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Bucharest, Private Tour of the City

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240 minutes
English

Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena ruled the country for 24 years, from 1965 until 1989. During those years, Romania underwent several changes, and the population had to endure an endless number of injustices and restrictions. Generally, historians present the Romanian Communism in two segments: one between 1965 and 1971, and one between 1971 and 1989.

During his first years as a ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu had an open policy towards Western Europe and the United States of America, which strayed from the Warsaw Pact signed during the Cold War. This period is best characterized by a relative liberalization of Romania. A new constitution was adopted in 1965, and entrepreneurship was widely encouraged. The main focus of the Communist Party seemed to be the improvement of people's personal comfort, and large funds were allocated to building flats so that everyone could own a private residence.

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Bucharest, Private Tour of the City

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FromAUD $176.60Per Person

What's included in Bucharest, Private Tour of the City

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Itinerary

Ceausescu Mansion

Also known as the Spring Palace, is a luxurious building where Romania's former Communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, and his family, lived between 1965 and 1989. The Palace was built between 1964 and 1965, and it is surrounded by 14,830 square meters of land. The architecture designer of the palace was Aron Grimberg-Solari, and the landscaping was done by Robert Wolf, who also designed the furniture of the Ceausescu Palace.The Ceausescu Palace is located on Primaverii Street (Spring Street), where most of the houses in this area were built at the beginning of the 1930s. Initially, Primaverii was a neighborhood inhabited only by officials, because the gas and electricity factory was very close. Following the Russian model as a close example, the Communists searched for a single neighborhood to build houses for the state officials, and they choose this place. Thus, in 1950, the construction of the villas located in the neighborhood began.

Admission Ticket Not Included

Palace of Parliament

Built at the special request of Nicolae Ceausescu, leader of Romania's Communist Party, the colossal Parliament Palace - formerly known as "People's House" ( Casa Poporului ) - is the world's second largest administrative building after the U. S. Pentagon. It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build this masive structure that boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 350-ft.-long lobby and eight underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker. The Palace of Parliament it is the world's second-largest office building (floor area) and the third largest in volume (after Cape Canaveral Space Centre in the U.S. and the Great Pyramid in Egypt) When construction started on June 25, 1984, the building was intended it to be the headquarters of the country's Communist government. Today, it houses Romania's Parliament. Built, furnished and decorated exclusively with materials sourced and made in Romania, the building reflects the work of the country's best artisans.

Admission Ticket Not Included

House of the Free Press

An impressive edifice standing in the northern part of the city, since 1956, Casa Scanteii (as it is still universally known) was designed by architect Horia Maicu. The building is a smaller replica of the Lomonosov University in Moskow - Russia (inaugurated in 1953). Between 1956 and 1989, the House of the Free Press housed almost all of Romania's capital printing presses and headquarters of print media companies. Today, Casa Presei Libere carries out much the same function but the southern wing is now the home of the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

Admission Ticket Not Included

Inclusions

  • Private transportation
  • English speaking guide
  • Entry tickets to Ceausescu House
  • Dinner
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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Romania Tours and Trips