ROMANIA
Bucharest and the
biggest spa in Europe
e travelled to Bucharest because we found cheap tickets, with no big plan besides the Therme that we wanted to visit. After all, it is known as the biggest spa in Europe, becoming more and more viral in the recent years.
It's an out-of-this-world, refreshing experience you must live at least once in your lifetime.
We booked a room at Upstairs Boutique (for 3 people, 3 nights, at €65 each) that I found by accident while scouting on Booking, and to be honest it looked cute and was relatively cheap. We arrived at night and the taxi driver drove around the address we gave him, searching for hotel and he eventually pulled over when he found the number. It was dark, the façade was an old and rusty building, with a banner that read “Cinema Bucuresti”, and no lights at all, front gate open. It looked deserted. There was little light on the street.
We walked in the front door and there was a deserted hallway that led to another door. At the end of the hallway and on our left was an old and dark marble staircase. Nope, that wasn’t it. We walked past the dark (but still beautiful garden), went up the metal staircase and up the spiral staircase inside the building.
Long story short, we found the lovely owner on the last floor. And the whole place was actually lovely, super clean, cosy and nice, we felt like home.
National Museum of Art
The museum was enormous (ticket is €4) and divided in in two; the European building and the Romanian building. First, at the European, there were work from the most famous painters of Europe, from Victor Brauner and Max Hermann Maxy to Rembrandt and El Greco, you name it, everyone was there. It was exceptional art from start to finish, the walls, the wallpapers, the furniture, the magnificent staircase that kinda reminded me of the “Harry Potter” movies. Remarkable collection and a must visit.
Therme
I discovered the Therme maybe two or three years before this trip. It was possibly the quickest I checked something off from my bucket list. We booked our tickets to the Therme and we took the Therme Bus that would lead us to a palm-tree filled paradise (it’s located in the northern area of the capital). For The Palm, the adult tickets are €17 for three hours Friday to Sunday or €14 for the weekdays. It’s a wellness centre with relaxation pools and thermal waters. The Palm was waiting for us and it was an extraordinary experience. I was a bit cautious because the reviews I have read talked about rude staff and long waiting hours but everything was perfect. There’s even a cafe so you can spend a whole day there.
Must do: The inside pool is around 30°C but you can swim outside through a revolving door in the pool. There you will experience an incredible contrast with your body in the hot water and your head confronting the cold air if you visit on winter (we were there on February). Everything below the surface was warm and everything above the surface was cold. It’s an out-of-this-world, refreshing experience you must live at least once in your lifetime.
Papanași
For the night it was time to taste tradition. The cozy little La Mama served us with Papanași which are big fried doughnuts covered with marmalade and cottage cheese. This fried (or, sometimes, boiled) treat originated in the mountains of Romania, where fresh dairy products were readily available. If you have to try only one traditional snack, let this be it. Just the thought of it makes me drool all over again.
The weather was cold but nothing uncomfortable. On our first days we saw bits of snow here and there (also, right outside the Therme) but on our last morning we woke up to a completely white scenery. Bucharest holds a special place in my heart, it was one of the first times I travelled outside of the known territories (Athens, London, Paris) and with family.
