Columnist Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe writes in her weekly column about life as an expat in Romania. This week she tells about the area of Lipscani, also known as the Old Town.

When you visit Bucharest, you must visit the area of Lipscani in central Bucharest and enjoy an evening out. This is the perfect place for a tourist or expat to enjoy what can turn into an almost magical evening.

During daytime, Lipscani is a relatively quiet area, where you can go for a stroll and enjoy the mix of old and new buildings. It’s full of restaurants, cafes and shops, so you can have lunch or go shopping nearby. Maybe this doesn’t go under impulse buying, but if you need a wedding dress, there are many options for just that in Lipscani. I even heard that years ago, this was the area you would go to if you wanted to buy a wedding dress.

It´s also a great opportunity to admire the architecture, since Lipscani tells the story of the constant development Bucharest is undergoing. You will see buildings that mirror many of Bucharest's ages, back from when it was called Little Paris. They all live together: a beautifully decorated old building next to a newly opened, fancy restaurant with a lounge – like interior, buildings with vintage logos from old shops, even places with logos and objects from factories that closed long time ago.

The restaurant Caru Cu Bere, very popular among tourists, is a must see for its interior at least, if not for the food as well. You will also see empty houses that are not in good condition anymore, the ruins of the old Bucharest with the statue of Vlad Tepes and much more.

But in the evening, it's a new kind of scenario: Lipscani changes into this vibrant eating out and clubbing area. Some of the people who enjoyed a relaxed stroll earlier will probably still be there, along with those who have returned from a sightseeing tour of Bucharest to get dinner in Lipscani. It's a different kind of mix this time around.

Terraces take over the little streets, a painting completed by happy people talking and looking at those who pass by. It is a great opportunity to see the people of Bucharest, to enjoy the beauty of the Romanian ladies dressed up for an evening out - and Romanian men likewise, there will always be “cool” guys who will try to maneuver their motorbikes down the narrow street for show off. Especially during summer, the area is well packed. Even if most of those who live in Bucharest go to the seaside to enjoy a summer weekend near the sea, the clubs in the Old Town are still crowded.

You will enter a partying vibe, and people will be strolling there as if they were going to a fashion event. There will be families sitting and having a dinner, all kinds of music in the air, it will smell like all sorts of food from all kinds of cuisines, traditional Romanian, Mexican, French, Lebanese and Hungarian, you name it, you'll find it in the Old Town.

At around 10 or 11 at night, when most kitchens close, Lipscani really turns into a party scene. Shows start in clubs, live bands start their act, everyone will go dancing – even on the bar - , karaoke sessions being. It's not all about dancing and singing, of course, there are plenty of places where you can just sit and have a chat with friend while sipping your drink. Even if it is not necessarily a good thing all the time, unlike in Denmark, here you can actually taste the alcohol in the drinks!

Lipscani has indeed changed a lot during the years. The first time I visited Bucharest in 2008, I remember walking around in the “so called” streets of the area, which was in a shape hard to imagine when you walk around today.

Back then there was hardly any pavement in Lipscani, actually most of the streets were just mud, and you would walk around on wooden planks that covered the streets which were still under renovation. Crossing those wooden planks was a challenge in itself, and I was always impressed by the Romanian ladies and their skill at crossing them on high heels with such an ease. But it was actually quite a fun experience, and people seemed to be taking it with a laugh, helping each other to get around. But when it was raining, hardly anyone went to the then turned-muddy Lipscani.

I remember the days when I was sitting and talking with some friends about buying one of the buildings in Lipscani. Back then, only a few invested in the area, and most just kept talking and dreaming of the day they would open a unique kind of place there.

Each time I go there, I am surprised to see yet another place has opened, and sadly to also realize that another one has closed. But slowly the buildings are being renovated, and the area is expanding. There you have a street with quiet restaurants, one with clubs, another with shops, a street where most expats hang around, and the place to eat at 5 o'clock in the morning (when shaorma is the best option).

People are drinking in the Lipscani area, but it is moderate, you feel very safe there. I have never seen a fight in these streets or too drunk people, which I must admit, is something you will see quite often in Denmark at night. So go visit Lipscani no matter the time of day or night, it will be an experience to remember for sure.

By Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe, columnist

Eleonore is Danish, she holds a BA in Organization and Management and specializes in Corporate Communication & Strategic Development. She is also a Market Economist and a Multimedia Designer. She is currently working in Bucharest as the Executive Director of UAPR the Romanian Advertising Association. As a Danish Viking in Romania, with a great passion for ’covrigi’, she has a burning desire to find out more about Romania especially Bucharest, and enlighten the small differences in the culture between Denmark and Romania.. Her weekly columns will give you insights into an expats life in Bucharest written with humor and a big Danish smile.