, you might wonder why. There is an interesting mix of architecture here, but there’s also a strong presence of its communist past and some neglect. Many of the older buildings are crumbling or abandoned in parts of the city and there’s an abundance of soviet style apartment blocks. I wouldn’t call it the prettiest city, but you can feel a lot of its history while walking the streets. Mixed into this old feeling, there’s a completely different energy that also comes from the city. While the atmosphere looks old, the vibe is young and new. There’s a younger, hipster vibe that fills the city with cafes, restaurants, bars and places to go. Bucharest is one of the largest and cheapest capital cities in the EU, which has helped it become a popular place for young EU expats to move for jobs, cheap living and fun. For this crowd, there’s endless new places to go and things to do, many hidden within that old exterior. The outside doesn’t always match the inside.
I have a friend from Portugal that moved here for work and his feelings only echoed my impressions of the city. The more time you stay here, the more you find out you like about it. As for street photography, it can be the same. First impressions might be disappointing, but with time you can find that energy and mix of character and life.
3. Not the most interesting old town, but worth checking out
Bucharest’s Old City (Lipscani) is most of what’s left from pre-WWII Bucharest, when much of the city was destroyed. The Old City itself was put through extensive renovation too, making it feel nice, but not as authentically old, in my opinion. For many tourists, this area will be their favorite. A charming, compact old town filled with restaurants, bars and shops. It’s a nice place to spend some time with family and friends, while enjoying all the places to go in a small area, which extends to its nightlife.
As far as street photography goes, though, I can’t say it rivals many other Old Cities. It’s not very big and minus a few sites and typical older atmosphere, there’s not much to see compared to other Old Cities. In my opinion, it’s more of a hot spot for fun, which can make it good for activity. So, for some guaranteed life mixed with a different atmosphere in Bucharest, you still have to make your way here with your camera. Its location was my favorite part, as it’s right in the middle of other nearby spots to shoot.
4. Moșilor is an interesting nearby area to explore
Calea Moșilor is a historic street that runs from Obor to Piata Sf. Gheorghe. The section northeast of Bulevardul Carol up to Obor has two lanes and is more of a major road lined with communist era apartment buildings, but is less interesting in my opinion. The section southwest of Bulevardul Carol down to Piata Sf. Gheorghe is only one lane, but passes through old houses built in the 19th century and makes for an interesting area for street photography. While a little edgy and run down, it’s filled with character and older local atmosphere to explore. I spent a good amount of time walking this area called Moșilor with my camera, while making sure to always stop at Piata Sf. Gheorghe. There’s a small park here with a church, but the tram stop in front is where the best activity is. While only being across the street from the touristy Lipscani, the atmosphere here isn’t touristy. You’re likely to capture some characters and interesting scenes if you spend enough time here. And its location makes a perfect jump off spot to Lipscani, Piața Unirii or any of other active areas in the center.
5. Gare de Nord Train station is another solid spot with great light
Fellow street photographer and friend Gabi ben Avraham recommended Bucharest’s main train station for street photography from his last visit to the city. After going, I can see why he did, especially with his personal photographic style. There’s great light and shadow at Gare de Nord, some of the best in the city. The train platforms are all outside so the sunlight comes down beautifully, especially the last few hours of the day. The train station also attracts plenty of activity and characters. There’s a mix of people taking the train, but also plenty of locals hanging out. The variety of life makes it interesting. I ended up coming here many times to finish the day because of the light at that time and because the main metro station here is perfect for taking you back home when done. You can spend hours walking up and down the different platforms and exploring the rest of the station, inside and out.
6. Obor Market is a prime spot to stop
Obor is the name of a main square and metro station in Bucharest, and also home to one of the oldest and largest markets in the city. For 300 years it was the largest market in the city, covering 16 blocks and selling everything you can imagine, but has since been downsized to include a park and some more modern buildings. Still, there’s plenty of authentic old style market left to explore with your camera and its central location makes it a perfect spot for guaranteed activity. Produce dominates much of the market, which provides plenty of colors, but you’ll find other goods for sale and I’d recommend exploring the park and surrounding area too. Within the city, Obor is probably your best spot for market life for street photography. It’s big, still feels old, and has lots of foot traffic in the area, especially on the weekend. Plus, it’s by a prime metro station to get you there and take you elsewhere.
7. Trolleys and metro are good for getting you around, while Taxis are very cheap
I prefer walking to get most places, but Bucharest does have a decent metro and trolley system that I used more than most cities. The underground system isn’t the prettiest one and it’s not easy to find an accurate map, but once you know the main lines, it gets you places that aren’t quickly walkable. I probably used the trolleys more, though, as Bucharest’s system of trolleys stands out compared to other cities, making it also a bit of a city symbol. They’re all over the city, especially in some key areas, making it easy to just hop on when you’re already walking that way. On top of these transportation options, though, Bucharest’s taxis are some of the cheapest around. Surprisingly cheap, even for the region, so for a city that’s not particularly small and with many spots spread out, you have plenty of budget options to get around.
If any of you have been to Bucharest before, tell me about your experience and impressions of the city and country in the comments below! And stay tuned for more on Bucharest, including some of the best Street Photography shots I captured while there.
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(from a street photographer’s perspective)
Awesome post with nice tips and photos. Thanks for sharing!
Appreciate it!
I am sorry but Bucharest is much more than you presented in your photos. The horrible scenes you caught with your camera are not at all relevant. They just put in a bad light a very beautiful and unique city.
PS: If you did not see the parisian corners of Bucharest, let me tell you that you are a bit blind.
Not blind, I saw it all and more. While I don’t agree that anything here puts the city in a bad light, my work’s focus has never been generic postcard pictures and is more about life, character and unique interest/content. Sounds like you look down on certain things that I don’t.