See Sights

Parliament Palace: “People’s Palace” (Casa Poporului) Romania’s most famous building, was built during
the darkest years of Ceausescu regime and finished after '89 Revolution. It’s world 2 nd largest administrative
building after Pentagon. It has been surrounded by mystery, rumor & controversy. It took 20k workers on 3
shift & 700 architects to build this massive structure of 1100 rooms, standing 84m above the ground on 12
floors, and 92m underground on 8 floors, including nuclear bunker facilities. It’s decorated &furnished only
with Romanian origin materials. The plan was to house Ceausescu couple and almost all communist state
authorities, but was turned out into Romanian Parliament (Deputy Chamber & Senate), Constitutional Court,
other authorities & big conference-event center. You will see huge staircases, marble-plated halls and
meeting rooms, and have the chance to go to the balcony with a panoramic city view, designed to be the
dictator public speech stage. In the west wing house is the Contemporary Art Museum MNAC.

Bucharest New Downtown: known as “Civic Center” the 3km Unirii Bvd. was built in the name of socialism
victory during the last 6 years of Ceausescu regime. A huge area of the city historic center were raised, incl.
monasteries, churches, synagogues, hospitals and art deco style stadium. It was 80% built 1984-1989 and
finished slowly during the 10 years after Revolution.40k people were relocated to new block of flats homes.

Metropolitan Cathedral: known as “Patriarhia”, it’s an important historic, cultural, architectural & religious
sight. Built 1654-1658 based by Curtea de Arges Monastery design, with a Byzantine interior, it has
undergone a number of facelifts, but the structure is original. The nearby Patriarchal Palace (1708) housed
the Parliament during the Romanian Kingdom 1863-1947 and today is the Romanian Orthodox Church
Administration and its supreme leader residence.

Bucharest Old Town: it’s the original city core, from 15th century most merchants and craftsmen set here.
The streets took the names of various communities &guilds, such as Blanari (furriers), Covaci (blacksmiths),
Gabroveni (knife makers) & Cavafii Vechi (shoe-makers). The mix of cultures is reflected by architectural
styles, from baroque to neoclassical and art nouveau. The most important objectives are: Old Princely Court
“Curtea Veche” (ruins) built in 1459 as Vlad Tepes palace (Vlad the Impaler, Dracula) and Wallachian
princes residence for 2 centuries, Old Court Church from 1559 (the oldest Bucharest church with some 16th
century frescoes), Stavropoleos nuns monastery from 1724, Lipscani Street, Sf.Gheorghe church & Km 0
globe (Big Romania Greenwich), Russian Church, Carturesti bookshop, BNR Central Bank monumental
building, CEC savings bank, Victoria Gallery in Lafayette style, Hanul lui Manuc (ancient turkish caravans
inn). Today, the narrow cobblestone streets are home to art galleries, antique shops, theaters, cafés,
restaurants & night-clubs.

National History Museum: This beautiful neo-classical palace house exhibitions about Romanian history
over the past two million years. Plenty of skeletons, weapons, pottery and tools to see. The best exhibits are
downstairs: National Gold Treasure (amazing pre-Romanic age fine jewelery) and Lapidaruim (a plastercast
of Trajan’s Column from Rome about Dacia conquest).

Bucharest History and Art Museum: Sutu Palace was built in neogothic style in 1834 and redecorated in
1862 by Karl Storck sculptor. The painted ceilings, stucco, huge Murano mirror, parquet flooring and tiles
stoves have been well preserved. It was famous for the fancy balls held here in the 1900s.

Cotroceni Museum: a former princely residence built 1679-1681 by Serban Cantacuzino, and home of King
Carol I who made major architecture changes. Rebuilt 1891-1893 by king Ferdinand I for Queen Mary, works
managed by French architect Paul Gottereau in neoclassical style. After 1947 was turned into Communist
Youth Movement headquarters. You will like the guided tour of Royal family’s collections. Very important
collection of medieval art can be seen here. The new wings serves today the Romanian Presidency. RSVP

National Military Club: neo-classical masterpiece, designed by Romanian architect Dimitrie Maimaroiu,
was built in 1912 to host Romanian Army social, cultural & educational needs. Banquets & regimental balls
are still hosted in the main function rooms. It’s standing guard on Calea Victoriei corner with Elisabeta Bvd.,
on the site of former Sarindar Monastery, the name of the fountain front of the building.

Cismigiu Garden: the oldest park is keep the original iron decorations: light pilons, seats, fences, pavilions.
The setting up works for 15 ha of marshland and courtyard fields began in 1847 under Wiener landscape
gardener Carl Meyer leadership, and was inaugurated in 1860. The main access is front of the City Hall.

Village Museum “Dimitrie Gusti”: open-air museum of 10 ha on Herãstrãu lake shore, shows 50+ original
houses, homesteads, churches, water or wind mills, cloth mills from all Romanian ethnographic areas from
XVII to early XX century. Its genuine monuments of great historic & artistic value acquaint the visitors in 2h
with the specific rural life. The objects inside the households (carpets, pottery, rugs, icons, furniture) point to
the originality of folk creation from all historical regions of Romania.

Triumph Arch: it’s the symbol of Romania’s Great War for Reunification 1916-1918 (1st World War). It was
built in 1922, and redesigned in 1936 in neoclassical style. The open terrace offers a panoramic view. It’s the
place of military parade each 1st December (Romania National Day).

Herastrau Park (Carol I Park): biggest city park of 110ha was set in 1936 around the largest lake Herãstrãu
of 74 ha in north city green area. Small boats or motorboat tours on weekend Apr-Oct. next of Hard Rock Cafe

Casa Scanteii (Red Star House): edifice designed in pure Soviet “Stalin” style resembling to Moscow State
University. It housed all city printing presses, newsrooms, magazines & radio like a propaganda house. It was
completed in 1956 on the old hippodrome place. In 1960 a giant Lenin statue was placed in front, destroyed
by people at December 1989 Revolution. It’s called now “Casa Presei Libere” (House of Free Media).

Primaverii Palace (Ceausescu House): 1965-1989 was private residence of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu,
his wife Elena & 3 children: Nicu, Zoia &Valentin. A large variety of native & exotic wood, marble, handmade
tapestryies & mosaics were used for decorations. Shows an impressive Romanian painters collection. Lush
gardens with peacocks. RSVP!

MARE (Museum of Recent Art): 1 st private owned art museum founded in 2015 shows over 150 works of
new generation of Romanian artists. It house many temporary surprising exhibitions.

Peasant Museum: show a large collection of textiles (over 20k costumes), icons, ceramics, carpets, pottery,
tools, machinery & other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. A peasant wooden house and a church are
exposed in every detail. First founded in 1906, and reopened on 5 Feb.1990, only 6 six weeks after the
communism downfall. From so-called “liberation” of 1944 till 1989 the building housed the Lenin-Stalin
Museum and Communist Party Museum.

George Enescu Museum: Cantacuzino Palace was built in 1905 by landowner Grigore Cantacuzino,
descendant of a princely family. In 1937 became residence of George Enescu (he lived in the smaller rear
building) who married Maruca Cantacuzino, the widow of the elder son of Grigore Cantacuzino. Museum
since 1955, it’s a tribute to the great Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu (1881-1955).

Revolution Square: where at 21 December1989, during the dictator public speech, presented by official
media as “spontaneous movement of support” the popular revolt erupted. In the square you can see: former
Communist Party Central Committee building (Interior and Administration Ministry today) with Nicolae
Ceausescu speech balcony, Revolution Monument, Kretzulescu church from 1722 in Brancovenesc style,
Universitary Library founded by 1st Romanian King Carol I and his 1930 equestrian statue destroyed by the
communists and rebuilt in 2007, Intercontinental (old Athenée Palace Hotel).

Romanian Athenaeum: Romanian capital landmark opened in 1888. Possibly the finest city building, with its
sublime baroque dome, the work of French architect Albert Galleron, house today the Romanian Philharmonic
Orchestra “George Enescu”. The 75x3m interior fresco depicts most important history moments starting with
the Dacia conquest by Roman emperor Trajan and ending with the Great Romania Reunification in 1918.

National Art Museum: is the former Royal Palace 1866-1947, first built in 1812 as Princely Residence. After
a fire, it was restored in 1936 as today. The country’s largest and most impressive art collection is housed
inside the monumental building. You can discover within 2-3h a wide variety of works of Romania’s greatest
painters & sculptors and also a fine collection of Old European Masters.

University Square: is the place of few main institutions: the University from 1857, on the place of former
Princely School from 1679 and Princely Academy from 18th century, with today neoclassical facade from
1921–1943, behind it’s the Architecture University, opposite is National Theatre Ion Luca Caragiale,
Agriculture Ministry, Cantacuzino Hospital from late XVII century, and Bucharest City History Museum (Sutu
Palace).