Village Museum

As far as Bucharest attractions go, this is one of the best, weather permitting. Covering some 15 hectacres around Lake Herastrau, the Village Museum was founded by austere royal decree in 1936 and is one of the largest and oldest outdoor museums in Europe today. The Village Museum collects more than 60 homes, cottages, water- and windmills, barns and churches from all over Romania (most dating from the 19th century) in Herastrau Park, giving museum visitors a look at vintage village life and culture. Unfortunately, as with anything in Romania, many of the homesteads are invariably closed, and often the audio commentary on the outside of the various sites is no longer in working order. Nonetheless, it still makes for a pleasant summer's day out, particularly when craft workshops are taking place. Adults 6 ron, students 3 ron. See below for hours.

Pictured above: the half-submerged earth homes of Straja. Village Museum hours between November 1st and March 15th: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00 (closed Mondays). March 15th to November 1st: Tues to Sun, 9:00 to 19:00; Mon 10:00 to 18:00