Peasant Museum
The Romanian Peasant Museum is one of the most popular museums in Bucharest and hosts a large collection of cultural objects that are well exhibited. The exhibitions cover all aspects of life in rural Romania and include traditional and seasonal objects.
The Peasant Museum hosts regular craft markets in its grounds, including special traditional markets for Christmas and for Martisori (1st March / Spring). If the craft market is not on, then you should make sure that you end your visit with a trip to the museum shop which is at the back of the museum. The museum also hosts regular children’s puppet shows (usually at the weekends at 10.30am and 12pm) and has a cafe.
The museum is located just north of Piata Victoria and is therefore well served by public transport. After you visit there are lots of options for eating nearby on Str. Nicolae Titulescu, or for running off energy in Kiseleff Park. Nearby are both the Natural History Museum and the National Geology Museum.
Website: http://www.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro/home.html
Address: Soseaua Kiseleff 3, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: +40 21 317 96 60 / +40 21 317 96 61
Opening: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm (closed Mondays)
Tickets: 8Lei (adults), 2Lei (children)
I really love going to the craft fairs and markets that the hold regularly throughout the year. There is always stuff to browse and buy, especially at Martisor, Christmas and Easter.
It is hard to keep my pre-schooler and toddler engaged here though – I normally have to bribe them with a treat from one of the stalls.
If you want to see true Romanian culture, this is the place to go. However, there are people stationed in every room telling kids not to touch anything, even if those things seem available for touching (not behind glass or on a shelf). So take your patience with you when you go, but still, don’t miss it.
If you are shopping for an authentically Romanian gift to send home, the gift shop here is especially good. However, if you travel around Romania, you’ll find that the prices in the gift shop are the absolute highest price you will pay for any given item there. If you’re going to Bran, Rasnov, Sinaia, or any other city, aim to get your touristy items there, as they will likely be a lot cheaper. But in Bucharest, this is the central location for quality Romanian handicrafts.
Also, this museum hosts regular antique and craft fairs in its backyard area, usually around holiday times. The web site is not so easy to comprehend, unfortunately.
Its a great place to find nice crafts, the cafeteria though its not so child friendly (good for something quick )and the Carturesti bookstore + Tea house is now closed