Composite city, bohemian, Bucharest (Bucharest) often leaves an astonishing impression to the traveller. The city is full of scattered charms, which one seizes at random from the streets, getting lost in its neighborhoods, crossing its parks. Often nicknamed "Little Paris" for its nineteenth-century architecture, the wild beauty plunges us into the heart of Romanian identity, a mixture of Eastern European and Eastern flavours.
Bucharest
First mentioned in 1459 in a document issued by Vlad Tepes, Bucharest became capital in the 18th century. Built on a swamp, the first buildings are not very solid and the city is famous for its mazes and bad organization. Its economic development is fast, thanks to merchants from all over Europe. They stop on the Oriental route in Han where they savour local wines and food. The reign of Constantine Brânconvean (1688-1714) made it possible to rationalize the city and develop lines of communication. In the nineteenth century, the Lipscani district became urbanised: the streets were paved, the city was equipped with large buildings of renown. The Belle Epoque enabled the city to develop French-style architecture (especially under the impetus of Paul Gottereau). Following the 1977 earthquake, Ceausescu razed part of the city to build its Soviet-style Civic Centre. Today, the city is trying to reweave a link between its neighbourhoods with such different accents.
Historic city centre of Bucharest
The heart of the city has long radiated around the princely court founded by Vlad Tepes on the xve, traces of which can be found in the Curtea Veche. Intense commercial activity animated the neighbouring arteries in the following centuries. The streets have retained the names of the tradesmen of the time: Covaci (blacksmiths), Tepcari (chapeliers), etc.. This neighborhood has retained an old-fashioned charm.
Lipscani Street and its neighbouring streets
Between the Bvd. Regina Elisabeta, the Piata Unirii and the Piata Universitatii
These alleys are the last vestiges of the old merchant district. The atmosphere is old-fashioned and the bridal dress shops are reminiscent of the fabric merchants from Leipzig (Lipsca in Romanian). Art Nouveau facades and details are numerous. From Lipscani street in Blanari, the pedestrian walkway Hanul cu Tei, lined with art and antique shops, will delight the chineurs. A mixture of architecture, people and scents, this is the essence of Bucharest. But the neighborhood is changing fast: sports shops are gradually replacing second-hand shops.
Biserica Stavropoleos (Stavropoleos Church)
Str. Stavropoleos. Open tlj from 8 am to 6 pm. Free admission.
This marvel of the architecture of the Brâncoveanu period was built in 1724 by the monk Ionachie at the request of Greek merchants from Bucharest. The small size of the building, the chiaroscuro on the icons, the smell of incense plunge into a mysterious atmosphere. The details are superb: the balustrade and entrance door refer to a generous nature. A feeling reinforced by the simplicity of the garden in which a monastic community has settled since 1990 and where one can savour a thousand delights during Orthodox feasts.
Hanul lui Manuc (Auberge du Manuc)
42, Str. Franceza. Open tlj. Possibility to eat or stay there.
Bucharest, a city of transit between the West and the East, was an important stopover for merchants and their mounts, who found refuge in the caravanserai. Built in 1808 by a wealthy Armenian man, nicknamed Manuc-Bey by the Turks, this han with its wooden paving stones is particularly well preserved. The Peace Treaty between Russia and Turkey was signed there in 1812. The hotel and restaurant is an essential part of the city and today celebrates weddings.
Ottoman influences in Romania
Although most of the country was subjected to Ottoman tributes, only the Dobrogea was actually under Turkish rule. However, many signs underline the influences of centuries of history. We find words related to everyday life, such as ibric (instrument used to make Turkish coffee) or papuci (shoes). The cities obviously inherited specific buildings. Apart from the handful of handmade mosques in Bucharest, mosques are scattered all over the country; even the Cismigiu Park housed a minaret (as can be seen on the old postcards). Turkish fountains and baths are still numerous. However, this heritage is little taken into account and most of these magnificent buildings are left to be abandoned.
Curtea Veche (The Princely Court)
Although the remains are not very well presented, this ancient princely court has ancient Roman potteries and coins, reminiscent of the city's antiquity. The foundation of this court would be at the initiative of Vlad Tepes, hence the construction of its statue. Several elements have stood the test of time: tombstones, columns, vaults. The oldest church (1559) in the city (open tlj from 8 am to 7 pm, free entrance) is next door: Biserica Curtea Veche.
Carul cu Bere
3, Str. Stravopoleos. Open tlj. Possibility to eat or have a drink.
Neo-Gothic construction of a Polish architect, this superb restaurant offers a particularly rich interior decoration: carved wood, wall paintings, stained glass windows.... From the very beginning of the xxe, it was an inescapable place: literary circles met there and authors like Ion Luca Caragiale liked to hang around.
Around the Piata Universitatii
Bvd. Regina Elisabeta.
This square is very important for the city as it is the symbolic centre of the 1989 Revolution. Symbol of the homage paid to students united during the Revolution, the beautiful Russian church hidden behind the square bears the name of Student Church (Sfântul Nicolae Biserica Studen? ilor). A nerve centre for many city-dwellers, a crossroads between Magheru and Regina Elisabeta boulevards, there is also the Intercontinental Hotel and the Liptiria Enache music bar overlooking the National Theatre.
Intercontinental Hotel
Piata Universitatii
Edified under Ceausescu, in agreement with the American group Intercontinental, it symbolizes the first contact of capitalism with Bucharest. The dictator saw in this construction a necessity to ensure the standing of a capital like Bucharest. A national pride, the hotel was then featured on all the country's postcards.
Teatru National (National Theatre)
Piata Universitatii
Completed in 1970, the National Theatre hosts various live art performances. A National Centre for Dance was also established here a few years ago. The façade, designed by Elena Ceausescu and redone several times to meet her expectations, was to remind the Moldovan monasteries. Many festivals are organized in this structure and several bars have taken up residence there.
Kilometre 0
Bd. Bratianu
Located in front of St. George's church, it is the symbolic point from which the distances between Bucharest and other cities are calculated. The same thing can be found in Paris, in front of the pediment of Notre Dame.
University and School of Architecture
Piata Universitatii
The university dominates the square in its neo-classical style. Inaugurated in 1869, it houses the faculties of Literature, Humanities and Chemistry. When you take Magheru Boulevard, you discover a square with a fountain, where the students meet. A large building with a brâncovean appearance stands on its outskirts. This is the School of Architecture, which, despite appearances, dates back only to 1927. Other universities can be found all over the city: in Cotroceni (medicine), on Kogalniceanu boulevard (right), etc.
Magheru Boulevards, Balcescu, Bratianu
The main artery of Bucharest, these large boulevards extend one another and connect the Piata Unirii to the Piata Romana. Most of the department stores have made their home there and the festival of horns for luxury cars rarely stops. Only the Piata Amzei market allows the sensitive ear traveller to rest for a few minutes.
The Roman She-wolf (Lupoaica)
Piata Romana
Symbol of Romania's Latin character, several cities have a Roman wolf. Offered in 1906 by the Municipality of Rome in Bucharest, the statue was given a walk before being definitively installed on the Piata Romana. The square serves as a crossroads. Leaving from Dacia Boulevard, one enters a residential area, where several embassies have been set up.
Museum of Art and History of Bucharest - Sutu Palace
2, Bd. Bratianu. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission for a fee.
Built by two Viennese architects, this elegant residence was built in 1834 for Costache Sutu. Conceived as a boyard residence, this palace has been dedicated to the city since 1959 and retraces the history of the capital since Antiquity. The written testimonies and photographs of the 19th century constitute an interesting collection on the daily life of the "petit Paris".
Memoirs of a Jewish Bucharest
An itinerary in the past, one might say. The old Jewish quarter of the city was located behind the Unirea store. Nearly 100,000 people lived there in the 1930s and attended some 80 synagogues in the capital at that time. The heart of the district was razed by Ceausescu. The remaining 4,000 souls try to keep their people's memory alive. The museum of the Jewish community (3, Str. M? mulari, open tlj from 9 am to 4 pm, except on Saturdays; paid entrance), installed in an old synagogue, recounts the tragedy experienced by the Jews of Romania. Nearby is the Coral Temple (Templul Coral, 9, Str. Sf. Vineri), a brick synagogue still in use and which can be visited on request.
