Locations

The Village Museum.

Walking distance from Ramada Bucharest Parc (10 minutes) there is the Village Museum. It was established in 1936 and it contains over 300 wooden houses, windmills, churches etc., from all over the country. If you don't plan to visit Romania's rural areas - and even if you do - you shouldn't miss this museum which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Many of the buildings are some original ones which were brought here in pieces and reassembled. The oldest houses date as far back as the 17C. Because of this the museum is organized as a real village, with clusters of houses being linked by winding paths. This makes for a pleasant stroll especially if you find yourself in Bucharest during the summer, when the city is hot and dusty. Sometimes the museum hosts craft fairs and folk music and dance festivals.

The Triumphal Arch (Arcul de Triumf)

In the northern Bucharest, along Sos. Kiseleff lies the Bucharest's Triumphal Arch (Arcul de Triumf). Modelled on the triumphal arch in Paris, the structure was erected in 1935-1936 to commemorate the creation of Greater Romania which took place in 1918. It sits on the spot where two earlier arches stood: the first arch, made of wood, and cardboard was erected in 1878 to mark Romania's independence from the Turks; the second arch, made of timber, was erected in 1922 to mark Ferdinand's entry into Bucharest as the first king of Greater Romania. The current arch is built of concrete and granite.

National Art Museum (the former Royal Palace)

The imposing building which used to be the Royal Palace is located in the Revolution Square (Piata Revolutiei), in the northwestern corner. It was first built around 1815 by Prince Dinicu Golescu and it underwent changes over several decades. The building was remodeled in 1882-1885 after plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau only to be rebuilt in 1930-1938 after being damaged in a fire in 1926. Starting with 1948 the palace houses the National Art Museum and it displays an extensive collection of Romanian and European art dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The building was damaged during the events of December 1989 and was closed for several years for repairs. Address: Calea Victoriei 49-53(City center)

The Parliament Palace (Palatul Parlamentului)

The Parliament Palace (which used to be called The House of the People) is a big tourist attraction in Bucharest (the second largest building in the world in terms of surface, competing with the Pentagon in size). The building is now used as the parliament house as well as for conferences and exhibitions and can be visited by guided tours. Tourist entrance: Calea 13 September 1

Cismigiu Gardens (Gradina Cismigiu)

In the very center of Bucharest there is a place where one can take a break from Bucharest for a few hours. Cismigiu is located close to Universitatii Square, across the City Hall building. It is Bucharest's oldest park and a great place to stroll and enjoy the peace that one can feel finding such a place in the middle of a hectic city. Among the lawns and trees and the winding paths you'll find a lake with rowboat rentals, a beer garden, a playground for children, a chess area where old people play tournaments and plenty of park benches for relaxing and people watching. Sometimes there are Sunday concerts at the gazebo. Cismigiu was first designed and laid out in 1830 by the German landscape architect Carl Meyer, on the commission of Prince Gheorghe Bibescu, but it wasn't completed until 1860. More than 30,000 trees and plants were brought in from the Romanian mountains to be planted on the 17 hectares park. Address: Blvd Regina Elisabeta.

Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei)

Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue) is one of Bucharest's most charming streets. It was built as a main road in 1692 under orders from Constantin Brancoveanu who needed a road to link his palace at Mogosoaia with the Old Court. In the beginning the street was known as Podul Mogosoaia - Mogosoaia Bridge - because it was paved with wood. In 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence, the street's name became Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue).

Between the two world wars Calea Victoriei became one of the most fashionable streets. Following this avenue from Piata Natiunilor Unite to Piata Victoriei you'll find some of the most beautiful buildings in Bucharest. Among these there are Stavropoleos Church - on Str. Stavropoleous, few second away from Calea Victoriei, the National Savings Bank or CEC building, the Art Deco Telephone Palace, the Cretulescu Church, the Central University Library, the Romanian Atheneum, the Royal Palace which today houses the National Art Museum and the Cantacuzino Palace

The Old Court Church (Biserica Curtea Veche)

The Old Court Church (also called the Old Princely Church) is the oldest church in Bucharest. Its building started in 1558 during the reign of Mircea Ciobanul (Prince Mircea the Shepherd) and it was finished by his son in 1591. The church was built in the Wallachian architectural style of the 16th century. The exterior decoration is made out of brick stripes alternating with plaster stripes. The church was restored after a fire in 1847 and then again between 1928 - 1938 by the Commission of Historical Monuments, which tried to bring the church to its original appearance. This church was the coronation place of Wallachia's ruling princes for almost three centuries (from the second half of the 16th century to the first half of the 19th century). The beautiful carved door was added in the early 18th century by Prince Stefan Cantacuzino. The interior has been blackened with time but you can still admire the beautiful frescoes, some of them dating from the 16th century. On the left side of the portal, facing the apse, there are the murals of the church's founders: Mircea Ciobanul (whose tombstone is placed within the church) and his wife, Lady Chiajna; on the right side of the portal there are the murals depicting Prince Stefan Cantacuzino and his wife, Lady Pauna. Address: Str. Franceza 33

Domnita Balasa Church

One of the churches located off Union Square (Piata Unirii) that survived Ceausescu's plan for creating the Civic Center is Princess Balasa Church (Biserica Domnita Balasa). Instead, this church had a bit of bad luck in terms of natural elements. The first church on this site was a wooden one, built in 1774, but it burned down and was replaced by a stone structure in 1751. The second church was damaged during an earthquake and had to be replaced by a third structure, built between 1838-1842. At its turn, this building was damaged by floods and replaced by a fourth church between 1881-1885. This is the core striped church that we see today. The current church had to be repaired again after each of the two major 20C earthquakes (1940 and 1977). The church is located off Piata Unirii and Splaiul Independentei behind the blocks of flats bordering Unirii Square, and it faces the side of the Justice Palace. Princess Balasa Church is named after Wallachia's ruler, Brancoveanu's sixth daughter. Her statue stands in the small garden that surrounds the church.

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