Most important things to know about Bucharest museums

In a city like Bucharest its museums are a special attraction, enhancing the the provocative charm of the Romanian Capital. There are for sure many museums in Bucharest, and every one of them requires more hours for a thorough visit and discover. You must only make the good choice from the rich collections of Bucharest museums according your specific wishes and hobbies.

I tried to make a personal selection, and these are the museums I usually visit and recommend. I would start with the National Romanian History Museum, residing in a wonderful Palace in the very center of Bucharest downtown. The building is a former headquarter of the very well respected and influential  Romanian Post, but no one could find a better location for a history museum. It dates back from the beginning of the XXth century, and breaths history. Even if you are not a history freak, it is good start for knowing the Romanian history, which is very rich and long. You must have notice the Roman origin of the Romanian language, and in the museum you will understand it better watching the fragments (copies) of the Roman Traianus' Column: the mighty Romans have conquered the ancient Dacians, giving birth to the Romanian people and language. Many other artifacts, temporary or permanent exhibitions are waiting for you!

The Romanian national History museum hosts many artifacts, permanent or temporary exhibition

The History Museum lies on Calea Victoriei/Victory way,  where took place the military parades a few time ago. earlier, 300 years ago maybe, it was totally wood covered and the fancy horse wagons could drive in the best conditions, and was known as Podul mogosoaiei. Follow the street, heading north, in a nice walk and discover the National Art Museum, in a Royal palace, which Ceausescu has also used while he was a president in the communist time. Observe the nice building , its eclectic architecture style, but don't miss the paintings. They are simply amazing and wonderful, many Romanian and foreign masters.

Many Romanian and foreign painting masters can be seen in the Romanian Art Museum, a former Royal palace

Further, not very far, easy accessible and reachable by walking, is the Government residence in the huge Piata Victoriei/Victory square. Right here, in the big parks around, find other three Bucharest museums: Romanian peasant's; Geology museum and the Natural History Museum. It is a happy location here, you can visit any of them, or all of them. Important to know anyway, in my opinion, anyone of them is a visit worth. But you may also visit none of them, and keep walking with your last drops of energy, reaching the Village Museum, which is a must see. It is in the middle of Herastrau, the biggest park of the city, and has many traditional houses from the different parts of Romania, which are old, traditional and genuine. The craftsmen are proudly showing their works, sometimes even producers of bio products are exhibiting. But a visit here is an event always, and gives you a broader view on Romania and enjoying all your senses.

This wonderful building hosts The Museum of the National Peasant

Epic palaces in Bucharest with myths an legends

As I love Bucharest so much, can give you a reliable tip: there are actually two or more cities of Bucharest, and you can observe all these layers entering the big city from any directions, but specially from Ploiesti and Brasov.

Watch first carefully the modern buildings, car repairing workshops, wonderful villas with modern amenities, this is the first level, the most recent one. It is followed by industrial factories from the Ceausescu's communist times, with their sad blocks of flats, really living siloses, whose inhabitants dream desperately to live definitively (only 10 % succeed!). The last layer consists of official or private buildings, build up to 1940, in very different Architecture styles, to the delight of any visitor. The resulting eclectic mix is the mainly reason to love Bucharest from the first sight, for any locals or visitors. Here is the heart and the head of the city indeed!

The CEC Palace at night, but it is no less impressive in daylight

Interior of the renowned CEC Palace. To visit it inside you must pretend to be a bank client!

In Downtown Bucharest the buildings are very different not only regarding the style, but also concerning the intrinsic value! The Parliament Palace is very new, huge and controversial; because of it an important part of the historic Bucharest has been sacrificed. Moving and destroying a few churches from this huge area triggered the curses which will kill Ceausescu ( popular myth!). Only a few steps away, crossing the dambovita river over the Izvor Bridge find, please, and observe the downtown, on Calea Victoriei. Next to it, on Stavropoleos street, an important target which you are not going to miss. Simply not allowed to waste the opportunity to visit Caru cu bere/The beer wagon, even for me, which I am normally a wine drinker and afficionado.

Caru cu Bere remains even today one of the Bucharest's best restaurants. Build at 1876 by a German architect (you could guess, I am sure) in New Gothic style, keeps inside the same obsolete atmosphere, and looks simply like a German brauerei from Bavaria e.g. It is overcrowded at any hour when is opened, due to the excellent kitchen and wonderful services. Don't be scared please by the noble local, it is still possible eating in Caru cu bere on a budget! At noon, e.g., there are easy to find some special offers, e.g. The Student menu, or the Senior menu, which are very cheap. Don't dare ordering any of them, you will be probably asked to show a document proofing one of these qualities!

This is maybe the best location for the Romanian National History Museum!

Back in Calea Victoriei, with a full stomach and a wonderful feeling, just to visit shorter or longer two other important palaces, real landmarks of Bucharest. First of it, the magnificent palace of Deposits and Economy bank/ CEC Palace, build at 1900 on a project from french Architect Gottereau, on the very place where an iconic church of the city was lieing. It has a fantastic eclectic style, fancy interiors with smart decorations. For visiting inside, is very difficult for big organized groups, but easier for individual, pretending to be the bank clients!

Just opposite to the CEC bank, a former residence of Post Administration hosts nowadays The national History Museum, build at 1894-1900 by the Romanian architect Savulescu on the ground of an important family of Romanian landlords, namely Balaceanu. Inside fantastic artifacts tighten with the rich history of the country would welcome you, it is worth a visit from you: fragments of the Roman Traian's Column, and the world renowned gold collection "The brood hen with its chicken"

Epic  stories about the most famous churches of Bucharest

As you know Bucharest nowadays, it is a seducing capital, perfectly mixing the most modern buildings and hotels with the old ones. Bucharest is worth a visit for any people, of course, but first of all for any Architecture student, due to its unique Styles mix.

One of the most important part of the Romanian history  and tradition are the churches, and Bucharest is of course not an exception. Near its picturesque fountains, wonderful palaces or sad communist blocks of flats, the churches are for sure a landmark for the big city. At the Romanian countryside, the church is supposed to be the highest building. You can realize, that in Bucharest was impossible to keep this old unwritten traditions. The Bucharest churches still hold full of pride the famous names of their founders, members of the renowned aristocratic Romanian families. Nowadays the churches remained small islands of peace and worship in the middle of a busy city. Locals and visitors as well find them very lovely and inviting.

The curses triggered by the moving of Mihai Voda church caused the tragic death of Ceausescu and his wife!

The Michael Church/Biserica Mihai Voda was founded by the Romanian prince and ruler Michael the Brave and is an amazing and convincing splendid example of  Oriental Byzantine Architecture. His grounder build it on a hill, but when Ceausescu build the new Downtown, the church has been removed by a tank behind the blocks of flat. On that occasion the treasure hunters searched desperately for special prey, but did not find anything. The curses triggered on this occasion have finally hit Ceausescu.

The Patriarchy Cathedral rules over the city from the top of a hill!

The Patriarchy church has a much better position, and has been build in the XVIIth century; the noble prince and ruler Constantin Brancoveanu added later the bell tower. The church hosts nowadays the relics of St Dimitrie The New, the Protector of the Romanian capital. The impressive palace nearby was up to year 2000 the headquarter of the Deputies Chamber from the Romanian parliament.

The small Bucur church is accounted to the City founder, the shepherd called Bucur, which is not accurate, historically speaking, as the charming church dates back from the XVIIIth century! Please close your eyes about it, take it easy and don't ask so many questions!

The Good News Church; the news were good for sure for the ruler crowned years for centuries!

Very old, maybe the oldest, is doubtless The Good News Church/Biserica Buna Vestire, from the old court! Build around 1550, it has been for two centuries the place where the local rulers from Wallachia  have been crowned.

Smaller, newer, but very beautiful and even arogant, is the Stavropoleos church, build around 1720, by a Greek monk. It is after all a magnificent example of Brancoveanu Architecture style