Bucharest Under Communism: Life, Terror & Hope
Description
Three decades have passed since the demise of communism. In spite of the tremendous growth Romania has experienced ever since, the remnants of this regime are still noticeable. That is why most aspects of everyday life were transformed by communism: from the political class to public health care to the urban architecture. Find out the many shocking tales of what life was like under communism. Furthermore learn about the brutality with which this system was enforced in Romania. Get insight into the dictator Ceausescu’s fascinating life story, from his childhood to his execution.Lastly, understand the difficult transition from socialism to democracy that Romania experienced. This is an immersive half-day tour around Bucharest that will take you to some of the main communist sights.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Located in the middle of the city, Unirii Square was designed during the last phase of Communism in Romania. Spectacular thanks to its splendid fountains, it also is crossed by the biggest avenue in Bucharest: the former Victory of Socialism Boulevard . Standing here and taking a stroll on the boulevard will reveal the megalomaniac vision that the Romanian dictator had in store for Bucharest.
The Palace of the Parliament is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon and the most expensive administrative building. We will see this building from the outside and get a true sense of its gigantic size. For this, vast amounts of money, materials and work effort were needed. What is more, this structure was made by subjecting the Romanian people to shortages of all kinds during the 1980's. You will hear the whole story of how this enormous building was made, what the locals think about it while having viewing it from different angles. Standing across the palace is the Academia Romana building, a large scale construction in a similar style. It was intended for the use of the dictator’s wife, Elena Ceausescu. However, like several other buildings from the 1980s, it was only half finished. Nowadays, a large section of it is left in ruins as a sore reminder of the dictator’s megalomaniac vision of Bucharest
You find out how some churches were destroyed while others were saved in a shocking way during the Communist period. Churches hidden behind the utilitarian buildings are a curious sight that depict how the Communist Party dealt with religion. The Mihai Voda Churchh is a religious place from the Middle Ages which fortunately survived the demolition frenzy and is a testimony of how Bucharest looked before.
The Revolution Square is where the communist regime began and where it all ended with the people’s protests during the Revolution of 1989. You will see the building that housed Ceausescu's office, the balcony where the dictator had his last speech and the places that saw the first mass demonstration in Bucharest. Here you will understand what happened to those who demonstrated against totalitarianism, the story behind the monument dedicated to them and what happened in the aftermath of the Revolution.
The spot where the main protests against communism took place in 1989, with hundreds being massacred for their belief in a free society.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(84)
I am deeply disappointed with this experience; it is definitely not worth the price. The tour guide (I believe his name was Stefan) had a terrible attitude. The entire time he was rushing us and didn't give us enough time to actually enjoy the places we visited. The icing on the cake was when he called me just to yell at me because I decided to stay behind instead of returning with the group. Since I couldn’t enjoy the castles properly, I explained to him that it was my birthday and I wanted to stay longer to explore. He rudely snapped back, asking if I thought he was going to wait for me until tomorrow. Terrible service altogether. He didn’t explain anything well; we paid for a Spanish tour, but he spoke in English most of the time, and when he did speak Spanish, it was barely understandable. On top of that, he was rude and completely lacked empathy.
I really enjoyed the Bucharest Under Communism: Life, Terror & Hope tour last weekend and it was a really great experience. The tour was very interesting and well explained, with lots of insights into what life was actually like during the communist period. Also as a bonus we got overall tips for the city (where to eat, where to go to etc) The guide made the history easy to understand and engaging, sharing stories that you wouldn’t get just by reading or visiting on your own. It really helps you see Bucharest or Romania from a local.
Thank you very much for booking the tour of Communism, Cornee! It was a pleasure to meet, to show you around, to share stories about the city's past and from the private lives of people who lived through the Communist period. We wish you all the best and many great travels!
Stefania was an incredible guide from start to finish! She communicated before the tour, met the two of us (no one else booked on) in pouring rain (our choice, we were unable to do any other day, though this was offered to us) and Stefania was so knowledgeable, professional and kind. The 3+ hours tour flew by and we had a sense of the city of Bucharest and its people that no other experience in our visit had provided for us. Thankyou Stefania!!
This was an absolutely phenomenal tour!!! Extremely well put together, very thorough, as complete as possible within the scheduled period of time (3.5 hours), extraordinary, informative, and detailed. All these presented by a very knowledgeable, kind, fun, very professional, passionate, and patient guide!!! We never expected to enjoy the tour so much !!! And on top of that, the tour price was amazingly affordable for this unique experience !!! Extremely grateful for the experience that Stefania provided!!!
This was an absolutely phenomenal tour!!! Extremely well put together, very thorough, as complete as possible within the time period of time (3.5 hr), extraordinary informative and detailed. All this presented by a vey knowledgeable, kind, fun, very professional, passionate and patient guide!!! We never expected to enjoy the tour so much!!! And on top of that, the tour price was amazingly affordable for this unique experience!!! Extremely grateful for experience that Stefania provided!!!!
Very good tour with Laura who did an amazing job at showing us around and displaying the city in an historical perspective. Really an eye opening experience! I do recommend :)
Laura was fantastic! She was so kind and shared great facts about Romania’s history. A perfect way to start our trip. Highly recommend!
This is a fantastic introduction to Romanian history and in particular the recent history under communism until the revolution in 1989. Tamar was knowledgeable and an excellent guide
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour and found it to be a great introduction to Romanian history. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you wonderful future travels!
We had already done the morning tour of the old city and in the afternoon we also did the “communism” tour. Laura was professional, nice and explained so many things that we did not know.
Laura showed us the highlights of Bucharest, we had a great and fun experience. Starting at the center and the end at the Parliament with some good tips about local food
