Walk through Bucharest

My post for today, walk through Bucharest, is full of pictures and a few short descriptions. All the buildings pictured are important, either historically or politically or both. I’ve spent under 2 days in Bucharest, so all are from the city centre, due to the time limitations.

This is the Bucharest North train station. CFR, visible on the right of the picture, means Căile Ferate Române or Romanian Railways. The first company of railways was made in Romania soon after its independence, in 1880. There were railways before that time, but not a legal entity to regulate them.

The Court of Appeal, which is in a palace dating back to the 1890s, during the reign of King Carol I. It was purposely built to house Romania’s high courts.

CEC Bank, a gorgeous building which lights up beautifully in the evening. The building is from 1897.

This is the Old Centre of Bucharest, with the old buildings that still remain up after the communist period. The restaurant is Caru’ cu bere [Beer cart].

This is the Stavropoleos Church. I will make a special post about it, as I took lots of pictures from inside.

This is BNR – Banca Naţională a României – Romanian National Bank.

In front they made a beautifully presented display on the topic of the Romanian Treasury, when during WWI Romania sent its gold reserves, as the currency was under the gold standard, to moscow. A significant amount still remains there, as the bolsheviks and the russians who followed, decided to keep the gold it was given in custody.

I wanted to go to one of the branches of Cărturești, Carusel. It was a few floors of books and a cafe at the top. I bought some interesting books as well. Below are pictures of the exterior of the bookshop and of the cafe.

This is a statue of the Lupa Capitolina. It was made in 1906, to mark the conquest of Dacia by the Romans. There are several statues like this in Romania.

Hanul lui Maniuc is a very old and one of the best known restaurants in Bucharest. I will talk more about it in a post about food, as we had dinner there.

This is a museum of communism – Undeva in Comunism [somewhere in communism]. I will make a post about it too.

Macca-Villacrosse Passage is a place we’ve been dozens of time. It was one of our favourite places to visit with a group of friends from work. We would go out to eat and then to have coffee, smoke shisha, and chat for hours. I am not sure we ever took a photo there though.

Palatul Cercului Militar Național [Officers’ Circle Palace] is a place where concerts are given, there is a restaurant as well.

The University of Bucharest, with each entrance being used by another Faculty.

“This is where people died for freedom 21-22 December 1989” with the Romanian revolutionary flag (with the communist emblem cut off) and bullet holes still visible. Those are from December 1989.

Palatul Suțu was built in the 1830s. It is now home to an art museum.

Arcul de Triumf [The triumphal arch], seen from the bus on our way to the airport. It represents the Romanian independence, dating to late 1870s. Initially it was a wooden arch, then another one was made in concrete and plaster, which was not particularly durable either. This one dates to 1936 and it was inspired by the one in Paris and made in stone.