RunCity

Bucharest on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Bucharest's best-known sights, including Palace of the Parliament, CEC Palace, Stavropoleos Monastery and more. It is about 10 km on foot, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Bucharest leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 10 kmDistance
  • 3 hoursWalking
  • about 82 minRunning
Play Bucharest in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Bucharest
Photo: Madalin Pentelie · CC0

Bucharest's route runs north from the Palace of the Parliament through the old town and along Calea Victoriei to Herăstrău Park, about 10 km. It starts at the Palace of the Parliament, one of the heaviest buildings in the world, and reaches the glass dome of the CEC Palace and the old town lanes, where the little Stavropoleos Monastery has a carved stone porch and the Old Princely Court holds the ruins of Vlad the Impaler's palace.

The fountains of Unirii Square, University Square and Revolution Square, where the 1989 revolution came to a head, lead to the Romanian Athenaeum, the city's domed concert hall. Cișmigiu Gardens and the Arch of Triumph come next, and the bonus stop is the lakeside promenade of Herăstrău Park, Bucharest's biggest park. The northern leg is long; metro line M2 runs along most of it.

1234567891011

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Palace of the Parliament

    Palace of the Parliament Photo

    The enormous palace seen from Constitution Square.

    Photo: Bingar1234 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. CEC Palace

    CEC Palace Photo

    The glass dome of the bank palace on Calea Victoriei.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Stavropoleos Monastery

    Stavropoleos Monastery Photo

    The carved stone porch of the little church.

    Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast · Public domain

  4. Old Princely Court

    Old Princely Court

    The old church beside the ruins of Vlad the Impaler's court.

    Photo: Aisano · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Unirii Square Fountains

    Unirii Square Fountains Photo

    The long line of fountains stretching up the boulevard.

    Photo: bogdan · CC BY 2.0

  6. University Square

    University Square

    The busy crossroads in front of the university.

    Photo: Madalin Pentelie · CC0

  7. Revolution Square

    Revolution Square

    The memorial and the former Central Committee building.

    Photo: Antony Stanley from Gloucester, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

  8. Romanian Athenaeum

    Romanian Athenaeum Photo

    The columned concert hall and its round dome.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Cișmigiu Gardens

    Cișmigiu Gardens

    The lake and tree-shaded paths of the city's oldest park.

    Photo: Gabriel from Bucharest, Romania · CC BY 2.0

  10. Arch of Triumph

    Arch of Triumph Photo

    The triumphal arch at the northern end of Kiseleff Road.

    Photo: Nicolae Ionescu · Public domain

  11. Herăstrău Park

    Herăstrău Park Bonus

    The lakeside promenade of Bucharest's biggest park.

    Photo: Crislia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Bucharest in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Bucharest on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 10 km, roughly 3 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Some stops are far apart, so you may want public transport for a leg.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Bucharest is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Bucharest?

    Open Bucharest in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Bucharest leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Palace of the Parliament and finishing at Herăstrău Park. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities