Bucharest cruise port guide

About Bucharest

Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, a cosmopolitan metropolis on the River Dâmbovița nicknamed 'Paris of the East' for its belle époque architecture. The city blends grand 19th-century boulevards with communist-era monuments and a rapidly modernizing economy. River cruise passengers on the Danube typically visit Bucharest as a shore excursion from Giurgiu or as a pre/post-cruise gateway.

The Palace of the Parliament — one of the world's largest buildings — is the defining landmark of Ceaușescu-era ambition. The revamped Old Town (Centrul Veche) is the social heart, with the Old Princely Court (residence of Vlad the Impaler), abundant restaurants and bars, and pedestrian lanes. Calea Victoriei, the city's answer to the Champs-Élysées, is lined with 19th-century architecture. The Arcul de Triumf and the Basarab cable bridge round out the monumental sights.