A Hidden Gem in a Forgettable Place

Despite not talking about it much I’m a big fan of museums and in particular war or military museums. It’s not so much about the descriptions of bloodshed or the weapons on display, but the personal stories behind it all that are usually shared.

I like learning about the people behind the guns. Where did they come from? Did they grow up wanting to be in the army or were they plucked from a field or village with little or no idea what they were fighting for? Some of the best museums we have been to follow the stories of individuals from before the war, right through the drama and even the events of their lives once the fighting was over.

Because of my interest in these sort of museums, it surprised me just how long it took for us to find out about the military museum in Bucharest and I had no idea it even existed the first few months we were here. It turns out not only is this place already hugely under-advertised but they have a very special attraction that everyone who visits Bucharest should know about. But first, a quick look at the rest of the museum.

Romanian Military Uniforms and Weapons

From the outside, the military history museum is quite grand looking but unfortunately when you enter it immediately feels a bit dull. The one small table used to greet visitors sat unmanned as we approached and this quiet theme continued throughout the museum. Other than the staff employed to keep an eye on the various rooms we only bumped into two other people during our entire visit.

The first rooms are full of military uniforms, weapons, documents and medals from various time periods in Romania’s history. The most interesting thing to us was the ever-changing maps that showed how the land that is now Romania has changed hands during the various conflicts.

On the whole, the museum feels a bit behind the times and isn’t very engaging at all and in my notes I wrote ‘Just feels like a lot of stuff put in rooms’. If it’s your thing however, the courtyard is full of tanks, cannons, helicopters and all sorts of heavy duty military transport.

So that’s the negatives, here is why you SHOULD go to the Military Museum in Bucharest

Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu is the first and only Romanian ever to have visited space (Don’t worry, we had no idea Romania had ever sent a man to space either). Hidden away in the corner of the rear bunker of the museum, with very little fuss made about it, sits the very capsule he returned from space in, parachute still attached.

Hidden in that far corner? You guessed it, the capsule. 

You’ll also find his space suit, uniform and pictures documenting his journey and life since leaving the planet back in 1981. The most fascinating thing about it is just how small the capsule is, he must have barely had room to move. The idea of returning all the way from space in something so small is quite frankly terrifying, you have to see it to believe just how tiny it is and that’s exactly what you should do next time you visit Bucharest.

How something as interesting as this is not advertised more is beyond me and with an entrance fee of just 10 Lei (£1.70), if you only have 10 minutes to spare and head straight for the capsule it’s still more than worth the money.

*Unfortunately we were unable to take any photos during our visit. However, cameras are usually permitted for a small extra fee*

Address: Strada Mircea Vulcănescu 125-127, București 010819

Hours: 9 am – 4 pm (Closed Monday & Tuesday)

Phone: 021 319 5904

Have you been to the Military Museum in Bucharest? What did you think?