General Trend of Tourists’ Online Searches

• Online interest in Bucharest grew significantly in 2024, with 750,000 website views and over 10 million social media post views—double the figures from 2023.
• Top online traffic sources came from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, and France.
• There was an increasing tendency for foreigners to look up local events, concerts, festivals, and traditional attractions and historical sites.

Country-Specific Interests

• UK tourists: Searched for “Bucharest Therme” and the “Fountain Show.”
• US tourists: Focused on “locations where the Netflix series Wednesday was filmed” and information on traditional Romanian cuisine and restaurants.
• Bulgarian tourists: Showed particular interest in Christmas markets, concerts, and festivals.

Consistent Themes:

• Interest in Bucharest’s communist history and architecture remained strong.
• There is a notable increase in searches for contemporary cultural events, concerts, and festivals compared to previous years.

Most Searched Attractions (including seasonal):

1. Bucharest Christmas Market
2. Bucharest Fountain Show
3. Old Town
4. Parliament Palace (Palatul Parlamentului)
5. Therme Bucharest

Most Searched Restaurants:

1. Caru’ cu Bere
2. Berăria H
3. Hanu’ lui Manuc
4. Linea Closer to the Moon
5. City Grill (Primăverii & Covaci)
6. NOR Sky

Most Searched Museums/Exhibitions:

1. Ceaușescu House
2. Village Museum (Muzeul Satului)
3. “Salvador Dali Universe” Exhibition at Gabroveni Inn
4. Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History
5. National Museum of Art

Most Searched Events:

1. Open Streets Bucharest
2. Garden of Lights – Botanical Garden
3. BIAS – Bucharest International Air Show
4. West Side Hallo Fest
5. West Side Flower Fest

Most Searched Festivals/Concerts:

• Major international artists and events, including:
  • 50 Cent – Summer in the City Festival
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Coldplay

Most Popular Guided Tours:

1. “Calea Victoriei – Piața Revoluției” tour
2. “Attractions of Communism” tour
3. “Piața Universității – Piața Unirii – Old Town” tour
4. “Strada Kiseleff – Piața Victoriei” tour

Most Used Search Phrases:

• “Public transport in Bucharest”
• “Traditional Romanian food”
• “Traditional restaurants in Bucharest”
• “Events in Bucharest”
• “Flea market in Bucharest”
• “Locations where the Netflix series Wednesday was filmed”
• “Street art in Bucharest”
• “Shopping in Bucharest”
• “Communist buildings in Bucharest”

Popular Day Trip Destinations from Bucharest:

1. Royal Court Târgoviște
2. Bran Castle
3. Peleș Castle
4. Brașov

About Visit Bucharest

Visit Bucharest is the leading English-language online guide for international visitors to Romania’s capital.

In 2024, it reached over 500,000 foreign tourists online and over 10 million social media users.

Nicusor Dan, the general mayor of the city, declared that the Tourism Promotion and Development Association in Bucharest is officially operational. The Association will receive the necessary funding this year to launch its operations and carry out its goals to promote tourism in the nation’s Capital.

Promotional opportunities for tourism in the Capital are considerable. Foreign visitors have a strong interest in visiting the city, according to a study by Visit Bucharest titled „Most Frequent Online Searches of Foreign Tourists in Bucharest.” Any activity promoting tourism will require funding, and the Capital currently has a functioning tourism promotion and development association.

The first stage for which we have already started the steps is the realization of a tourism strategy that will highlight Bucharest, as it happens in any European capital. In this sense, we will request advice from experienced economic operators. Only through strategic planning can we attract tourists to visit the Capital, and we can implement impactful projects in this area. The association includes, along with the Municipality of Bucharest, representative institutions, organizations and federations.

Nicusor Dan, Bucharest’s general mayor

Bucharest is a vibrant, energetic city deserving of its place as a global tourism icon. The Open Streets and Fountain Show projects are among the many initiatives of Capital City Hall that draw visitors from abroad to the Romanian Capital.

As tourists visiting Viscri have always been very keen to see and learn as much as possible about the connection that HRH The Prince of Wales has with the village, the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation decided in 2021 to transform the house in Viscri into an open house that speaks about his passion for traditional architecture, sustainable agriculture, the protection of biodiversity and our valuable cultural heritage – in other words, about the love of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for Romania.

Mihai Grigore, administrator of the Prince of Wales House in Whisper

The house at Viscri 163 was bought in 2006 in response to the Prince of Wales’ visits to the region. It served as a guesthouse until 2021, serving as an example of good practices in converting a basic country house into a location where visitors can appreciate the beauty of traditional architecture, taste local products, and enjoy nature.

The Transylvania Florilegium, a permanent exhibit that showcases the first books of this calibre written about the plants of this area and is currently housed in the house at 163 Viscri’s converted courtyard, was commissioned by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, a fervent advocate for the preservation of this priceless environment.

Some of the top modern botanical artists in the world visited Transylvania for five years while researching the flora around HRH Prince of Wales’ lands in Viscri and Valea Zălanului, where the paintings of the floristry were created.

Each of the 124 botanical drawings in Transylvanian floristry comes with a scientific description that will help readers understand the variety and beauty of the Transylvanian flora and motivate them to help protect it. The illustrations are organized into two volumes.

Tourists can explore a straightforward, traditional Saxon home at the House of the Prince of Wales in Viscri and sample regional fare in the cafe.

Visitors can learn about the summer schools organized by the Prince of Wales Foundation in Romania, in collaboration with the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR), while strolling through the grounds, as well as about a gardening program set up for young people in the hamlet.

The Electronic Public Procurement System states that promoting city-break trips is the primary goal of Romanian tourism publicity on social media.

Through the eyes of the influencers, the Romanian Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism hopes to promote tourism in Romania. Up to July 28, the Ministry anticipates receiving fantastic and original proposals from social media influencers.

Promoting something in a more lively and relatable manner is very important nowadays, so influencers are a powerful tool indeed because this way, we can reach a larger audience that may become interested in travelling to Romania.

Emma Hermeneanu, Visit Bucharest project manager

According to Valahia News, use influencers’ online networks to drive as many people as possible to the Ministry’s social platforms and the website romania.travel. The selection process for 2022 contest will take place in September and October and will concentrate on three different categories of influencers: micro-influencers, who have fewer than 100,000 followers, macro-influencers, who have between 100,000 and 1 million followers, and mega-influencers, who have more than 1 million.

The Guardian writes that after being extinct in the wild, European bison were reintroduced to Poland in 1954 and Romania in 2012.

In search of Europe’s largest land animal, photographer Alexander Turner and rangers from the Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) travelled. One of three projects being carried out by the FCC to reintroduce bison to Romania’s Carpathians is in the Fagaras Mountains.

The reintroduction of bison is not only a matter of repairing past environmental mistakes or a case of modern biodiversity conservation, but it is also an excellent example of how nature conservation can help local communities thrive by developing ecotourism programmes.

Adrian Aldea, FCC’s biologist and wildlife manager

According to Valahia News, about half of the Carpathian Mountains are located in Romania. Little habitat fragmentation allows bison to find places to eat, rest, and move long distances. The highest range in the southern Carpathians, the Fagaras Mountains, contain vast tracts of territory that the FCC hopes to rewild.

According to Valahia News, the Bucharest Faculty of Horticulture recognizes that most countries have a national flower closely linked to the geographical, cultural, and economic space in state symbols such as flags, coats of arms, etc.

Examples include the tulip for the Netherlands, Turkey, and Hungary, the chrysanthemum for the Imperial Family of Japan, the rose for the United States, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, and so on. In Romania, the idea of ​​a national flower has been outlined since the reign of King Carol I, being made, over time, several proposals: rosehip, cornflower, peony (…) But none has been legislated, so so that our country is today in the situation of not having a national flower.

The initiators of the petition

The peony includes all five species that grow spontaneously on the Romanian territory from Banat to Dobrogea and Oltenia to Transylvania and Moldova: Paeonia peregrina, Paeonia tenuifolia, Paeonia triternata, Paeonia mascula, Paeonia officinalis, ssp. Banatica and three cultivated species: Paeonia officinalis, Paeonia lactyflora, Paeonia suffruticosa.

Reasons why peony should become Romania’s national flower

According to Ziare.com, there are solid arguments why the peony should be the national flower of Romania. Here is the top ten reasons why:

1. Five species of a peony grow spontaneously in Romania in nature reserves protected by law, having a great biological and ornamental potential;

2. In addition to spontaneous species, in the country, there are 3 cultivated species with over 100 varieties;

3. In several regions of the country, peony holidays and festivals are organized annually in May;

4. Peony plants have great decorative potential, being indispensable in parks, private and public gardens;

5. The peony is specially cultivated for use in bouquets and floral arrangements.

6. Because of its high ecological adaptability, the peony can be grown almost anywhere in the country, from the plains to the mountains.

7. Peony flowers are very popular throughout the country, serving as inspiration for Romanian folklore, music, literature, and art.

8. Peony is the first or last name of over 100,000 Romanians.

9. The peony flower is often associated with health and physical and spiritual beauty in popular consciousness.

10. Peony has been valued as a plant with therapeutic properties in Romanian folk medicine since ancient times.

Should the peony become the national flower of Romania, given what has been said before? Although a less popular flower internationally, the peony symbol may represent the Romanian people through its beauty and its significance. If you think that the peony does not represent Romania, which flower do you think would fit better?

Photo source: REZERVATIA NATURALA – Bujorul de Stepa – Zau De Campie Facebook Page

The film „Wild Romania” premiered at TIFF 2021 and won honours for best documentary, best original music, and best sound at the Gopo 2022 Awards.

The miniseries „Wild Romania” is the result of a team’s efforts that spanned thousands of kilometres, hundreds of hours of filming, and ten years of planning.

The three episodes, narrated in Romanian by Melania Medeleanu and in English by Peter Venn, take you on a thrilling adventure through stunning and difficult-to-reach locations, telling fascinating anecdotes about Romania’s biodiversity.

I watched the movie dizzy with such beauty. And if I usually want my voice to be heard when I speak, this time I wanted it to be more whispered, to add information without distracting from the song of nature. I read with love and emotion and, especially, with gratitude to those who brought the wild beauty of our Romania to the screens.

Melania Medeleanu

The voyage begins with the long-awaited coming of spring, a season of hope, when most creatures are preparing for a new life cycle, in the first episode, „Hope Season,” which premieres on HBO Max on May 12 (48 minutes). the viewer will find the finest kept secrets of Europe’s wildness, from the harsh living in the high Alps to the southern steppes of Romania.

The second episode of „Season of Abundance” – airing May 19 on HBO Max (49 minutes) – continues the story with the arrival of summer, a season of abundance, when young animals begin to appreciate the beauty of life and accept the challenges that nature presents in various regions, from the beautiful Transylvanian mountains to the continent’s largest body of water.

„Season of Change” – May 26 on HBO Max (48 minutes) – the third episode of the miniseries transports us to beautiful vistas of autumn and winter, passing through incredible secular woods and many of the country’s unique landscapes.

The initiative „Wild Romania” has had the backing of environmental NGOs, park and nature reserve administration, and the entire community of photographers and nature enthusiasts from its inception.

On Tuesday, April 15, a video exhibition featuring 11 gipsy personalities, including Ion Voicu, Charlie Chaplin, and Johnny Raducanu, will be held in the Bucharest metro.

Bucharest Metro

We are happy to launch a new project in collaboration with Metrorex and the National Roma Culture Center, in which we bring to the attention of travellers personalities of Roma culture, special people from various fields of activity, from film to painting, people in research who deserve to be noticed, because we know and believe that art can change mentalities, can unite people and then this approach has the role of bringing to the attention of the public Roma personalities who change history.

Alexandra Marin, Art Safari project manager

For the next 30 days, brief, 25-second videos containing informational capsules about gipsy people and their creation will be presented on subway stations and highway screens.

The show features personalities like as Charlie Chaplin, Alina Erban, Zita Moldovan, Delia Grigore, Moca Rudy, Mihaela Dragan, Vasile Burtea, Ion Voicu, Eugen Raportoru, and Nicolae Gheorghe.

They are just the first 11 we have selected because we hope that this project will have continuity to promote the culture of minorities. You’ve all heard of Charlie Chaplin or Johnny Răducanu, and maybe not everyone knows that these personalities are Roma and are known worldwide. In addition to these, we also have well-known Romanians such as the violinist Ion Voicu or the young artists Mihaela Dragan and Zita Moldovan – fashion designers. So, you will discover information from various fields.

Alexandra Marin, Art Safari project manag

According to Mihai Neacsu, director of the National Romani Culture Center, the show is an essential step in promoting Roma people.

He expressed the hope that after the exhibition’s 30-day run, many Bucharest residents, not just tourists, will have a „balanced” picture of gipsies.

This exhibition is an important step for promoting gipsy personalities who have brought pride to their culture. It means that we are beginning to realize that the gipsy elite assumed from an ethnic point of view, has a very important role in developing and promoting Romani culture. Our minority needs elite air and not the other way around. The elite also manages without the National Romani Culture Center and the National Agency for Romani. Still, we, as organizations, as a Romani movement, need as an air an elite that assumes its ethnic identity in public and represents role models. for Roma students and young people.

Mihai Neacsu, director of the National Romani Culture Center

Anyone who fled the war on Ukrainian territory can cross the threshold of these cultural institutions without paying a ticket or entrance fee, based on an identity card – identity card, passport, student card or driver’s license. For minors, it is recommended that they be accompanied by their parents or a close relative.

The „George Enescu” Philharmonic offers, beyond the possibility of a free visit to the Romanian Athenaeum, free access to concerts for refugees from Ukraine, within the available seats.

Romanian Athenaeum

The National Museum of Contemporary Art of Romania has transformed its cafe into a community space, where those affected by the war on Ukrainian territory receive internet access, hot drinks, snacks, everything is available free of charge. Visitors are welcome to contribute with what can be helpful: tea, coffee, biscuits, chocolate or snacks.

Until Friday, more than 90 refugees crossed the threshold of the National Museum of History of Romania. MNIR employees bought products that they donated to the aid centre in Calea Griviţei 200.

The „Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum has provided a collection space for donations for refugee reception centres. This week, they visited the Ukrainian museum at the Corbeanca refuge, and workshops were organized for their children.

The National Museum of Art of Romania announces that it offers free access to Ukrainian refugees at the headquarters and satellite museums, respectively the Museum of Art Collections, the KH Zambaccian Museum and Theodor Pallady Museum, from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10.00 and 18.00.

I went to the museum over the weekend and there were a lot of refugees visiting. With children, with families, in groups. We had already set up free access points. They will come again.

Călin Stegerean the general director of MNAR

Here are the luxury hotels in the Romanian capital

1. Epoque Hotel – Relais & Chateaux

This hotel is located in the heart of Bucharest, just a few steps from Cismigiu Central Park. The hotel is far from the noise of the city and offers its guests a transfer from and to the airport, an outdoor swimming pool but also an indoor one, a bar that will serve you almost permanently with soft drinks, hot or cold, depending on everyone’s preferences, a spa and wellness centre equipped to the highest standards, free Wi-Fi internet access on the entire surface of the property, a parking space in the free and private parking of the hotel, a fitness centre equipped with the newest appliances and a restaurant „L` atelier – l’art culinaire” run by a French master. It will delight you with international dishes cooked with good taste and mastery. The accommodation units have air conditioning, a French balcony, a garden view, two flat-screen TVs and a private bathroom with the best complimentary toiletries.

2. Grand Hotel Continental

Grand Hotel Intercontinental is located on Calea Victoriei, just a few steps from the National Museum of Art and the Romanian Athenaeum. For a night spent at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental, you pay around 500 lei for a standard room. The hotel has two fine restaurants offering various Balkan specialties: Romanian and international dishes. The place is trendy, especially since it is only 25 minutes away from Henri Coanda Airport.

3. Radisson Blu Hotel Bucharest

Radisson Blu Hotel is located in the heart of Bucharest, and it is launching the commercial and business district. This hotel offers its guests free private parking. You will have free Wi-Fi internet access throughout the property. The hotel has a spa and wellness centre equipped with the highest standards. But also an indoor pool and a seasonal outdoor pool. And a fitness centre that is constantly renewed with the best equipment. You will also find a bar with a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and also the largest casino in Romania.

4. JW Marriott

JW Marriott remains one of the top choices tourists make when spending their holidays in Romania. The hotel has 402 rooms and six luxury restaurants serving gourmet food. The building is built in the classical style. It is located right next to the Parliament Palace, being the perfect destination for both heads of state and several members of the royal families over time.

5. The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection

The Marmorosch Hotel building history unfolded in the Beautiful Age of La Belle Epoque. The rich architecture of Art-Deco and the interior design tell a story of progressive ideas of the time, evoking a thrilling sense of historical importance and optimism closely tied to the era. Currently, the hotel features 217 rooms from standard category to suites, four meeting and ballrooms, 4 F&B outlets (restaurant, lounge, bar, coffee corner), a fitness centre and SPA with an indoor pool and treatment rooms.