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Relics of Communism: 3-Hours Walking Tour
5.0
17 Ratings
București
Explore relics of communism in Bucharest on a 3-hour walking tour. Discover Nicolae Ceausescu’s life story, visit the Palace of the Parliament, and learn about the 1989 uprising. Experience the impact of communism on the city and decide how you feel about it.
Explore relics of communism in Bucharest on a 3-hour walking tour. Discover Nicolae Ceausescu’s life story, visit the Palace of the Parliament, and learn about the 1989 uprising. Experience the impact of communism on the city and decide how you feel about it.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Revolution Square - Start the tour at the balcony where Ceausescu delivered his final speech. Listen to the story of the ‘89 Revolution at the very location where it began.
- Piața 21 Decembrie 1989 - Discover the events of December 21, 1989, and learn about the revolution’s heroes and the neo-communist era.
- Piata Unirii - Explore Unirii…
- Revolution Square - Start the tour at the balcony where Ceausescu delivered his final speech. Listen to the story of the ‘89 Revolution at the very location where it began.
- Piața 21 Decembrie 1989 - Discover the events of December 21, 1989, and learn about the revolution’s heroes and the neo-communist era.
- Piata Unirii - Explore Unirii Square, the new city center developed during the Communist era, divided by the expansive Unirii Boulevard. Understand the rise of Romania’s communist party and Nicolae Ceausescu’s personality cult.
- Mihai Voda Monastery - Uncover the hidden churches of Bucharest and the communist regime’s stance on religion.
- Palace of Parliament - Visit the new districts of “Socialist realism,” including Unirii Boulevard and the Palace of the Parliament, designed as the ultimate power center. Discover the secrets of the world’s second-largest administrative building.
What's Included
- Complimentary snacks
- Complimentary snacks
What's Not Included
- Admission to any museums
- Admission to any museums
Additional Information
Communism has been present for over 40 years. Bucharest is filled with “souvenirs” from that era: ranging from grand projects to neglected areas, sometimes even reflected in current mindsets and visible bullet holes. We invite you to delve into every facet of life during this time and understand its impact on today’s city.
On this tour, you will learn…
Communism has been present for over 40 years. Bucharest is filled with “souvenirs” from that era: ranging from grand projects to neglected areas, sometimes even reflected in current mindsets and visible bullet holes. We invite you to delve into every facet of life during this time and understand its impact on today’s city.
On this tour, you will learn about Nicolae Ceausescu’s true life story and envision his socialist dream at Union Square. You will be captivated by the Palace of the Parliament. You will hear what the secret police Securitate files sounded like right in front of their headquarters. You will uncover myths and truths about the 1989 uprising at Revolution Square.
We will reflect on the tragic stories of the violent 1989 revolution, enjoy the humor in jokes about Ceausescu, and ultimately, you will form your own opinion about the Romanian version of communism.
Location
Revolution Square
Piața Revoluției
Meet your guide at the Memorial of Rebirth in the Revolution Square.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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Scott_r
May 21, 2024
Highly recommend Relics of Communism Tour - My husband and I were in Bucharest for the first time. Had we just walked through the city , we would have missed the significance of many of the statues and buildings Mara had taken us to. Mara answered all our questions about life in the time of Communism with great detail. She is very personable and knowledgeable and wonderful tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Tim
Apr 5, 2024
Great tour of Bucharest learning lots of history and culture. - Mara was absolutely a wonderful guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and very nice and friendly. Would recommend her to any and everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Markstef2016
Sep 26, 2022
Highly recommended - Elena provided a very interesting behind the scenes perspective of life during and downfall of Communism. Was also able to provide tour of areas that you can only reach on foot and are not part of normal bus tours. We were a small group of only three people, which added a very personal side of tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C3767qbbrooked
Jul 15, 2022
A meaningful experience - Elena was a great guide. Friendly and knowledgeable, she was able to put what we saw into context and answer all of my questions. I feel I know so much more about Bucharest/Romania’s communist history because of this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer_scotland
Nov 17, 2021
Fantastic tour with Elena - Romania and Bucharest is one of the last European countries I had left to visit, and for a recent trip that took in Odesa and Chisianu, my last stop before flying home was Bucharest.
I had a basic understand of Romanian history, but I like to get deeper into a street level feel for the places I visit, and this tour was right up my street.
Booked through tripadvisor, and was shocked a week beforehand when I got a whatsapp message from Elena asking if I would not mind joining a larger tour and getting a further hour at no extra cost.
Being someone who likes to get the most out of new cities I visit, I had no issue with this.
Met at the new spot, and Elena showed up right on time.
A LOT of ground was covered in 4 hours, and to be honest, maybe the last 30 minutes seemed to drag on a little bit as people started to get tired and minds turned to other things, but Elena kept the tour really interesting and I really enjoyed it.
You walk right around the centre of Bucharest, and no matter what direction we walked, we seemed to find ourselves within stones throw of the Parliament building.
Fantastic insight into what life was like during Communist times under Nicolae Ceaușescu, with details on where people lived, what conditions were like, how the city grew and ultimately what lead to Ceaușescu downfall.
The first part of the tour you wind your way down to the Nation's Heroes Memorial, with great views of the city, and after that you start to make your way to the Palace of Parliament.
Once this bit is over with you finally make your way up the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where Ceaușescu made his final speech in power of Romania.
As said, maybe the last 20 minutes got a little bit boring, but for 4 hours it truly was a excellent tour and thanks to Elena, came away knowing a lot more on Bucharest and the history of Romania than I did before.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek814830
Mar 10, 2020
Best Tour of Bucharest - I can not say enough positive things about our tour of Bucharest. Elena was willing to work with us to create an itinerary which encompassed everything we wanted to see in relation to communist Bucharest. She even found us a great authentic lunch place, and arranged for the purchase of tickets at the Parliament!
Thank you so much Elena, and we look forward to seeing you the next time we are in Romania.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kurtzl
Jan 22, 2020
Fantastic journey through Bucharest’s past - Our guide Elena went through the trouble of contacting me a few days before the tour to remind me as I booked it quite a few months ago. A good professional touch. We met Elena and she was a fantastic guide who was most knowledgeable and had an answer for every question we asked. She give good concise history of Bucharest, the rise and era of Ceausescu and his ultimate downfall. Visited some interesting spots including a walk up Unirii Boulevard to the Palace of Parliament, and the former Commmunist Party HQ where Ceausescu gave his last speech. She also showed us adjacent buildings with bullet holes from the Revolution violence. Elena gave us awesome recommendation for lunch (in the Old Town) - true to her word, there was no waitstaff out front hassling is to come in. Waking tour lasted 3hrs. Brilliant tour, worth doing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clarkieessential
Oct 13, 2019
Elena is great! - We just finished our tour with Elena and have to say it was fantastic! She is super knowledgeable - about Romania, history, culture and in particular the communist period. We covered a lot of the city in our walking tour and had some great conversations. Plenty of breaks too and a little subway trip too. One of the best city tours ever. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robertsd3290wt
Oct 4, 2019
Excellent Overview of Communism in Romania - Information about Communism in Romania is hard to find. Not much is taught about it in the schools here. A couple of days ago Elena led us on a tour of a few of the local sites and shared her family's experience during that time. She has gathered information herself from various sources. It helped us understand the history. A very good tour. Afterward she sent us a few links to online videos. We are happy that we took this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly
Sep 13, 2019
Excellent tour - We were very fortunate that although it was just my husband and myself the tour went ahead. It was a excellent tour and I really appreciated the personal stories and insights. Thanks Elena
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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