Where to run in Bucharest
If you’re coming to Bucharest on vacation or on a business trip, there’s no reason to ditch your running routine. Running in Bucharest is a scenic treat in almost every season, so you can both enjoy the city views and “challenge your breath”.
Do you prefer to be immersed in nature while you run or to enjoy urban landscapes? Whatever you like best, Bucharest’s got you covered – this is also one of the reasons why Romania’s capital is a treat for runners, whether pros or amateurs!
The running community here is vibrant and ever-growing. You know what we mean if you ever ran in the Bucharest International Marathon or Bucharest International Half-Marathon. If not, don’t forget to bookmark the links above and clear your schedule for those dates. You’ll definitely want to check them out.
In the meantime, take a look at some of the most amazing places and routes for running in Bucharest. If you’re our guest, you will be delighted to know that they are all within walking (or running – see what we did here?) distance or with easy access from New Era Hotel.
Ready, steady, go!
1. The Old Town
You’ve probably heard about the Old Town of Bucharest. It’s often referred to as ‘party central’. But here’s a well-kept secret: in the morning, all the parties have ended. The music has died out and even the restaurants have yet to open.
For you, the runner visiting Bucharest, it’s the perfect time. This means you can enjoy the peace and quiet (or blast music in your earphones – we don’t judge!).
Our route suggestion: put your running shoes on before or after breakfast (depending on how much you want to run and/ or eat). Keep in mind that our breakfast is quite hearty and varied.
Exit New Era Hotel on Selari Street and head to Piata Saint Anton. Take a look at Manuc’s Inn – it’s an impressive building even with its doors shut.
Then head on to Franceza Street, but don’t forget to take a quick look at the Old Princely Court while it’s not crowded by tourists.
Franceza Street will take you on Calea Victoriei, one of Bucharest’s most scenic boulevards and definitely the most romantic. From there on, you can admire the architecture (don’t forget about the CEC Palace) and run as much as you can.
By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
2. Cismigiu Gardens
Speaking of romantic places, we dare you to find a more romantic central garden than Cismigiu. This is the place where you’ll find the locals playing chess on stone-made tables and where you can admire swans, get yourself a cotton candy or walk underneath age-old trees.
Run underneath age-old trees. We mean run. After all, this is about running in Bucharest, not walking. Or you could run across this bridge:
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And just imagine this: you, the road in the middle of nature and the birds chirping in the morning sun. We know you’d want to stop and admire the sceneries, but we recommend to keep on running!
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3. Herastrau Park (King Michael Park)
This is one of the most popular running places in Bucharest, so count on meeting fellow runners here.
From New Era Hotel, you have to walk about five minutes (or run for two minutes) to the metro station – Unirii Square. You have a direct link to Aviatorilor – the station that’s right at the park’s entry.
While there, don’t forget about the Triumphal Arch, the Japanese Gardens and the fountains in the park.
By Goldmund100 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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By Alexandru Panoiu from Bucharest, Romania – A black swan on Herăstrău Lake, CC BY 2.0, Link
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A popular running route here is the roughly 7K that surrounds the lake. The best part? Almost the whole route is right next to the lake, which means you’ll be accompanied by ducklings, swans or gulls!
4. Dambovita River
Ready for a long, but rewarding run? If you’re serious about running in Bucharest, this is probably your best option.
From New Era Hotel, leave the Old Town’s cobblestone streets and head on to Splaiul Unirii – the long boulevard divided by a river (Dambovita). You can’t miss it.
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This is where your run begins. Head opposite to Unirea Shopping Center and you’ve got a straightforward run on the sidewalk. It’s approximately 10k one way. The section we love best lies between Bucur Church and Eroilor Park.
5. Tineretului and Carol Parks
Easily reachable from Unirii Square, both Tineretului and Carol Parks are quite popular due to their proximity to the city center.
Tineretului (Youth’s Park) is quite spectacular, with tree-lined running routes. You can easily combine both of them in a single 6k run. Carol is especially spectacular during autumn, when the tree foliage changes colours.
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Also, you will get some of the best uphill runs here. Just take extra good care of your knees, OK? 🙂
6. Bonus route during alert status
The pandemic has its bright side: during the alert status in Bucharest, a big part of the city’s center will be only open for pedestrians (which means you too, whether the speed at which you run!) during weekends!
This means that you’ll be able to run through some of the most beautiful streets of Romania’s capital without having to worry about obstacles or the noise.
We recommend you to try out Unirii Boulevard (if you’ve heard of the Parliament House you might want to see it too) and then Calea Victoriei (mentioned it above, remember?), which are both right next to New Era Hotel!
Or, if you want to check more landmarks in just one run, you can take Calea Victoriei to Amzei Square and run by Kretzulescu Church, Revolution Square, The National Museum of Art, Central University Library and The Romanian Athenaeum! Some of them will also make good spots for your Instagram account so make sure to check out the five instagrammable spots we talked about in another article!
These are our recommendations for top spots for running in Bucharest. Do you have a favourite one? Have you already tested some of them? Let us know in the comment section below.
If you’ll be our guest at New Era Hotel in the Old Town don’t forget to ask our friendly reception staff about the best places for running in Bucharest during the season you’re here. We can even recommend some spots that are safe for running during winter! Have a look on our site and let us be your host!