View of the Curtea Veche, the 15th century residence of Vlad Tepes, a bloodthirsty ruler who inspired Bram Stokers' Dracula, in downtown Bucharest, November 6, 2009.[Agencies]

BUCHAREST - Got 48 hours to explore Bucharest, with its rare mixture of western architectural ideas, eastern imagery and 20th century totalitarian megalomania?

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors map the city's shift from one of Europe's most progressive urban centres at the start of the 20th century to a chaotic maze of dusty boulevards and quaint neighborhoods bearing the scars of brutal communist policies.

FRIDAY

4 p.m. - Follow road signs for historic center, but watch out, it's easy to miss. Nestled between two major avenues, the medieval merchant district of Lipscani is in fact a tiny fraction of Bucharest's former old city.

Its meandering, cobblestoned streets survived demolitions ordered by communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in the 1980s that buried Bucharest's oldest sections, or a fifth of the city.

After massive renovations in recent years, Lipscani teems with bars and restaurants and is a popular weekend hangout for the city's partygoers.

Stop for a drink but make sure to wander into one of the side streets. Lined with tiny textile or antique shops, the crumbling tenements bear witness to communist-era neglect.

7 p.m. - Dinner at Caru cu Bere, a 19th century brewery that serves traditional Romanian fare under impressive vaulted ceilings. Try sarmale, minced meat wrapped in sour cabbage, or mamaliga, a cornmeal dish often served with cream and cheese.

On the way out don't miss Stavropoleos Monastery. Built in 1724, it is a great example of Brancovenesc style of Romanian architecture, a rich mix of Byzantine and baroque motifs.

Stop also by Curtea Veche, the 15th century residence of Vlad Tepes -- also known as "Vlad the Impaler" -- a bloodthirsty ruler who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.

9 p.m. - Walk off dinner with a short stroll north on Calea Victoriei, Bucharest's fashion street, toward Cercul Militar National, an impressive Beaux Arts structure.

SATURDAY

10 a.m. - Have a pastry at a traditional Bucharest market, Piata Matache near strada Buzesti. Tucked behind modern office buildings alongside government headquarters, Piata Matache still attracts villagers selling their produce and local winemakers.

For the tougher crowd, go to a "mici si bere" vendor, where traditional garlic meat rolls can be washed down with a pint of beer.

11 p.m. - Head toward Piata Victoriei and the Romanian Peasant Museum. The building is an essential example of Neo-Romanian architecture, a trend contemporary of Art Nouveau and Antoni Gaudi's Modernism.