Bucharest - The capital of Romania named after a shepherd called Bucur

Posted by admin in Europe, Romania on 02 1st, 2009 | no responses

Victory Avenue: This is Bucharest’s oldest and most charming street built in 1692 which soon developed into one of the most fashionable streets in the city. A stroll along this street will help you discover some of the most stunning buildings around, including the Cantacuzino Palace, the historical Revolution Square, the Military Club, the CEC Headquarters and the National History Museum.

House of the Free Press: This imposing structure stands at the entrance to the capital and was completed in 1956. It till date houses almost all of the capital’s printing presses and newsrooms and the Bucharest Stock Exchange in the southern wing was added much later.

Revolution Square: It was here, at the balcony of the former Communist Party Headquarters, that Nicolae Ceausescu spent his final moments in power on December 21, 1989. He fled an angry mob only to be captured outside of the city a few hours later. The building now houses the Senate. The square also houses the former Royal Palace home of the National Art Museum, the Romanian Athenaeum, the historic Athenee Palace Hotel, and the Kretzulescu Church.

The Royal Palace: it was erected around1937 and was home to King Carol II and his son, King Mihai I, until the monarchy was abolished in1947. It was here that King Mihai led a coup that displaced the pro-Nazi government during the World War II.
Today, the palace houses the Romanian National Art Museum.

The Romanian Athenaeum: Completed in 1888, it was financed almost entirely with money donated by the general public after the original patrons ran out of funds. Its high dome and Doric columns, it resembles an ancient temple. The lobby’s ceiling is beautifully decorated in gold leaf, pink marble columns are linked by flowing arches with elaborate brass lanterns, and the concert hall is covered with frescoes. Is has outstanding acoustics and is Bucharest’s most prestigious concert hall.

Athenee Palace Hotel: Currently a luxurious Hilton hotel, it was built in 1914 and was made famous in Olivia Manning’s novel, Balkan Trilogy, as a center of intrigue and espionage during World War II. The hotel suffered heavy bombing during the war but was rebuilt in 1945.

The Military Club: This neoclassical structure was built in 1912 to serve the social, cultural and educational needs of the Romanian army. It still hosts official events and houses the army’s library, offices and classrooms for officers’ instruction. Most of the building is off-limits to civilians, as expected, but the restaurant and summer terrace is open for the public to enjoy.

Old Princely Court & Church: The Old Princely Court was built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes and all that that now remains are a few walls, arches, tombstones and a Corinthian column. According to the locals, Vlad kept his prisoners in dungeons here which extended under the city. The Old Court Museum was established in 1972 when an archaeological excavation revealed the remains of the fortress, along with Dacian pottery and Roman coins along with the oldest document found as yet attesting to the city’s origin. The Old Court Church, dating from 1559 stands next to the palace and is considered to be the oldest in Bucharest.

The Palace of the Savings Bank: It has one of the most impressive neoclassical facades in the city and was built in the 19th century. The palace is square-shaped and four small domes and a large central dome with metallic ribs separated by glass, allowing for plenty of natural light. The entry arch, with its Corinthian columns, is the highlight of your visit here.

The Old Historical Center of Bucharest: it used to be a glamorous residential area and in the beginning of the 14th century, most merchants and craftsmen established their stores and shops in this section of the city. The area was known as Lipscani, named for the many German traders from Lipsca. Today, the area has many art galleries, antique shops and coffeehouses.

University Square: This is one of the most popular meeting places in Bucharest, and as an additional bonus, the square brings together some remarkable architectural treasures like the School of Architecture, the Bucharest National Theater, the neoclassical Coltea Hospital and its lovely church and the Sutu Palace. In the middle of the square there are ten stone crosses in memory of those killed during the 1989 revolution.

Sutu Palace: It was built in neogothic style and was known to host some of the most extravagant balls in the 19th century. In 1862, the palace underwent some revamping with arcades and a monumental stairway. Only the painted ceilings, the stucco, the parquet flooring and the tile stoves have been preserved. It now houses the Bucharest History & Art Museum.

Bucharest Parliament

Parliament Palace: It was built by the Communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, but was known as the People’s Palace and is the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. It took over 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build this massive structure with 12 stories, 1100 rooms, a 328-ft-long lobby and four underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker.

Metropolitan Church: Set beautifully atop one of the city’s few hills, the church was built in 1658. The Byzantine interior contains some of the most stunning iconostasis, as well as a couple of exquisitely carved altars. The impressive bell-tower at the entrance was built in 1698. Next to the church, but closed to the public, is the Patriarchal Palace, residence of the supreme leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Bucharest History & Art Museum: The museum features an impressive collection of over 300,000 artifacts, coins, books, maps, engravings, paintings, arms and furniture to old traditional costumes. Among the most valuable exhibits are the documents attesting for the first time the name of the city of Bucharest, and a sword set in precious stones that belonged to Prince Constantin Brancoveanu.

The Natural History Museum: This museum is the largest natural history museum in Romania, housing collections of reptiles, fish, birds and mammals, part of the 300,000-plus collection of artifacts and specimens are on display, including a dinosaur fossil.

Culture:
Being such a prominent city, Bucharest hosts a number of cultural festivals throughout the year, in various domains. Most of the festivals take place in the summer months of June, July and August. Every year in May and June the National Opera organizes the International Opera Festival; the Romanian Athaeneum Society hosts the George Enescu Classical Music Festival in September; the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the Village Museum showcase Romanian folk arts and crafts throughout the year; and since 2005, Bucharest has been host to the international Cow Parade with dozens of decorated cow sculptures being placed at various points across the city.

Fact file:
Getting in: Most flights, both international and domestic, arrive at the Henri Coanda International Airport, located 18 km from the city. The Aurel Vlaicu International Airport is smaller and is used primarily by low-cost airlines. There are also bus and train connections between Bucharest and many cities in Europe, especially southern parts of the continent.

Getting around: the Bucharest Metro has four lines and covers the city quite extensively, and is a good way to get around. There are frequent and fairly comfortable trains that are reliable and easy-to-use. The city also has an extensive network of buses, trams and trolleybuses with stops virtually everywhere in this city.

Climate: Bucharest has hot dry summers and cold winters with temperatures often below 0°C.

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