(P) What can business travelers and tourists visit in downtown Bucharest?
Bucharest has a rich offering for both business travelers and tourists, as befitting its capital city status. From its central area's distinguished architecture to interesting museums and wonderful parks, there's something for every taste.
Bucharest has a rich offering for both business travelers and tourists, as befitting its capital city status. From its central area's distinguished architecture to interesting museums and wonderful parks, there's something for every taste.
Bucharest prides itself on being nicknamed Little Paris and has the architecture to prove it. The local elites of the 19th century went to study in France, and many French architects worked in Bucharest, leaving the city numerous beautiful palaces and villas. One needs only to take a walk on Calea Victoriei, the artery stretching between Victoriei Square and Splaiul Independenței, to discover some of the city's best-known landmarks but also more discreet but charming villas.
The CEC Palace, with its glass and metal dome, is one of the finest examples of eclectic style in the city. It was designed by Paul Gottereau, who also worked on the palace of what is now the Central University Library (BCU), also on Calea Victoriei. Across the street from the CEC Palace is the National Museum of History of Romania (MNIR), formerly the HQ of the Postal Services, and modeled after a similar facility in Geneva. The museum hosts Dacian artifacts, the regalia of Romania, and a plaster cast of Trajan's Column, among others.
Advancing on Calea Victoriei towards Victoriei Square, numerous other palaces will catch the visitors' eye. Among them, the former Royal Palace, now hosting the National Art Museum of Romania (MNAR), and the Athenaeum, built on the plans of French architect Albert Galleron, and the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic. MNAR hosts collections of European art and is a must-see for anyone looking to get acquainted with the masters of Romanian art. A little further down on Calea Victoriei, visitors can see the Știrbei Palace, with its beautifully decorated façade, the Museum of Art Collections' palace, or the elegant Cantacuzino Palace, which hosts the George Enescu Museum.
For a journey further back in time, an hour or two spent in the Old Town can conjure the times when the commercial heart of the city beat around Lipscani street. Inns, narrow streets, or arcaded passages are part of the charm of this spot of Bucharest. Among the sites visitors can see here are Manuc's Inn, one of the few still standing in the city, and the Stavropoleos Monastery, a unique, calm place in an otherwise crowded entertainment area.
Another highlight of the Old Town is the Old Princely Court, the oldest medieval monument in the city. Although it is currently closed for renovation works, visitors can still catch a glimpse of the site built on the orders of ruler Vlad Tepes. The nearby St. Anton Church is considered the oldest church in the city that preserved its original form. It was built by ruler Mircea Ciobanul, who passed away in the second half of the 16th century. His tomb can be found inside the church.
