Spending an extended period in one city means more time to explore its culture and history, engage in themed tours, or even check out its surroundings. Those who plan to spend more than one month in Bucharest can scratch the layer of the first impressions and delve deeper into the city's contrasts and surprises.

Hotel Cișmigiu, in the city's downtown area, can make for a good base to start exploring. Besides the hotel's special offer for those who plan a lengthier stay, the venue is ideally located for walks to many of the city's landmark sites.

Take the Cișmigiu Gardens, located close to the hotel, which can be the first in a tour of Bucharest's many parks. It is one of the city's oldest and most elegant and can be the setting of a delightful walk to admire the sunset or the first snow blanketing the city. A little further up, walking towards Mihail Kogălniceanu Square, you can find Izvor Park, a favorite summer destination of parents and children alike and a usual site for concerts and events, or the Opera Park, surrounding the Bucharest Opera House, recognizable by the statue of George Enescu, Romania's celebrated musician, who also lends his name to a renowned classical music festival that takes place in the city every two years. To top the tour of some of the city's parks, a visit to the Botanical Garden is a must. It is a wonderfully quiet spot, great for exploring a varied fauna and flora, and can be the equivalent of a day out of the city, in the middle of nature.

The more active types can try the option of a tour of the city on bike, weather permitting. There are several bike rental stations in the city, among them one across the street from the National Museum of Art of Romania (MNAR). It is a good starting point to explore Calea Victoriei. At the Victoriei Square end of the artery, the Antipa Museum of Nature Sciences is always a hit with children and adults alike. Herăstrău Park, in the northern part of the city, is also a good cycling destination, with its wide, long alleys. To accommodate the various preferences of a family, there is also the option to rent a scooter (or more), and there is also a skate park in Herăstrău, an excellent spot to try a flip or more.

To get to know more about the city's history, a walk on Calea Victoriei can reveal layers of history and landmarks that tell stories of love, ambition, and the strive for modernization. It is one of the city's oldest arteries, and it used to be called Podul Mogoșoaiei because it was paved with wooden boards, as was the method until the beginning of the 19th century. With its palaces, modernist edifices, and Art Nouveau villas, it is the equivalent of an open-air museum, telling the story of the city's transformation from the Belle Époque all the way to the present day. If not opting for a guided tour, a good place to learn more about Calea Victoriei and the history of the city is the Museum of the City of Bucharest, housed in the Suțu Palace in University Square, quite close to Hotel Cișmigiu.

The city's downtown area changed significantly in the 1980s to make way for the People's Palace, today one of the most visited tourist spots in the city. But this meant that several historic places of worship were demolished or relocated. Still, Bucharest has some beautiful, old churches that have survived and await visitors to see their frescoes and discover their founders' stories.

Close to Hotel Cișmigiu, on Calea Victoriei, is Kretzulescu Church, commissioned in 1720–1722 by boyar Iordache Crețulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu. Saved from a planned demolition during the days of the communist regime, it has been renovated and can now be visited in the vicinity of the National Museum of Art of Romania (MNAR) and the Palace Hall. The Old Town has two historic churches that visitors can check out. One is the Stavropoleos Monastery, built in a first form during the first half of the 18th century, and impressive with its small size but beautiful, detailed decorative work and quiet patio. The other is the St. Anton Church, near the city's Old Princely Court, a museum and archeological site currently undergoing renovation. It used to be the place where rulers of Wallachia went to pray and has withstood centuries.

Not far from St. Anton Church is Unirii Square, one of the city's busiest, and, after crossing the Unirii park, one walk worth taking is up the Mitropoliei Hill. At the top, visitors will find the Palace of the Patriarchate, which used to host the Assembly of Deputies that voted for ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza to become also the prince of Wallachia, paving the way for the 1859 union with Moldavia. They will also find the Patriarchal Cathedral, built during the 17th century and refurbished on several occasions. On St. Dimitrie, it hosts the largest religious pilgrimage in the city, as it hosts the saint's relics. It is also the place where the patriarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church are buried. From atop the Mitropoliei Hill, visitors can see both the People's Palace and the People's Cathedral, currently under construction.

Those looking to explore the surroundings of Bucharest can try a one-day trip to Mogoșoaia, located north of the city. It is the place to see one of the best-preserved constructions of the Brâncovenesc architectural style, the Mogoșoaia Palace, finished at the beginning of the 18th century. The domain of the palace is great for picnics during summer but it can also be the setting for an enjoyable walk during the colder months.

When it comes to finding accommodation in the city for an extended period, Hotel Cișmigiu checks off a series of advantages. Located in the center of the city, close to many of Bucharest's main attraction points, the hotel also offers the privacy of a home, without the worry of the utility costs that add up with regular rentals.

Looking to visit Bucharest and spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the city?

Hotel Cișmigiu will welcome you and your partner, to relax and be pampered, in a special Christmas Holiday City Retreat.
For 3 days, between December 24 and 26, you will be accommodated in a luxury apartment, fully equipped and festively furnished. The hotel will serve all meals in the room, for maximum safety and privacy.

Package includes:

• Two nights of double accommodation in the Executive Apartment, between 24-26 of December

• All meals on December 24, 25, and 26, prepared for two persons and delivered to your hotel room

Package price: 289 eur / 2 people.
Reservations are made until December 21, 2020, by phone, at +40751.126.489 or email mirela.cojocaru@hotelcismigiu.ro. More details and the Christmas days menu are here.

For New Year’s Eve, you can have a romantic dinner at the top floor overlooking Bucharest’s downtown. Cișmigiu Bistro La Etaj has prepared a fabulous New Year's menu, with ten types of dishes, open bar, a selection of fine drinks and live piano music, and Hotel Cișmigiu has prepared your room in the strictest safety conditions: Apartment Executive awaits you with a double king size bed, festive atmosphere and all the facilities for a perfect treat.

The package includes:

• Accommodation in Executive Apartment, 31.12. 2020

• Festive dinner served in Cișmigiu Bistro la Etaj, the restaurant on the hotel’s 6th floor

• Open bar on New Year's Eve

• Artistic moment: Live piano

• Festive holiday decor

• Late breakfast 01.01.202

• Complete safety through intensively applied hygiene measures

Package price: 198 euro/person (accommodation in Apartment, double occupancy) or 215 euro/person (accommodation in Apartment with single occupancy)

Book via email at mirela.cojocaru@hotelcismigiu.ro or at tel. +40751 126 489. Places are limited. Reservations are made until December 23. More details on the NYE menu & offer are here.

(p) - This article is an advertorial.