saCred PLaCes - prospectiuni

Transcription

18
SACRED PLAces
Bucharest’s vast selection of historic churches is
unquestionably one of the city’s finest features. Given that
the city has been through so much over the past 50 years
or so, from earthquakes to systemisation and the razing
of huge areas of the Romanian capital to make way for the
Centru Civic, it is in many ways astonishing that so many
churches have survived. In some cases, churches had to
be moved - some more than 300 metres - in order to be
saved from the bulldozers. The Antim Monastery church,
below, was one such building. You may also notice that a large number of Bucharest’s churches are hidden from street view: this is quite
deliberate, and a result of the communist regime’s policy
of keeping religion at arm’s length. Large apartment blocks
would be built around churches in order to keep them out of
sight, if not entirely out of mind.
As well as those listed here, see the Old Town feature on
(which starts on page 72) for details of Bucharest’s Old Court
Church. For Synagogues, see Jewish Bucharest, page 70.
sacred places
Domniţa Balaşa Church (Biserica Domniţa Balaşa)
B-6, Str. Sfintii Apostoli, MPiata Unirii. To say this church
has been the victim of bad luck is an understatement. Built in
1885, the church is named after Constantin Brâncoveanu’s
sixth daughter, who built an earlier church on the site in 1744,
but which burnt down soon after. In 1751 a second church
was built; but that was also later damaged, during an earthquake in 1838. Building work almost immediately started on
a third church, but that too proved unstable and just 40 years
later it was replaced by the current, orange-coloured, NeoRomanesque building. Serious cracks that appeared after
another earthquake in 1940 were repaired in the 1960s, only
to be damaged again in the massive earthquake of 1977.
Baraţiei Church (Biserica Sf. Maria ‘Baraţiei’) C-6,
Str. Baratiei 27, MUnirii. Almost poking into Bulevardul Bratianu, this Roman-Catholic church was built in 1828, although
there has been a church here since the late 1590s. Boasting
a couple of superb stained-glass windows the church holds
services in Romanian and Hungarian. The name, Baratiei,
derives from the Hungarian word for friend, barat.
Colţea Church (Biserica Colţea) C-5, B-dul Nicolae
Bălcescu 1, MUniversitate. To the left (face on) of the
Colţea hospital, the church of the same name was built from
1701-2 on the site of a much older, wooden construction.
Recent renovation has restored much of the rich ornamentation of the interior.
Creţulescu Church (Biserica Creţulescu) C-5,
Antim Monastery (Manastirea Antim) B-6, Str.
Antim 29. The Antim Monastery, with its elegant dome and
gold finish was constructed between 1708 and 1715 on the
orders of polymath Antim Ivireanul, patriarch of the Orthodox
Church in Wallachia at the time. Antim originally intended the
monastery to be a refuge for fallen women and refugees, as
well as a seat of learning. The monastery church is particularly
worth admiring, for its sumptuous icons featuring scenes
from the Nativity and Revelations, painted in 1812 by Petre
Alexandrescu. The bell tower through which we today enter
the monastery was added in 1857.
Calea Victoriei 47, MUniversitate. Probably the most
celebrated historic church in Bucharest. Biserica Creţulescu
was raised from 1720-2 by Iordache Creţulescu and his wife
Safta, a daughter of Romanian humanitarian Constantin
Brâncoveanu. The outstanding paintings on the entrance
are original, the work of an unknown artist, while the interior
icons were added in 1859 by Gheorghe Tattarescu. Damaged
during the fighting of December 1989, the church has recently
been restored to its full glory, and is a must.
Mihai Vodă Monastery (Mănăstirea Mihai Vodă)
B-6, Str. Sapienţei 2, MIzvor. Another of the churches that
was moved to make way for the Civic Centre, Mihai Vodă was
originally built in 1601. After a fire in 1761 it was left to rot
before thorough rebuilding was carried out from 1827-38. In
1985 it was moved 285 metres east - on rails - and hidden in
its present location behind the apartment blocks.
New St. George’s Church (Biserica Sf. Gheorghe
Nou) C-6, Piata Sf. Gheorghe, MPiata Unirii. The larg-
est of the churches built in Bucharest during the reign of
Constantin Brâncoveanu, New St. George’s Church was
consecrated on June 29th, 1707. It was a wonder of the age,
having been designed by an Italian, Vaseleli, and decorated by
the great Romanian maestros of the times: the painter Mutu,
the carpenter Istrate and the sculptor Caragea. Damaged in
a fire in 1847, the church was renovated from 1852-3 by the
Spanish architect Villacrosse.
Patriarchal Cathedral (Patriarhia) C-6/7, Str. Dealul
Mitropoliei, MPiata Unirii. Known as Mitropoliei, the Patriarchal Cathedral has been the centrepiece of the Romanian
Orthodox faith since the seventeenth century. Built to a design
based on the Curtea de Arges, near Pitesti, it has undergone
a number of facelifts, but the overwhelming majority of the cathedral’s structure is the original, built between 1654 and 1658.
The outstanding bell-tower at the entrance was built in 1698, and
restored in 1958. Next to the church - and closed to the public - is
the Patriarchal Palace, residence of Daniel Ciobotea, the Patriarch
of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Apostles’ Church (Biserica Sfintii Apostoli) B-6,
Str. Sfintii Apostoli 33A, MPiata Unirii. One of the oldest churches in Bucharest (with parts dating back to the
16th century, when it served as the church of the Târnovului
Monastery) the Apostles Church is notable for its sublime
steeple, built in 1715, and restored in 1936. Inside the church
is brimming with some rather strange portraits, all of which
are well worth seeing. Among the portraits are those of the
church’s founder, Voivod Matei.
Radu Vodă Monastery (Mănăstirea Radu Vodă)
Armenian Church (Biserica Armenească) D-5,
C-6, Str. Radu Vodă 24A, MPiata Unirii. There was originally a wooden church on this site, built during the reign of
Mihnea the Bad, around 1508. The monastery was added
in 1570, and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The present
church dates from 1613-4, though it was extensively rebuilt
during the 19th-century, when the frescoes (all the work of
peerless painter Gheorghe Tattarescu) were added.
B-dul Carol I 43, tel. (+4) 021 313 90 70, www.armenianchurch.ro. Now overlooked by a skyscraper, this is
one of the largest and best preserved Orthodox churches
in central Bucharest. Built between 1911-15 it is an exact
replica of a cathedral in the Armenian city of Ecmiazin.QOpen
09:00 - 18:00, Sun 08:00 - 13:00.
Bucharest In Your Pocket
Icon Church (Biserica Icoanei) C-4, Str. Icoanei 12.
The Church of the Icon is named after the 17th century icon of
the Holy Virgin in the nave, a gift from Constantin Brâncoveanu.
A wooden church was built on this site in as early 1681-82. A
brick church, erected in 1745-50, collapsed during the devastating earthquake of 1838. Rebuilt the same year, the high altar
was added in 1850.
bucharest.inyourpocket.com
A Romanian Easter
Easter in Romania is a big deal. Seriously big. Make
sure you are well prepared to run the gamut of traditions old and new, endless plates of food and religious
posturing with our off-beat but essential look at Easter
in Romania.
For most of the world, Easter falls on April 7th this year. For
the Orthodox Christian world, however, of which Romania
is a part, Easter comes a little later. Why? Because when
calculating the date of Easter, the starting date used by
Orthodox priests is taken from the Julian calendar, and not
the Gregorian calendar. In Romania only Easter is affected:
in Russia, Serbia, Belarus and Ukraine (and other major
Orthodox countries) Christmas is also calculated using
the Julian calendar. In Romania, in keeping with its usual,
half-knacked way of doing things, Christmas is calculated
with one calendar, Easter another. All that really matters is
that in Romania, Easter Sunday this year falls on April 14th.
And note that because in Orthodox circles the resurrection
is more important than the crucifixion - one of the main
differences between the Orthodox and Western churches
- Good Friday is not a holiday in Romania.
According to tradition, there shall be no partying, no
weddings, no having fun and not a great deal of anything in
fact during Lent, unflinchingly observed by many in Romania,
right up until midnight on April 14th. Only when the priest
emerges from his church with a candle (around 00:10) to
declare that ‘Hristos a înviat’ (Christ has risen) can the
faithful who have abstained from smiling, sex or chocolate
for the past 40 days once again indulge their desires. And
then only after the biggest meal of the year.
That meal will invariably be lamb (miel). Indeed, Easter
is the one time of the year Romanians eat lamb, and it can
easily be found in shops. Every part of the lamb is used: the
head goes in the soup, the organs are used to make ‘drob’
(a kind of paté), and the legs are slowly roasted in red wine
and served with roast potatoes and spinach.
You should also be prepared to eat more than a few
hard boiled eggs. Before the main meal (which, we have yet
to mention, gets eaten after the return from midnight mass,
at around 1am) eggs are cracked. Dyed in bright colours
(often, but not always red) on Good Friday, hard boiled
eggs are cracked between family members with the words
‘Hristos a înviat’ (Christ has risen). The correct response
is ‘Adevărat a înviat’ (He has truly risen). The eggs should
then be eaten. As each family member should crack at least
one egg with every other member of the family, it can all go a
bit Cool Hand Luke very quickly. Pudding is usually pască:
a flat cheesecake with raisins.
Note that the Hristos a înviat / Adevărat a înviat
exchange becomes the standard greeting between
Romanians for the first few days after Easter. In fact,
Romanians who have not seen each other since Easter may
use it weeks, even months after.
The best place to witness an Easter service in Romania
is at one of the historic churches we feature here. Note that
while the service notionally gets underway shortly before
midnight, if you want a seat, or even just want to get inside,
you will need to be at the church by around 21:00. Bring a
candle: the priest will light it with the candle he emerges from
the sanctuary with at midnight.
April - May 2012
19
20
BUCHAREST IN BLOOM
BUCHAREST IN BLOOM
Buildings With A History
Arcul de Triumf A-2, Piata Arcul de Triumf. Bucha-
rest’s Arc de triumf was raised in 1922 to commemorate
Romania’s World War I dead. The original Arc was made of
wood, replaced by the present, Petru Antonescu designed
concrete structure only in 1935. Standing 25 metres
high, the Arc has a staircase that allows visitors to climb
to the terrace on the top of the monument, though it is
strangely closed most of the time and only opened on
special occasions. The sculptures and reliefs that decorate the monument (and which need serious restoring)
were created by the leading artists of the day, including
Ion Jalea, Constantin Medrea and Constantin Baraschi.
The Arc is scheduled to be renovated this year, and a
pedestrian underpass built which will allowing people to
get to it without risking their lives.
Atheneum (Ateneul Român) C-5, Str. Benjamin
Bucharest is blessed with some fantastic parks. Indeed,
so much has been invested in them in recent years (especially in playgrounds for kids and recreational facilities)
that they are quickly becoming one of the city’s biggest
attractions.
Botanical Gardens (Grădina Botanică) Sos. Cotro-
ceni 32, tel. (+4) 021 410 91 39, www.gradina-botanica.
ro. Bucharest’s Botanical Gardens were founded in 1860
with the significant financial backing of Prince Alexandru Ioan
Cuza, at the time the leader of the nascent Romanian state.
Completed in 1866 to the designs and instructions of Ulrich
Hoffmann, they were originally in the grounds of the Cotroceni Monastery, moving to their present location in 1884.
The garden, administratively part of Bucharest University’s
Botanical Institute, today extends over an area of more than
17 hectares, and hosts more than 10,000 species of plants,
approximately half of which are cultivated in the impressive
glasshouses. Of particular note are the exotic flowers (more
than 1000 are on display) and the bizarre Symphytum ottomanum, a plant which can appear to vanish without trace
only to reappear up to 50 metres away.
Many locals like to take advantage of the bargain entrance
fee and use the exterior of the gardens as a park, and thus
the place can often be far more full with courting couples than
with lovers of more floral delights. Whatever your reasons
for going, it’s a terrific place to spend an afternoon. QOpen
08:00 - 20:00. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.00
lei.
Carol Park (Parcul Carol I/Parcul Libertăţii) C-7,
Calea Serban Vodă, MEroii Revolutiei. So close to the city
centre yet so seldom frequented as to be almost forgotten,
this large park was laid out by the city’s authorities from
1900-6, and designed by the French landscape artist Eduard
Redont. It is today dominated by the massive Monument to
the Heroes of the Struggle for Freedom and Socialism (it
stands 48 metres high) built in 1963 and which until 1990
housed the remains of communist leaders Gheorghe Gheo-
Franklin 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 315 25 67/(+4) 021 315
87 98, www.fge.org.ro. Possibly the finest building
in the city, the Romanian Atheneum was the work of
French architect Albert Galleron, who also designed the
National Bank of Romania. The building was inaugurated
on February 26, 1888, and was built almost entirely with
money donated by ordinary citizens of the capital, when
a campaign called ‘Give a penny for the Atheneum’ (Dati
un leu pentru Ateneu) rescued the project from folly
after the original patrons ran out of funds. Today the
seat of the Romanian Philarmonic George Enescu,
the auditorium is renowned worldwide for its outstanding
acoustics. QOpen 14:00 - 16:00.
Foisorul de Foc D-5, P-ta Foisorul de Foc/B-dul
Ferdinand 33, tel. (+4) 021 252 28 84. The Foisorul
de Foc (Firewatch Tower) was constructed in 1893 and
was at the time the tallest building in the city. It is 50
meters high. Contrary to the popular belief its purpose
was simply to be a place from where the city’s authorities could watch for fires. It at no stage stored water. The
tower today hosts a less than gripping and mono-lingual
Museum of Firefighting and Policing, the best bit of
which is the view from the old observation deck, closed
for decades but now thankfully reopened. QOpen 08:00
- 16:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission 3.00 lei adults, 1.50
leu children.
Sala Palatului B-5, Piata Palatului, www.salapalatului.ro. The rather startling Sala Palatului, with
its concaved roof, was designed by Tiberiu Ricci (also
responsible for the TVR building) and built in 15 months
from January 1959 to April 1960. The massive auditorium, which seats 3,000, was originally used to host the
five-yearly communist party congress. It today plays host
to exhibitions and concerts.
rghiu-Dej and Petre Groza (it is today empty). The park offers
some pleasant walks along tree-lined paths, and good view of
central Bucharest from the monument. The open-air Arenele
Romane in the west of the park, next to the Observatory of
Bucharest University’s Astronomy Department are a popular
venue for concerts. A year or so ago the very existence of
the park was threatened by the Romanian Orthodox Church,
which wanted to build a cathedral on the site. Vehement local
protests halted the project, however.
Cismigiu Gardens (Grădina Cismigiu) B-5, Between
B-dul Regina Elisabeta, Calea Victoriei, Str. Stirbei Vodă
and B-dul Schitu Măgureanu, MUniversitate. The most
central of the city’s public gardens, Cismigiu is a haven of
lawns, trees, flowers and lakes.
Often mistakenly refered to as a park, Cismigiu is actually a large garden, first designed and laid out in 1845 by the
German landscape architect Carl Meyer, but not completed
until 1860. More than 30,000 trees and plants were brought
in from the Romanian mountains, while exotic plants were
fetched from the botanical gardens in Vienna.
Highlights of the 17 hectare garden include the Roman
Garden, laid in the style of ancient Rome, and including busts
of Romania’s most famous writers, the lake, which can be
explored by rowing boat in summer or skated upon during
the winter, and Ion Jalea’s French Memorial in Carrara marble,
which commemorates those French troops killed on Romanian
territory during the Great War.
Herăstrău Park B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 32, MAviatorilor.
Large park in the north of the city, surrounded by the finest
residential districts Bucharest has to offer. The most popular
of Bucharest’s parks it extends for 187 hectares from the
Teatrul National (National Theatre) C-5, Piata
21 Decembrie 1989, MUniversitate. A building in two
parts, the original National Theatre was built between
1967 and 1970, and originally styled to honour the
architecture of Moldova’s famous monasteries. It was
ruined in 1984-5 when a concrete casing was placed
over the earlier structure, but rebuilding work currently
being carried out on the building is intended to return the
theatre to its original design by the end of this year. The
odd statue in front of the theatre is called the Caruta cu
paiate, a tribute to Romania’s best loved playwright, Ion
Luca Caragiale. See page 66.
April - May 2012
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22
BUCHAREST IN BLOOM
So where am I exactly?
Bucharest, capital of Romania. Situated in that part of
the world which will - to those of a certain age - always
be known as Eastern Europe, it would be more accurate
to describe Bucharest’s geographical location as southeastern Europe.
Founded, legend has it, in the 14th century, Bucharest
is in that part of Romania known as Wallachia, one
of the three historic principalities which make up the
modern country (the others are Moldavia and Transylvania). Romania as a nation state is relatively new: while
Moldavia and Wallachia have been united as a single
country since 1859, Romania took on its modern form
only on December 1st, 1918, when the Romanians of
Transylvania voted to join in the fun. The official population of Bucharest is just over two
million people, but as many migrants from the rest of
the country do not bother to register as citizens of the
capital, the true number is thought to be closer to three
million.
Bucharest is close to the Danube (just 69 kilometres to
the south), which serves as the border between Romania
and Bulgaria. The main crossing point is at Giurgiu,
linked by a bridge with Ruse, the Bulgarian town on the
other side of the river, whose pleasant centre is well
worth a day trip if you are at a loose end. Alas you will
need a car, as train services between Bucharest and
Ruse (and the rest of Bulgaria) are poor.
Bucharest is around 240 kilometres from Constanta
and the Black Sea coast, but as the A2 motorway only
goes as far as Cernavoda, even the maddest of drivers
fail to do the trip in much under three hours. Like most
trains in Romania, the Bucharest - Constanta service is
slow and it takes four and a half hours.
To the north of Bucharest is Ploiesti - the centre of
Romania’s oil industry, and beyond that the Carpathian
Mountains, a two hour drive away.
Arcul de Triumf to the Baneasa bridge, and is centered on the
lake with which it shares its name.
Home to numerous attractions, including children’s playgrounds, a rather old fashioned fairground, an open-air theatre, gardens, promenades and the central lake (which offers
boat trips during the summer), the main entrance, recently
tidied up and beautified, is from Piata Charles de Gaulle. You
can rent bikes from La Pedale, close to the entrance. Rental
is free but limited to two hours. You will need ID.
Tineretului Park (Parcul Copiilor, Parcul Vacaresti) B-dul Tineretului, MTineretului. A large, mostly
lovely park featuring the best playgrounds in the city. Divided
into two parts, the main section (closest to Tineretului metro)
offers a few rides for kids, trampolines and dodgems, as well
as playgrounds and plenty of tree-lined avenues great for
strolling. There is free bike hire too, just bring ID.
In the middle of the park is the Sala Polivalenta - a
popular venue for concerts, exhibitions and big indoor sporting events - set above a large artificial lake on the shore of
which is a great terrace, Cafeneaua Actorilor de Vara,
which serves some of the best (if most expensive) mici in
the city.
Up by Sala Polivalenta you will also find the entrance
to Oraselul Copiilor, a very old fashioned children’s funfair,
complete with one of the most decrepit and life-threatening
roller coasters known to man. It is currently being renovated,
but some rides remain open.
The best part of Tineretului however is Parcul Vacaresti
/ Parcul Copiilor, on the corner of B-dul Tineretului and
Calea Vacaresti. Vast amounts of money have been spent
on this part of the park, and as such you will find the best
and biggest children’s playgrounds in the city here. There is
also an old steam engine for kids to clamber on, inflatables,
a go-kart track, tennis courts, football pitches, volleyball and
basketball courts.
Titan/Alexandru Ion Cuza Park Str. Liviu Rebreanu,
MTitan. The twin Titan and Alexandru Ioan Cuza parks, in
the unsexy yet perfectly safe neighbourhood of Titan, have
been given much love of late and are showing the benefit of
millions of euros of investment. Whole terraces have been
landscaped, lawns laid with much softer grass than elsewhere, playgrounds built on tartan surfaces (and not dreaded
sand) and sports pitches placed at every turn. There’s even
an artificial skating rink, open year round. Look out too for
the replica Maramures church on the southern side of the
park, on Str. Liviu Rebreanu.
There are plenty of kiosks serving refreshments, as well
as ice cream stands. On weekend evenings there is usually
something going at the main bandstand: either a band or
children’s entertainers.
24
Calea Victoriei
No street in Bucharest has a history to match that of Calea
Victoriei, the city’s most famous thoroughfare which runs
- much as it has for more than three centuries - from Piata
Victoriei in the north of the city all the way down to Piata Natiunilor Unite and the Dambovita river. Lined with fine houses,
palaces, churches, hotels, upmarket shops and museums, it
remains perhaps the most prestigious address in the city.
Calea Victoriei was first opened in 1692, originally part of
the route from the Old Court (Curtea Veche, see page 74) to
Mogosoaia, where Constantin Brancoveanu, that great ruler of
these parts who did so much to modernise the country during
his long and distinguished reign, had his main palace. The street
has had many names over the years, including Ulita Sarindar,
Drumul Brasovului and Drumul Mogosoaia, which was its
name until 1878 when it became Calea Victoriei in honour of
victories won by Romanian armies fighting to preserve the
country’s newly won independence from the Ottoman Empire.
The street - originally covered with logs, as was the norm in
those days - was fully paved by 1825, one of the first in the city
(Strada Franceza, in Old Town, closer to the Old Court, was in
fact the first). There followed a blossoming of construction as
the street became a magnet for wealthy merchants who built
homes along its length, keen to be spared the ignominies of
the mud streets which persisted elsewhere. Though much has
changed since, and not a few majestic buildings have fallen
victim to earthquake, war, socialist planning or modernisation,
many of the buildings which went up along Calea Victoriei in
the first part of the 19th century remain.
Orientation: modern Calea Victoriei can be split more
or less neatly into two sections: the residential northern
part, noted mainly for its fine houses and palaces and the
more commercial southern part. To start a walk of the
full length of the street at the northern end (which we
recommend, as you can then end up by relaxing in one
of the cafes of Old Town), simply take the metro to Piata
Victoriei.
Piata Victoriei to Calea Grivitei
For all its history, Calea Victoriei does not start well. Piata
Victoriei is an awful place, all cars and traffic, smoke and (in
Summer) dust. The modernist building on the far side is the
Palatul din Piata Victoriei, home today of the Romanian
government (though when it was built in the 1930s it was
the Foreign Ministry). On the other side of the square is the
excellent Grigore Antipa Museum of Natural History, built
in 1906 (see page 68). Elsewhere, Piata Victoriei is a socialist
nightmare, with its more recently built office blocks barely more
attractive than those built before 1989.
Heading off from here along Calea Victoriei itself, the first
building of any real interest is the Palatul Cantacuzino at No.
141, usually referred to (mistakenly) as the Casa Enescu. The
building does house the Romanian Museum of Music (which
carries the name of George Enescu, the country’s finest composer) but - contrary to popular belief, Enescu never lived here,
although there is a connection. The vaguely baroque, Louis XVIstyle building dates from 1898, when it was built for the wealthy
politician Gheorghe Cantacuzino. On his death in 1913 the palace
Frey Wille
Frey Wille C-5, Calea Victoriei 118, tel. (+4) 031
620 13 54, bucuresti@frey-wille.com, www.freywille.com. Frey Wille boutiques are found in the most exclusive locations around the world, including Bucharest’s
very own street of style and luxury, Calea Victoriei. Expect
to find only the finest jewellery and accessories here,
and there is a good selection for both men and women.
QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun.
CALEA VICTORIEI
Shopping on Calea Victoriei
Carol I: The First King of Romania
Anthony Frost English Bookshop B-4, Calea Victoriei
45, tel. (+4) 021 311 51 38, www.anthonyfrost.ro.QOpen
10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00.
Cellini C-5, Calea Victoriei 102-108, tel. (+4) 031 432
90 41, www.cellini.ro.QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun
10:00 - 18:00. Also at B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 16, tel (+4) 021
312 22 02, Plaza Romania and many other locations.
Emporio Armani C-5, Calea Victoriei 60-64, tel. (+4)
021 310 81 31/(+4) 0721 23 30 47, emporio.armani@
earmani.ro, www.emporioarmani.com. QOpen 10:00 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00.
Ermenegildo Zegna B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel.
(+4) 021 316 89 75, www.zegna.com. Q Open 10:00
- 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun closed.
Escape Club Wear B-4, Calea Victoriei 101, tel. (+4)
021 316 92 29, escape@escape.ro, www.escape.ro.
Gerard Darel B-4, Calea Victoriei 118, tel. (+4) 0316
20 53 93, office@gerarddarel.ro, www.gerarddarel.com.
Gucci C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3, tel. (+4) 0734 45 05 50,
gucci@cellini.ro, www.gucci.com. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00,
Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00.
Helvetansa B-4, Calea Victoriei 68-70, tel. (+4) 031
226 22 02, www.helvetansa.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00,
Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at (C-5) B-dul Balcescu
25, tel. (+4) 021 311 17 08 and (B-4) Calea Victoriei 88, tel.
(+4) 021 310 38 00.
Humanitas Kretzulescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel.
(+4) 021 313 50 35, www.librariilehumanitas.ro.QOpen
10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00.
Hugo Boss B-4, Calea Victoriei 145, tel. (+4) 021 311 88
97, www.hugoboss.com. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Closed Sun.
Max Mara C-5, Calea Victoriei 122A, tel. (+4) 021 316
89 77, www.maxmara.com. Q Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat
10:00 - 20:00, Closed Sun.
Mengotti C-5, Calea Victoriei 48-50, tel. (+4) 021 305
59 57, info@mengotti.ro, www.mengotti.ro. QOpen
10:00 - 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.
Micri Gold C-5, Calea Victoriei 56, tel. (+4) 021 312
00 57, office@micrigold.ro, www.micrigold.ro. QOpen
10:30 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 03:00. Closed Sun.
Palas Antiques B-5, Calea Victoriei 100, tel. (+4) 021
315 67 43, (+4) 0722 70 50 30, pirsoagageorge@yahoo.com, www.palasantique.ro. QOpen 10:30 - 20:00,
Sat 10:30 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Romartizana B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20, tel. (+4) 021
313 14 65, romartizana@digicom.ro, www.romartizana.com.ro.QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00.
Closed Sun. Also at P-ta Montreal 10 (World Trade Plaza)
tel. (+4) 021 319 12 16.
Sepala by Mihaela Glavan C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 9,
tel. (+4) 0722 52 52 72, (+4) 0730 09 73 23, www.sepala.
ro.QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Victoria 46 C-5, Calea Victoriei 46, tel. (+4) 0728 10
60 68, www.victoria46.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat
11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Few visitors to Bucharest will leave without seeing the
enormous horseback statue of Carol I - the first king
of modern Romania - which appeared in front of the
University Library in (B/C-5) Piata Revolutiei at the end
of 2010. Looking directly at the former Royal Palace (now
the National Art Museum), the statue is one of the largest in the city and unquestionably the most prominently
positioned. But who was this Carol chap?
Born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in Sigmaringen in southern
Germany in 1839, Karl was an officer in the Prussian army
until being invited by Romanian politician Ion Brătianu in
1866 to become the nascent country’s king. Romania’s
own royal, the authoritarian Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza,
had been exiled after falling out with the country’s politicians and most powerful families earlier in 1866. Scouring Europe for a suitable (non-Romanian) replacement,
Brătianu sought the advice of Napoleon III, a relative
by marriage of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family. It
was - allegedly - on Napoleon III’s recommendation that
the young Karl was approached. Though reluctant, Karl
was encouraged by his family to accept the offer, and
Bratianu returned to Romania to make preparations.
Karl’s trip to Romania the next month was as bizarre
as his somewhat random selection as the country’s king.
Due to ongoing conflict between Prussia and the Austrian
Empire, Karl travelled incognito by railroad from Düsseldorf to Budapest, under the name of Karl Hettingen.
From Budapest he travelled by carriage, as there was
no railroad to Romania. As he walked across the border
onto Romanian soil, he was met by Brătianu, who bowed
before him and asked Karl to join him in a carriage.
On 10 May 1866, Karl entered Bucharest. The news
of his arrival had been transmitted through telegraph and
he was welcomed by a huge crowd eager to see the new
ruler. In Băneasa he was given the key to the city. That
day, rain fell, ending a long period of drought – a favourable sign. As he was crowned, Karl swore ‘to guard the
laws of Romania, to maintain its rights and the integrity
of its territory.’ Not yet able to speak Romanian, he took
the oath in French, but adopted the Romanian version of
his name, Carol.
In his 48 years on the throne, Carol can be considered
to have done rather well. He greatly assisted the cause of
Romanian independence from the Ottoman Empire - which
came in 1878 - raised the country’s prestige (not least
at the 1906 Grand Exhibition, held in the Bucharest park
which now carries his name), and - in the main - allowed
politicians to run the economy without interference. He
never forgot he was German, however, and his pet project,
the Peles Castle, Sinaia, was quite deliberately built in
German style, as a reminder of the king’s origin. Carol’s
German roots also caused much tension at the outbreak
of World War I: his subjects were by and large sympathetic
to the French. As a result, Romania kept out of the war
until Carol died, in 1916.
became the property of Cantacuzino’s eldest son Mihai, who in
turn left it to his wife, Maruca, when he died in 1929. Maruca
subsequently married Enescu - in 1939 - but they chose to live
in a smaller house at the rear of the palace.
Crossing Strada Gheorghe Manu, you will come across
two gorgeous houses next to each other: the Neo-Classical
yet very French Casa Nenciu, was built in the 1830s for a
Wallachian princess, the exotically named Cleopatra Trubetkoi.
In 1847 Franz Liszt stayed here while on an extended visit to
Bucharest. Next door at No. 192 is the Casa Manu, completed
in 1843 for the modernising administrator Alecu Florescu,
but named for the man who bought it in 1848: the legendary
general and politician Gheorghe Manu.
The Casa Lens-Vernescu at No. 133 (to give the mansion its full name) is one of the finest on Calea Victoriei, built
around 1820 in an eclectic style incorporating many of the
architectural trends of the time. For years it was regarded as
the most beautiful house in the city, and belonged initially to
Filip Lens, a lawyer and politician. On his death in 1852 the
house became a residence for military officers, the Ministry
of War moving in shortly afterwards. Another politician,
Gheorghe Vernescu, bought it from the state in 1886, and
had it extensively remodelled over a two-year period from
1887-9. Today the building houses a casino and a restaurant,
which is currently being renovated.
The house on the south-western corner of the Calea Victoriei/Bulvardul Dacia intersection (opposite the new-ish Golden
Tulip hotel) is the Casa Monteoru. One of the oldest on Calea
Victoriei it dates from around 1810, although it was almost
entirely reconstructed in the 1880s (to designs by Ion Mincu - an
architect whose name you come across a lot in Bucharest). The
building is distinguished by its uneven character: the ground floor
is much smaller than the upper floor, the gorgeous balcony of
which is supported by two broad, Corinthian columns. Eclectic
both inside and out the building is today one of a number in the
city owned by the Romanian Writer’s Union.
Next door is a fine palace, known as the Palat Romanit
which hosts the Museum of Art Collections. The central corp
was built in 1834, then rebuilt and extended in 1883, when the
wings were added. For much of the 19th century the building
was home to the Ministry of Finance, becoming an art museum
in 1948, when the wealthiest families in Romania were made
an offer they couldn’t refuse by the communist government,
and forced to donate much of their extensive art collections
to the state. It is currently closed for renovtion.
Speaking of the state, the elegant, modernist (if neglected) linear building opposite, at No. 152, is another Duiliu
Marcu design, built from 1936-40 and from 1948-1989 home
of the State Planning Committee. Looking every inch a
1930s Italian railway station, the clock on the main tower is
a gem.
April - May 2012
25
26
CALEA VICTORIEI
Art Gift Shop
Beba Art Gift Shop C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 20,
tel. (+4) 0746 22 22 27, beba@beba.ro, www.beba.
ro. Just behind the Atheneum this is a gorgeous little
shop selling all sorts of artistic creations, from paintings
to glass and ceramics, clothes and jewellery. Impossible
not to find something to buy. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00, Sat
11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Commercial Calea Victoriei
It is at the crossroads with Calea Grivitei that you notice a
real change in the mood of Calea Victoriei. The road and
pavements narrow, and houses, palaces and small parks give
way to blocks - many of which are nevertheless elegant if run
down - with shops on the ground floor.
Yet the first building of real interest on this part of Calea
Victoriei will for most people be the little white church set
back from the street in a small square on the corner of Str.
George Enescu. Known colloquially as the Biserica Alba
(White Church), it is officially the Biserica Sf. Nicolae and is
one of the oldest in Bucharest, being founded in 1700. The
current structure dates from 1827, however (the original was
destroyed in an earthquake), with the interior frescoes for
which it is famed having been restored a number of times,
most recently in 1988.
The glass and steel opposite belong to the Radisson Blu
hotel, opened in 2008 after a refit of several years had turned
the tired, old and often infamous Hotel Bucuresti into the
five-star wonder the rich and famous throng to today. In what is very much Bucharest’s Hotel Row, directly
across the road from the Radisson is the Athenee Palace
Hilton, one of few hotel’s in the world whose history is so
intriguing that books have been written about it (Rosie
Waldeck’s Athenee Palace details the intricate diplomatic
discussions - official or otherwise - which took place here
in the 1930s and 1940s). The hotel opened in 1912 (it was
designed by a Frenchman, Teophile Bradeau) and was built on
the site of an old inn, the Hanul Gherasi. The Calea Victoriei wing
was added in the 1960s, and the hotel was entirely renovated
again in 1997 when it became a Hilton property. Most recently
the ground floor brasserie was remodelled and reopened as the
Cafe Athenee.
The Athenee Palace vies for attention on Piata Revolutiei with the Atheneum, the Former Royal Palace, the
University Library, the Former Central Committee Building, the Revolution Monument the Cretulescu Church, and
the statue of Carol I (see previous page). You should take a
look at the building just behind and to the left of the University
Library: the modern green office block inside the ruins of an old
house. What happened here is simple: the building was all but
destroyed during the 1989 revolution (this square saw most
of the action: it was from the low balcony of the grey Former
Central Committee Building that Nicolae Ceausescu gave
his last public speech, before fleeing the next day from the roof
in a helicopter). It was taken over by the Architects’ Union who
then created the rather splendid mix of old and new we admire
today. The Revolution Monument is a less impressive affair,
mocked by locals who call it an olive on a stick.
Shops of the classy and expensive kind occupy the
ground floor of the buildings that line Calea Victoriei as it
closes in again, at least as far as the two hotels - historic
both for differing reasons - that greet you at the crossroads
with Ion Campaneanu. The Grand Continental Hotel was
reopened in 2009 after being almost totally rebuilt. Opposite
is the Novotel, whose faux Neo-Classical entrance is an
exact replica of that of Bucharest’s original National Theatre,
which stood here from 1852 until it was destroyed in an allied
bombing raid in August 1944. Next to the Novotel is the art
deco Palatul Telefoanelor (Telephone Palace). Built over
three years from 1929-32 to serve as the headquarters of
Romania’s national telephone company it was the first building
in the country to be constructed in the manner of an American
skyscraper: concrete reinforced by a steel frame. There are
three other hotels on this part of the street: the Majestic, the
Capitol and the Casa Capsa - the latter being one of the oldest
in the city, dating back to 1886. Opposite the Telephone Palace is the Pasajul Victoriei.
Built in the 1830s, it was home for a long time to the Bucharest’s
most luxurious brothel, immortalized in Ion Matei Caragiale’s
1929 novel Craii de Curtea Veche. The Cercul Militar was
completed in 1912, on the site of a former monastery, the
Sarindar. A recently renovated fountain in front of the building preserves the Sarindar name. Opposite is the Hotel
Bulevard, built in the 1860s and the first in the city to have
running water in the rooms. It was closed in 2005 ahead of a
five-star refit that is approaching completion.
On the opposite corner, find the little courtyard next to Pizza
Hut which leads through to one of Bucharest’s many hidden
churches. Dating from 1683 the church’s name is a mouthful:
the Biserica Intrarea Maicii Domnului în Biserică (the Church
of the Entrance of the Mother of God into Church).
From here Calea Victoriei heads gently downhill, passing
the Bancorex building at No. 15 (now called the Bucharest
Financial Plaza) the first modern office block to be built after
1990. Next door is the far more satisfactory CEC building (the
ornate national savings bank, built in 1900) while opposite is
the National History Museum (see page 69). The Old Town/
Lipscani area lurks behind the History Museum.
At the very bottom of the street, facing the river, are the
Gloriette Buildings, neither of which is in the best of shape.
Designed by local architect Petru Antonescu and completed
in 1926, they are worth noting for their design (particularly the
belvedere at the top), which was used as a blueprint for the
apartment buildings which went up in the Civic Centre along
Bulevardul Unirii in the 1980s (see box on page 90, and which,
it should be said, have weathered no better).
Casa Frumoasa
A network of stores around the city selling only the
biggest names in high fashion: Tom Ford, Scabal,
Brioni, Salvatore Ferragamo, Loro Piana, Jacob
Cohen etc.
Casa Frumoasa JW Marriott B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel.
(+4) 0731 03 65 63/(+4) 0733 73 59 35. QOpen
10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
Casa Frumoasa Store B-4, B-dul Lascar Catargiu
40, tel. (+4) 0723 33 17 30/(+4) 0724 35 30 08.
QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00
- 18:00.
Elegance Boutique B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81
(Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 0722 45 48 82/(+4) 031
437 02 48, www.elegance-paris.ro. QOpen 10:00 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00.
J. Kristensen Store Bucuresti B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 0724 35 30
06. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun
10:00 - 17:00.
66
What to see
What to see
Caruta cu paiate
Essential Bucharest
The first port of call for any visitor to Bucharest these days
should probably be the Historic Centre, or Old Town.
Once you have ticked off Old Town, you can head for the
sights, museums, churches and buildings we list here.
The Peasant and Village Museums should take
priority, as well as the Grigore Antipa National History
Museum. While still the most famous building in the city
and usually top of the agenda for most visitors, Casa
Poporului/Palatul Parlamentului tends to be a bit of
a let down for most, mainly due to the stilted nature of
the compulsory guided tour. Art lovers - especially fans of
religious art - should pencil in at least an afternoon at the
National Art Museum. Last but not least, half a day at
the Bellu Cemetery is a wonderful trip through Romanian
literary, artistic, political and architectural history.
Bellu Cemetery (Cimitirul Bellu) Calea Serban Voda
249, MEroii Revolutiei, tel. (+4) 021 636 35 71, www.
bellu.ro. Founded in the 1850s, this is Bucharest’s most historic
cemetery, the final resting place of just about every great Romanian academic, scientist, artist, writer, musician and poet you can
think of, as well as the odd politician. Each has his or her own plot,
usually with an accompanying monument (our favourite is that
devoted to the comic actor Toma Caragiu, tragically killed in the
Bucharest earthquake of 1977). You could spend half a day here
wandering between the gravestones, memorials and statues (the
graves are grouped by profession: scientists in one part, actors
in another etc). You should also be sure to visit the central chapel
(which keeps the same hours as the cemetery itself), built in the
1880s in the style of the cathedral at Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary)
and boasting stunning interior paintings. Next to the cemetery is
the Cimitirul Eroilor, where those killed in Bucharest during the
1989 revolution are buried. QOpen 08:00 - 16:00.
Chances are you’ve seen
this statue, admired it,
but then walked on having
failed to grasp what it actually is, or what it signifies.
Centrally located in front
of Romania’s National
Theatre (C-5, which is currently being rebuilt), not 20
yards from the Bucharest
Inter Continental Hotel, the
bronze Caruta cu paiate was created by sculptor Ioan
Bolborea in honour of Romania’s favourite playwright, Ion
Luca Caragiale. It was unveiled in December 2010.
The statue features characters (Domnul Goe, Nae
Catavencu, Tache Farfuridi, amongst others) from Caragiale’s most famous plays, and was unveiled in December
2010. Next to the Caruta cu paiate is a seated bronze of
another character: Nenea Iancu – Caragiale himself. Or is
it? Even Romanian literary academics argue as to whether
Nenea Iancu was or was not based on Caragiale himself.
It’s worth noting that for a while (from 2002-2006), a
rather different statue of Caragiale stood here, one which
can today be seen in front of Caragiale’s old house, on
Strada Maria Rosetti. Many locals claim that the statue is
in fact an old Lenin, with the Russian revolutionary’s head
having been replaced with that of Caragiale. You can read
about it (in Romanian) here. We ourselves have no idea if
this urban myth is true or not. We kind of hope that it is.
Caragiale - whose face appears on Romania’s 100
lei banknotes - was born in 1859, and is probably best
remembered for his masterpiece of political manners, O
Scrisoare Pierduta (A Lost Letter). Other plays of note
include O Noapte Fortunoasa (Stormy Night) and O
Soacra (A Mother-in-law) The reopening of the National
Theatre in the summer of this year - the centenary of his
death - will feature major new productions of many of
Caragiale’s plays
George Enescu Museum (Muzeul National George
Enescu) B-4, Calea Victoriei 141, tel. (+4) 021 318 14 50,
fax (+4) 021 312 91 82, www.georgeenescu.ro. Mistakenly
believed to be the great Romanian composer George Enescu’s
former home, this outstanding Secession house was in fact built for
landowner George Cantacuzino in 1905, and many older Bucharest
residents still refer to it as the Cantacuzino Palace. It became state
property in 1955, the year of Enescu’s death, and a year later
opened as a musuem dedicated to his life and work. You will find
rooms full of the usual memorabilia and artefacts from the eventful
life of Romania’s most famous composer, as well as a full telling of
the story of Romanian music in general. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00.
Closed Mon. Admission 6 lei, students/children 1.50 lei.
Sculpture, which plays host to a fine collection of Old European
Masters.Q Open April 10:00-18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Open May
11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei for The Gallery of
European Art, 10 lei for The National Gallery (Treasure included)
and 15 lei for combined tickets (both galleries).
Palatul Parlamentului (Parliament Palace; Casa
Poporului) B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 1, intrarea A3,
MIzvor, tel. (+4) 021 311 36 11, www.cdep.ro. Romania’s
most famous building, Palatul Parlamentului (known universally as
Casa Poporului) was built during the darkest days of the Nicolae
Ceausescu regime. Standing 84m above ground level on 12
floors, the building has long been shrouded in mystery, rumour
and hyperbole. Originally designed to house almost all the organs
of the communist state, it today plays host to the Romanian parliament and a modern, well equipped conference centre, as well as
Romania’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The public tour of the
building is thoroughly recommended (it is the only way to see the
building, in fact) though the commentary consists of little more
than a bored guide reeling off endless superlative statistics. You’ll
see plenty of grand staircases, marble-plated halls and conference rooms, while - if you pay the extra - you may also have the
chance to go on the roof, which offers perhaps the best view of
central Bucharest. You can even now take a trip into the bowels
of the building down below, though again this costs extra. To join
one of the tours, you should make reservations a day in advance
as parliamentary business means the official opening hours are
subject to change. You will also need to bring your passport, driving license or other form of internationally accepted ID. Use the
entrance on the right-hand side of the palace (if you’re looking at
it front-on). Izvor is probably the nearest metro station, but you’ll
get a better view from Piata Unirii. Q Open 10:00 - 16:00. Admission 25 lei (standard tour), 30 lei (standard and basement), 35 lei
(standard and terrace), 45 lei (standard, terrace and basement).
All tours include access to the Palace’s terrace cafe. An additional
fee of 30.00 lei is payable by those with cameras.
Peasant Museum (Muzeul Taranului Roman) B-3,
Şos. Kiseleff 3, MAviatorilor, tel. (+4) 021 317 96 61,
www.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro. In most people’s opinion,
the Peasant Museum is the best museum in Bucharest, and
one of the best in the country. Housed in a wonderful red brick
building designed by Nicolae Ghica-Budeşti, dating from 1912, the
museum offers well laid out and presented exhibits which tell you
all you need to know about the diverse and fascinating history
of life around the country over the past four centuries. There are
exhibitions covering all aspects of Romanian peasant life, from
handpainted Easter eggs to terracotta pottery, from colourful
religious icons to traditional clothing. Boasts an excellent shop.
QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last admission 17:00. Admission 8.00 lei, students and children 2 lei, pensioners 3 lei.
Village Museum (Muzeul Naţional al Satului Dimitrie
Gusti) A-2, Sos. Kiseleff 28-30, tel. (+4) 021 317 91 10,
www.muzeul-satului.ro. Outstanding. Founded in 1936, and
covering 15 hectares on the shores of Lake Herăstrău, Muzeul
Satului is one of the greatest outdoor museums in the Balkans.
There are more than 60 original houses, farmsteads, windmills,
watermills and churches from all of Romania’s historic regions:
Transylvania, Oltenia, Dobrogea and Moldavia. Every exhibit has
a plaque showing exactly where in Romania it was brought from.
Some even now have recorded commentary in four languages
(press the second button for English). Most of the houses date
from the mid 19th-century, but some, such as those from
Berbeşti, in the heart of Romania, date from as early as 1775.
The highlight of the museum is probably the steep belfry of the
wooden Maramureş church, but you should also not miss the
earth houses of Straja, or the brightly painted dwellings of the
Danube Delta. The museum has a great souvenir shop, and a
stall selling traditional Romanian sweets and cakes. Children
love the museum, and it makes for a perfect family day out.
QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Last admission 16:30. Admission 6.00
lei, students/children 1.50 lei.
National Art Museum (MNAR; Muzeul National de
Arta) B/C-5, Calea Victoriei 49-53, tel. (+4) 021 313
30 30, www.mnar.arts.ro. The country’s largest, and most
impressive art collection is housed inside the splendid former
Royal Palace, first built in 1812 as a private home by the wealthy
trader Dinicu Golescu. It has been a royal residence in 1859, when
it became the court of the first prince of the united principalities,
Alexandru Ion Cuza. There are three permanent exhibitions, one
on each of the three floors of the main building: Medieval Romanian Art, featuring icons, carved altars, illustrated manuscripts
and bibles, and fragments of frescoes; Modern Romanian Art,
with all of Romania’s greatest 20th century artists well represented, including Theodor Aman, Constantin Brancuşi, Gheorghe
Patraşcu, and Gheorghe Tattarescu; and European Paintings and
April - May 2012
67
68
What to see
Museums
As well as those listed here, do not forget the National Art
Museum, the Peasant and Village Museums, which we
list under Essential Bucharest.
Collectivisation Memorial B-3, Inside the Peasant
Museum, MPiata Victoriei. Our favourite part of the Peasant Museum; a small but stunning and moving cellar room
featuring a collection of communist-era busts, paintings and
nostalgic memorabilia. Called ‘a reminder of the pain caused
by collectivisation’ there are a number of paintings of Stalin
and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, but none of Ceausescu. Be
sure to take a Romanian speaker along to translate the often
chilling newspaper articles reporting the ‘progress’ being made
towards full collectivisation that are stuck on the walls.
Cotroceni Museum B-dul Geniului 1, tel. (+4) 021
317 31 07/(+4) 021 317 31 06, www.muzeulcotroceni.
ro. Constructed from 1888-93 at the behest of Romania’s
first king, Carol I, Cotroceni Palace has since 1991 been the
official residence of the Romanian President. Built on the site
of a former monastery (the foundations and cellars of which
remain, and form part of the tour of the palace), the palace was
designed by a French team of architects, led by Paul Gottereau.
The design would form something of a blueprint for Romanian
domestic architecture for years to come. It served as the
Bucharest residence of the Romanian royal family until 1939.
During the communist period it was used as a guest house
for visiting heads of state. The part that serves today as the
president’s office, and official home, however, was added after
the great Bucharest earthquake of 1977, and bears the stamp
of local architect Nicolae Vladescu.
Part of the palace is open to the public, and can be visited
as part of a tour. You will see a number of function rooms, many
of which were decorated to the whims of Marie, the English wife
of Carol’s heir, his nephew Crown Prince Ferdinand. You will also
be able to view her astonishing art collection.
During the construction of the new wing in the 1980s, ruins
of the original monastery church were discovered, including part
of the original interior frescoes. The church has been partially
rebuilt and can be visited without joining the full palace tour.
QOpen 09:30 - 16:30. Closed Mon. Admission 27.00 lei, students and children 21.00 lei. Admission includes entrance and
the compulsory guided tour. Tours are available in Romanian,
French and English. Last tour begins at 16:30.
Geology Museum B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 2, MPiata Victoriei,
tel. (+4) 021 212 89 52, www.geology.ro. Far more than
just a collection of old rocks and fossils, Bucharest’s Geology
Museum is one of the city’s must sees. First off, there is the
museum building itself to admire. Built in 1906 on the orders
of King Carol I to house what was then known as the Royal
Romanian Geology Society, the building is a splendid example
of Neo-Brancovenesque architecture, and is far more impressive than its red-brick neighbour, the Peasant Museum. The
museum’s permanent collections are impressive in size and
- being logically presented - clarity, but few have English captions. The museum is also of the most active in the city, playing host to varied and never less than fascinating temporary
exhibitions. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission
8.00 lei, students and children 4.00 lei.
History Museum (Muzeul National de Istorie) C-5,
Calea Victoriei 12, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 315 82
07, www.mnir.ro. The beautiful, monumental and simply
superb Neo-Classical building that houses Romania’s National
History Museum was constructed from 1894-1900 to the designs of local architect Alexandru Săvulescu. It originally served
as the headquarters of Poşta Romană, the Romanian postal
What to see
Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum
B-3, Şos. Kiseleff 1, M Piata Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021
312 88 26, fax (+4) 021 312 88 63, www.antipa.ro.
Long before the idea of a major refurbishment had been
mooted, we had already become huge fans of the Antipa.
From the building (purpose built in 1908) which occupies
one of the more discrete parts of Piata Victoriei to the
amazing collections of mounted butterflies and pickled
snakes, it was the kind of place that we always brought
the In Your Pocket kids on a wet weekend: two hours of
peace and quiet was always guaranteed as they explored
the delightful old place. Then, in the autumn of 2007, the
Antipa closed, ostensibly for 18 months while a thorough
refurbishment was carried out. In September 2011, the
museum finally reopened, a year or so behind schedule.
All we can say is that it was well worth the wait.
Before the refurbishment the Grigore Antipa was one
of the most popular (and best) museums in Romania,
attracting more than 350,000 visitors per year. It was
dependent, however, on temporary exhibitions to boost
visitor numbers, as it was unable to display all of its
collection in one go. The well thought-out and thorough
refit (the interior is unrecognisable from before) however
makes far better use of the magnificent building which
houses the museum, which is now able to permanently
display far more of its extensive collection.
The museum is split over three levels. The basement
is dedicated to Romanian fauna, and while it would be
impossible to present every species found in the country,
the museum has made a very good attempt at doing so.
Carefully presented exhibitions show the various geographical regions of Romania, and the animals particular
to them. There are boars and bears from the mountains,
fish and dolphins from the Black Sea and hundreds of
birds from the Danube Delta. There are artificial caves
to explore, and all of the exhibits are accompanied by
excellent captions - which put everything into perspective - in Romanian and English. The larger displays also
have interactive screens to help you identify the animals
and find out more about them.
The ground floor is given over to animals from around
the world (both the living and the extinct: it’s here you will
find the dinosaurs and mammoths) while the upper level is
devoted to man and his impact on the planet. Somewhat
predictably, the museum has taken a slightly politically
correct turn and now feels free to lecture visitors on the
harm man is doing to the environment.
The entrance fee to the museum is 20 lei for adults,
10 lei for pensioners and 5 lei for children. With the exception of Casa Poporului, the price is more than double that
of any other museum in the city. However, if Bucharest
(and Romania) wants to have world class museums then a
world class entrance fee alas needs to be paid. Besides,
is 20 lei really too much? A family of four can come here
for 50 lei: that’s cheaper than a trip to the cinema. (One
gripe would be the fact that all photography is strictly
forbidden).
Still, small grumbles. Bucharest’s new look Grigore
Antipa is an excellent museum that the city should be
proud of, and it is well worthy of your time and money. It
is unquestionably an Essential Bucharest sight. QOpen
10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Last admission 19:00. Admission 20 lei, pensioners 10 lei, children 5 lei.
service. When the post office moved away in 1970, the History
Museum moved in. The museum’s exhibitions are spread over
60 display rooms, and include a fine collection of antiquities,
including statues brought from a Bronze Age necropolis close
to present day Cernavoda. The finest exhibit is the replica of
Trajan’s Column in the central lapidarium. The museum is poor
on Romania’s recent history. Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei, students and children 2 lei.
Sibiu In Your Pocket
European Capital of Culture
in 2007, the Transylvanian
city of Sibiu has long been
Military Museum (Muzeul Militar National) B-4,
Str. Mircea Vulcănescu 125-127, tel. (+4) 021 319 59
04 int. 107. Tucked away on a side street not far from the
main railway station, the Military Museum is housed in a former
officers’ college, built in 1885. Popular with older children, the
most interesting sections of the museum include a range of
military hardware (missiles, helicopters and tanks) as well as
an excellent display that focuses on the army’s role during the
revolution. Not to be missed is the Soyuz-40 capsule in which
Dumitru Prunariu became the first - and so far only - Romanian
in space, in May 1981. Sadly, no captions anywhere in the
museum are in English. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon.
Admission 5.00 lei, children, students 2.50 lei.
considered one of Romania’s
Minovici Museum of Ancient Western Art (Muzeul
de Arta Veche Apuseana ‘Ing. D. Minovici’) Str. Dr.
publish a quarterly Mini-Guide
Minovici 3, tel. (+4) 021 665 73 34, www.minovici.ro.
This amazing red brick, mock Tudor house holds the small
and dusty renaissance art collection of Dumitru Minovici, who
made barrels of lei in the oil business in the 1930s. Inside
are fine collections of Belgian tapestries, Dutch furniture,
Swiss stained glass, a complete library and Italian paintings
from the 16th/17th centuries. To get there, walk north-east
from Piaţa Presei Libere or take bus No 301 to the Mioriţa
Fountain. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. Free
admission.
best destinations to visit. It
is no surprise therefore that
some of the biggest names
in the hotel business have
opened up shop there, as
has In Your Pocket: we now
to the city, available at all good Sibiu hotels or at any of
the city’s three Tourist Information Offices.
A three or four hour drive from Bucharest, Sibiu is
served by two trains per day from Bucharest, and by a
daily Tarom plane. Prices start at €45 for a single.
April - May 2012
69
70
What to see
National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC;
Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana) B-6, Calea
13 Septembrie 1, entrance E4 (Palatul Parlamentului),
MIzvor, tel. (+4) 021 318 91 37, www.mnac.ro. Making excellent use of the wide open spaces on the Parliament
Palace, this vast gallery displays the work of Romania’s finest
contemporary artists. There are also works on display by
international artists, and regular topical exhibitions. It’s all
mostly installations, clever symbolism and grand gestures as
opposed to real talent, but you may enjoy the humour. The
museum has a great cafe, and if the weather is good enough
its terrace offers fantastic views of the city. QOpen 10:00 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei. Free entrance for
children and artists.
National Technical Museum (Muzeul Tehnic Dimitrie Leonida) C-7, Str. Gen. Candiano Popescu 2, tel.
(+4) 021 336 93 90. Often unfairly derided as an outdated (if
amusingly so) museum of technology, it should be remembered
that the machines, turbines, inventions and gadgets on display
here are not meant to be cutting edge. At least not in this day
and age. They were all, however, cutting edge when they first
appeared, with some of the older steam engines dating back
to the beginning of the 19th century. The museum is housed
in something of a cherished relic itself: the original pavilion built
to host the 1906 Romania Fair. QOpen 09:30 - 16:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. Admission 3.00 lei, students, children 1.50 lei.
Theodor Pallady Museum (Casa Melik, Muzeul
Theodor Pallady) D-5, Str. Spătarului 22, tel. (+4) 021
211 49 79. Theodor Pallady (1871-1953) was an early Cubist
artist widely regarded as Romania’s most influential 20th century
painter. Schooled in Dresden and Paris, Pallady was influenced
by the Symbolist environment of the late 19th century, and his
paintings before 1916 contain Symbolist motifs, sometimes with
echoes of Moreau. Alas the small museum that today bears his
name has only six of his paintings, a couple of his sketches and
assorted other art. The museum’s saving grace is the house in
which it is hosted: the oldest in Bucharest. Originally called the
Casa Melik, it was built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi
Kevork Nazaretoglu. Walk over the enchantingly creaky wooden
floors and admire the decorated tavane (ceilings). Q Open
10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students
and children 2.50 lei.
Zambaccian Museum (Muzeul Zambaccian) B-3,
Str. Muzeul Zambaccian 21A, tel. (+4) 021 230 19 20.
A chance to see the large collection belonging to the now deceased patron Zambaccian (you’ll see the requisite portraits)
that includes the only Cezanne in Romania, as well as the
best of Romanian painters Luchian, Tonitza, and Pallady. Q
Open 11:00-19:00, Closed Thu, Fri. Admission 7 lei, children,
students 3.5 lei.
Contemporary Art Gallery
Zorzini Gallery C-5, Str. Thomas Masaryk 31, tel.
(+4) 0727 89 07 20, contact@zorzinigallery.com,
www.zorzinigallery.com. Fine contemporary art gallery
working with both established and emerging Romanian
artists that correspond to the gallery’s aesthetic agenda,
which includes graphics, painting, installation and mixed
media. Currently represents Nicolae Comanescu, Andrei
Gamart and Oana Lohan. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00. Closed
Sun. PLBSW
Jewish Bucharest
As recently as 1937 there were over 100,000 Jews and
more than 80 synagogues in Bucharest: today there are
around 4,000 Jews and just three working synagogues.
Yet though it may be small, the Jewish community is
incredibly active in the city, and besides the synagogues
has a theatre, a school and a museum. There is also now
a Holocaust Memorial - built in 2009 - which has gone
a long way towards finally drawing a line under Romania’s
involvement in the Holocaust.
For a thorough account of the Holocaust in Romania, we
recommend Radu Ioanid’s book Holocaust in Romania:
The Destruction of Jews & Gypsies by the Antonescu
Regime. For a slightly different look at life as a Jew in 1930s
and 40s Romania, you can do no better than the brilliant
Journal: The Fascist Years, by Mihai Sebastian.
Choral Temple C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 9-11, MPiata Unirii,
tel. (+4) 021 312 21 96. Built in 1857, the red brick temple
has a memorial in front of it (visible from the street) that commemorates the Romanian Jews sent to their deaths during
the Holocaust. Usually the busiest Bucharest synagogue, it
is currently closed for extensive renovation.
Holocaust Memorial B-6, Str. Ion Brezoianu/Str. Ilfov,
MEroilor. Unveiled in October 2009, Romania’s Holocaust
Memorial finally recognises the country’s role in the genocide
of Europe’s Jews. The Romanian Holocaust and the deportation of the country’s Jews was ignored by the Communists,
and was minimized by subsequent governments after the
collapse of Communism.
Jewish Cemetery (Cimitirul Evreiesc de Rit
Sefard) C-7, Calea Serban Vodă, MEroii Revolutiei.
Fascinating though harrowing cemetery, full of monuments
to those who died during Romania’s pogroms (of which there
were many at the turn of the 19th century) and the Holocaust.
As with all of the city’s cemeteries and parks, beware stray
dogs. Q Open from noon to dusk.
Jewish History Museum (Muzeul de Istorie a
Evreilor din Romania) C-6, Str. Mămulari 3, MPiata
Unirii, tel. (+4) 021 311 08 70. Seperate exhibitions
display how the once vibrant Jewish community of Bucharest
used to live. Housed in an old synagogue built in 1850, the
main display is in fact a sculpture that mourns the 350,000
Romanian Jews sent to their deaths at Auschwitz in 1944
and 1945.QOpen 09:00 - 14:00, Fri, Sun 09:00 - 13:00.
Closed Sat. Admission free.
The Great Synagogue C-6, Str. Vasile Adamache 11,
MPiata Unirii. Bucharest’s Great Synagogue was built from
1845 -1846 by the Ashkenazi Polish-Jewish community. With
an impressive mixture of baroque and rococo architectural
styles, the Great Synagogue remains the most important
Jewish building in the country. The synagogue hosts an excellent exhibition dedicated to Romania’s Jewish martyrs, and
to Dr. Moses Rosen, who served as Romania’s Chief Rabbi
for 30 years until his death in 1994. QOpen 08:30 - 15:00,
Fri, Sun 08:30 - 13:00. Closed Sat. Morning Prayer: Sun-Fri
08:00, Sat 09:30, Evening Prayer: Sun-Fri 19:00.
Yeshoah Tova Synagogue (Sinagoga Eşua Tova)
C-4, Str. Tache Ionescu 9, MPiata Romana. In a busy
side street off Bulevardul Magheru is Bucharest’s second
temple. Q Services take place when Sabbath commences
on Friday evenings, as well as on Saturdays at 09:00.
72
OLD TOWN
old town
OLD TOWN
While much of Bucharest has changed beyond recognition
over the past two decades, nothing compares to the recent
transformation of Old Town/Lipscani, which in the past
three years has turned what was very much a no-go area with
almost nothing to offer into the Romanian capital’s liveliest
entertainment district. The area is still something of a work in
progress, but it’s a rewarding place to explore, one of the few
areas of the capital that is. You will certainly not want for things
to do, to see, or for places to eat, drink and dance.
Old Town: A Brief History
The area of Bucharest described by the Dambovita river to
the south, Calea Victoriei to the west, Bulevardul Brătianu
to the east and Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta to the north is
more or less all that’s left of pre-World War II Bucharest. What
the war didn’t destroy (and it destroyed a fair bit: allied bombing
was fierce during the early part of 1944) communism did, most
notably in the form of the grandiose Civic Centre project
(see box on page 90) that saw almost a fifth of the total area
of the city flattened to make way for Bulevardul Unirii and
Casa Poporului. That anything survives at all is little short of
a miracle. While we at Bucharest In Your Pocket tend to call
the area Old Town, many will know it better as Lipscani, with
most locals calling it the Centru Istoric (Historic Centre).
The area is historic in the main because this is where
Bucharest was founded. Kind of. According to legend, Bucur
the Shepherd founded the city in the 1300s, when he built
a church somewhere on the eastern bank of the Dâmboviţa
river: nobody is sure exactly where this church was (or even if
it actually existed). What we do know is that by the first reign
of Vlad Ţepeş (1459-1462) there was a palace and court (the
Palatul Curtea Veche) in the area we today call Old Town,
and that the city grew quickly around the palace. By the middle
of the 17th century the area was Bucharest’s merchant district,
which it to all intents and purposes remained until the end of
World War II, when many of the rightful owners of the houses
and businesses which lined the area’s streets were arrested by
the communist authorities, and their property confiscated and
left to rot. The entire area - viewed as being far too bourgeois
for communist tastes - was then neglected for decades, with
many of the empty buildings being occupied over the years
(legally or otherwise) by Gypsies. Many of these Gypsies
remain today, and add real character and colour to the area.
Old Town’s Sights
The best place to start any exploration of Old Town is at
Universitate, at the twin semi-circular buildings opposite
the university. The buildings (one is a bank and the other
houses a casino) were originally built (in 1906) to serve as the
headquarters of Romania’s largest insurance company. The
fenced-off area in front of them will soon be an underground
car park. Archaeological finds however - including the remains
of inns, houses and shops - brought excavation and building
work to a halt for some time. Best then to leave the building
work behind you and head into Old Town proper: the first sight
that will probably grab your attention (it will be difficult to miss
it) is the colourful St. Nicholas (Students’) Church.
Built in 1905-09 with a 600,000 gold rouble donation from
Tsar Alexander II, this orthodox church is topped with seven
typically Russian onion domes and crowned with an orthodox
cross. The wooden, gold-gilded iconostasis (catapeteasmă)
is allegedly a copy of the altar in Arhangelsk Cathedral, in
Moscow’s Kremlin. On your right as you exit the church - at the
end of the street - is the Neo-Gothic Şuţu Palace, home of
the Museum of the History of Bucharest (Muzeul de Istorie
al Municipiului Bucureşti; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.50
lei), a rather bland exhibition of neolithic artifacts uncovered
from around the city and the region. The palace was built
from 1833-4 for the wealthy merchant Costache Şuţu. Old
postcards and costumes depict life in the Romanian capital
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Retrace your steps past the Russian Church and you will
come to the Czech Cultural Centre (Ceske Centrum), a lively
hive of cultural activity which has regular film screenings and
exhibitions. Carry on to the far end of Str. Ion Ghica and you
will see in front of you the unmistakably Neo-Classical exterior
of the National Bank of Romania (BNR). It stands on the
site of one of the most famous buildings in Romania: the Hanul
Serban Voda, which from 1678 until 1883 was the home of
various things, from a pub, to an inn to a dormitory for a nearby
girl’s school. After two fires gutted the building however, the land
was levelled and in 1883 work began on the BNR, completed
to the designs of French architects Cassien Bernard and Albert
Galleron in 1885. The building boasts a facade with Corinthian
columns, and an enormous central banking hall. The passing
of time has seen the building become rather hemmed in, but it
remains a classic worthy of admiration. On the bank’s far side
(on Str. Lipscani) look out for the remains of another 17th century
inn: visible below street level through hardened glass.
Str. Lipscani gets its name from the large number of
traders who, in the 18th century, sold wares here brought
from Leipzig, which at the time was one of the largest trading
posts in Europe. As Str. Lipscani was the main commercial
street in the Old Town, it over time lent its name to the whole
area. Ironically - its name and history aside - modern Str.
Lipscani has little to recommend it, although it does have
some exceptional bars, pubs and clubs, and a theatre. It
Old Town Shops
Souvenir Shop C-6, Str. Blănari 5, tel. (+4) 021
310 32 25, www.souvenir-shop.com.ro. Everything
you would want from a decent souvenir shop - with both
Romania and Bucharest branded gifts available - and
more besides. We came across the best Dracula T-Shirts
we’ve seen so far here, complete with the slogan ‘Send
more tourists, the last ones tasted great.’ We bought two.
QOpen 10:00 - 20:00.
Thomas Antiques C-6, Str. Covaci 19, tel. (+4)
0752 44 08 18, (+4) 021 310 43 89, www.thomasantiques.ro. By common consent the best antique shop
in the city. Stocks everything from furniture and paintings
to clocks and decorations, with new pieces being added
all the time. Upstairs you can even drink coffee, beer or
cocktails in the bar: yep, sit and drink coffee on an antique chair and picture yourself doing the same at home.
QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:45.
April - May 2012
73
74
old town
also has some hidden treasure: if you walk through the little
alley opposite Str. Selari (an alley now packed with cafes
and bars) you will come to Str. Blanari, home to the St.
Nicolas Church. The church was built in the 1880s as a
private chapel for Romania’s first royal couple: Note that the
king and queen still have special seats on the left and right
of the church’s 18th century icon kept for them should they
ever return. The icon itself is said by churchgoers to have
magical healing powers. Back on Str. Lipscani, the Hanul cu
Tei is a wonderful courtyard (once part of a large inn) which
today houses art galleries, antique shops, second-hand book
shops, gift and souvenir shops, studios and portrait artists,
as well as a lively and bar/restaurant.
Head next for Str. Stavropoleos, named for the
eponymous church found along its length (Biserica
Stavropoleos; Open 08:30 - 18:00. Services (in Romanian)
on Sunday at 09:30, 10:30).
The church was built in 1724 at the insistence of a
Greek monk, Ioanikie Stratonikeas. It is characterized by
its beautiful stone and wood carvings, of which the finest
are on the main doors. The courtyard outside (beautiful on
a sunny afternoon) has a curious collection of tombstones
dating from the 18th century, and you might often see skilled
craftsmen working on restoring them.
For a beer, coffee, bite to eat or simple jaw dropping
experience (the interior is astonishing) head for Caru cu Bere,
a beer hall and restaurant dating from 1875. It is on the other
side of the road to the church a little further up. Church fans
might also want to venture out on to Calea Victoriei. A few
steps to the right is the Mother of God Church (Biserica
Doamnei) built in the late 17th century on the orders of
Princess Maria, wife of Prince Serban Cantacuzino. The church
was the first in the city to boast octagonal stone pillars: note
the decorative floral motifs of oriental origin at the foot and
top of each column. They also decorate the door. The ornate
building on the other side of the road is the headquarters of
CEC, the national savings bank, while the Neo-Classical giant
facing it is the National History Museum.
On the far side of the museum is Str. Franceza, another
Old Town street now blessed with more restaurants, cafes,
bars and such like than you could wish for. About half way
old town
along look out for the Sf. Dumitru Church: Sf. Dumitru is the
patron saint of Bucharest. On the other side of the church is
Bucharest’s comedy theatre.
The busiest street in the Lipscani area is Str. Smardan,
home today to any number of bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants.
History buffs might like to know that in January 1859 at No.
42 (then the Hotel Concordia), Wallachian deputies elected
Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their Prince. As Moldavian deputies
had already done likewise a week earlier, the election that
took place here created the first unified Romanian state since
Mihai Bravu’s short-lived reign of 1600. At the bottom of Str.
Smardan turn left in order reach the birthplace of Bucharest,
the Old Court Palace and Church (Palatul şi Biserica
Curtea Veche; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon).
The Old Court, first built on this site in the second part of the
15th-century by Vlad Ţepeş, was considerably extended during the
16th century, by Mircea Ciobanul, and again a century later, this
time at the hand of Constantin Brancoveanu, who added a splendid
voievodal palace, decorated with marble and icons. The palace
was by and large destroyed by a series of fires in the 19th century
however, and subsequently neglected. Much of what remains today
was uncovered during archaeological digs that took place from
1967-72, when the palace ruins were first opened as a museum.
There are fragments of the original 15th century walls, as well as
remnants of the voievodal palace throne room, in which most of
the relics found on the site are exhibited.
Next door to the palace is the Old Court Church, the
oldest in Bucharest, dating from 1545. It was enlarged
in 1715, during the reign of Ştefan Cantacuzino, and the
frescoes inside, painted by maestros Constantin Lecca and
Mişu Papa, were added in 1847. The church’s exterior was
recently renovated, and it looks better than ever.
Opposite is the Hanul lui Manuc. Built in 1808 by an
Armenian merchant, it was bought and sold many times
throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries before being
nationalised in 1949. It remained state property until 2006,
when Constantin Şerban Cantacuzino – the heir of its last private
owner – won an epic legal battle (which had lasted the best part
of ten years) to recover ownership. Closed a year later ahead of
renovation, part of the inn (the restaurant/bar, courtyard and some
function rooms) was finally reopened last year. The inn’s hotel (the
Dacia) remains closed but is poised to reopen soon.
Cafe Manuc C-6, Str. Franceza 62, MP-ta Unirii, tel.
(+4) 0769 07 58 44, www.hanulluimanuc.ro. The Hanul
lui Manuc’s classic cafe is one of the best places in the city
to sit and enjoy either coffee - and there is a huge range - or
cocktails (both with and without alcohol). Sit by the window
and watch the world pass by outside on busy Piata Unirii.
QOpen 07:30 - 24:00. PEBW
Cafeneaua Carada C-6, Str. Eugeniu Carada 5-7, MU-
niversitate, tel. (+4) 0766 35 86 54, cafeneaua.carada@
ymail.com. Large, impressive new cafe next to Romania’s
national bank, where the big windows looking out onto one of
the city’s few busy pedestrian streets are what will have you
heading inside. Great coffee and cocktails, it is the perfect
meeting place and works well as either coffee house or bar.
Add in a gallery (what you see is on sale) and you have the
kind of place Bucharest really needs. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00,
Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. PJEBSW
French Bakery C-6, Str. Smardan 13, tel. (+4) 021
316 10 27, www.frenchbakery.ro. It had to happen.
Bucharest’s smartest chain of bakeries comes to Old Town,
complete with its fine selection of sandwiches, delicious tarts
and cakes, great coffee and a super, covered (at this time of
year) terrace outside on the sexiest part of Old Town. Could be
just about the best place in Bucharest for coffee, regardless of
the time of day. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. PJSW
Grand Cafe Van Gogh C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4)
031 107 63 71, www.vangogh.ro. Amazing how quickly
this place became the default Bucharest ‘meet you there’
venue. Its genius is that it’s ideal at every time of day:
morning coffee or breakfast sat in front of one of the long
windows or out on the terrace, a business lunch at one of
the wooden tables, a meal and a late night at the bar. The
food is good - simple and very reasonably priced - and this
Dutch owned, friendly cafe is a winner: you will go back more
Old Town Cafés
Bruno Wine & Coffee Shop C-6, Str. Covaci 3, tel. (+4)
021 317 17 41, www.brunowine.ro. So much more than
wine and coffee on offer here you will be forgiven for thinking
you have the wrong place! This is a bistro really, a genuine
French style place, where good wine by the glass is available
next to a decent spread of simple food, with a regularly changing menu. QOpen 16:00 - 24:00. PJSW
April - May 2012
75

saCred PLaCes - prospectiuni

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