Business trips rarely leave much space for running. You land, meet, eat, sleep too little, and fly back out again. But if you’re lucky, there’s a small window — half an hour between obligations — to see a city on foot. Bucharest was one of those windows. A loud, layered city with heavy history, unexpected kindness, and more old beauty than I expected. The only question: where to run?

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Finding a Route

I always start with Strava’s global heatmap to find where locals run. Parks, riverbanks, bike paths — the bright spots that tell you, you’ll be fine here. In Bucharest, two parks stood out: Parcul Cișmigiu in the heart of the city, and Parcul Izvor, right next to the monumental People’s Palace. Cișmigiu looked more practical — compact, shaded, and close to where I stayed — so that’s where I went.

Running in Parcul Cișmigiu

Cișmigiu is like an island of calm in the middle of the city. A full lap around the perimeter is just over one kilometre — small, but ideal for a 20–30-minute session. The paths are well kept, the air feels heavy with green, and you share the park mostly with walkers and old men smoking on benches. It’s the kind of place where you notice the rhythm of your steps more than the splits on your watch.

Elsewhere in Europe, a park like this would be full of runners. Here, I was alone. Not in an uncomfortable way — just aware that running isn’t yet as visible a culture here. That contrast made the session special: the quiet, the looks of curiosity, the sense of doing something slightly unusual but perfectly natural at the same time.

Izvor Park and the People’s Palace

The next morning, before heading to the airport, I walked through Parcul Izvor towards the People’s Palace — Ceaușescu’s marble colossus that still dominates the skyline. The park’s paths are wider and flatter, better for fast intervals, but it felt emptier, less connected. More of a dog-walker zone than a runner’s loop. Maybe it was just the wrong time of day. Still, I was happy with my choice the day before.

How Bucharest Feels on the Run

Bucharest has a humid, slightly tropical energy in summer — cracked facades, thick air, vegetation that looks ready to take over the concrete. It reminds me a little of Hanoi’s French Quarter. The city carries its past visibly, yet you sense the momentum of normal European life returning. Running here isn’t about chasing pace; it’s about tracing that tension between history and renewal, one easy loop at a time.

If you come here on business or a quick stopover, Cișmigiu is perfect for a mental reset — a short run that gives you a sense of place without fighting traffic or losing your bearings.

Strava Activity

Here’s the run that inspired this post:

Runner’s Notes

• Safety: Cișmigiu feels calm and central; just keep an eye out for uneven sections and bikes.
• Traffic: Main streets around the park are busy — avoid road crossings if possible.
• Weather: Summers can be humid and hot; mornings or evenings are best.
• Water & Toilets: Limited inside the park — plan to start and finish at your hotel.
• Post-run: Grab a craft beer and the pork-belly sandwich at Zaganu Craft Beer Bar — it’s as good as it sounds.

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Tags: Run This Town, Bucharest, Romania, Urban Running, Travel Running