Romanian Atheneum (Ateneul Roman)This is Bucharest's most prestigious concert hall and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It was built in 1888 in neo-classical style after a design by the French architect Albert Galleron. The project was conceived by the diplomat Constantin Exarcu and the money for the completion of the building were gathered in a public collection in which people were asked to "give a leu for the Atheneum" (The "leu" being the currency of Romania). With its 40 m high dome and the Doric columns it resembles an ancient temple. The beautiful facade is adorned with mosaics of five Romanian rulers. On the inside there are scenes from Romanian history. This is the place to hear classical music in Bucharest. The resident orchestra is George Enescu Philarmonic. Address: Piata Revolutiei (Revolutiei Square). Stavropoleos Church (Biserica Stavropoleos)This small church is one of the most beautiful in the city. It was built in 1724 during the ruling of Phanariot Prince Nicolae Mavrocordat by the Greek monk Ioanichie. The church is representative for the Brancovenesc style which blends Ottoman and Western elements together with traditional Romanian architectural forms. The inside is equally beautiful, with wood and stone carvings and paintings and frescoes. Address: junction of Postei Street with Stavropoleos Street. National Art Museum (former Royal Palace)The imposing building which used to be the Royal Palace is located in the Revolution Square (Piata Revolutiei), in the northwestern corner. It was first built around 1815 by prince Dinicu Golescu and it underwent changes over several decades. The building was remodeled in 1882-1885 after plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau only to be rebuilt in 1930-1938 after being damaged in a fire in 1926. Starting with 1948 the palace houses the National Art Museum and it displays an extensive collection of Romanian and European art dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The building was damaged during the events of December 1989 and was closed for several years for repairs. Address: Calea Victoriei 49-53. The Parliament Palace (Palatul Parlamentului)Because I grew up in Bucharest I absolutely hate this big ugly Soviet-style building which represents the peak of Ceausescu's megalomania. Even though I was young at the time I remember a little about how this part of the city used to look before they tore it down for the civic center. Many old beautiful buildings were demolished to make way for this monstrosity. I remember a joke that was going around at the time: the boulevard that ends with the Parliament Palace (which used to be called The House of the People) was to be called "The Victory of Socialism" and the joke was that in fact its name is "The Victory of Socialism against Bucharest". But I know that this building is a big tourist attraction in Bucharest (the second largest building in the world in terms of surface, competing with the Pentagon in size). That's why I decided to include it in this guide. I visited the building once, when they opened it for public in 1990 and the rooms are the biggest I've seen in my life. The building is now used as the parliament house as well as for conferences and exhibitions and can be visited by guided tours. Address: Blvd Unirii Cantacuzino Palace (Palatul Cantacuzino)This palace was designed by the architect I.D.Berindei in French baroque style and construction was started in 1899. Above the main entrance there is a giant shell-shaped porte-cochere; two stone lions guard the entrance. George Enescu - Romania's national composer - lived here for a period of time. The building belonged to his wife Maria Cantacuzino. In fact Enescu preferred a life of simplicity and he and his wife chose to live in a smaller town house that previously housed the administrative staff of the palace; this house is located behind the main palace. Nowadays the palace houses the George Enescu Museum which displays the musicians manuscripts (scores of his compositions) and personal belongings like one of his first violins. Address: Calea Victoriei 141 The Old Court Church (Biserica Curtea Veche)The Old Court Church (also called the Old Princely Church) is the oldest church in Bucharest. Its building started in 1558 during the reign of Mircea Ciobanul (Prince Mircea the Shepherd) and was finished by his son in 1591. The church was built in the Wallachian architectural style of the 16th century. The exterior decoration is made of brick stripes alternating with plaster stripes. The church was restored after a fire in 1847 and then again between the years of 1928 - 1938 by the Commission of Historical Monuments, which tried to bring the church to its original appearance. This church was the coronation place of Wallachia's ruling princes for almost three centuries (from the second half of the 16th century to the first half of the 19th century). The beautiful carved door was added in the early 18th century by Prince Stefan Cantacuzino. The interior has been blackened with time but you can still admire the beautiful frescoes, some dating from the 16th century. On the left side of the portal, facing the apse, are the murals of the church's founders: Mircea Ciobanul (whose tombstone is within the church) and his wife, Lady Chiajna; on the right side of the portal are the murals depicting Prince Stefan Cantacuzino and his wife, Lady Pauna. Address: Str. Franceza 33 Romanian Savings Bank or CEC BuildingThis beautiful building was designed in eclectic style by the French architect Paul Gottereau. Its construction began in 1894 on the site of a 16th century monastery Sf. Ioan cel Nou. This was the only bank that was allowed to do business during communism. Address: Calea Victoriei 13. National Theater (Teatrul National)The stocky building sitting on one of the corners of University Square is the National Theater. It was built in 1973 after plans by a group of Romanian architects. The old building of the National Theater was destroyed during the WWII. Originally the building had a different facade, modeled after the architecture of Moldova's monasteries but in 1984 it was remodeled and got its present massive shape. The theatre has 4 performance halls.

The National Theater is named after the Romanian playwright and short-story writer Ion Luca Caragiale (1852-1912). His plays made fun of the politics and politicians and of the Romanian society of that day. For example the play that is considered to be his masterpiece, "A Lost Letter", written in 1884, describes a provincial government election won by a blackmailer. It's amazing how his works have the same power today as they did a century ago. Not only that, but recently I saw one of his plays being performed in California and I was surprized to see how the American public of today can relate to his story written in 1880.

Last, if you feel like having a refreshment, you'll find two bars located on top of the National Theater. One is a open terrace bar called "La Motoare", open only in summer, while the other one called "Laptaria lui Enache" is open during fall, winter and spring. They are usually crowded, especially in the late afternoon and evening and especially in the summer when it's difficult to find a table before 2AM in the morning. If you find a table, be prepared to share it. At Laptarie you can catch live music most of the evenings.

Central University Library (Biblioteca Centrala Universitara)The Central University Library is a beautifully ornated building located opposite the Royal Palace in the Revolution Square. The library was founded by king Carol I and the building was designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau, who also designed the National Savings Bank (CEC) building. The building was heavily damaged during the December 1989 movement but was later restored and now it looks really pretty. Address: Piata Revolutiei The Army Club (Cercul Militar National)This highly ornate building was designed in French neo-Classical style by Dumitru Maimarolu, Victor Stefanescu and Ernest Doneaud. Construction started in 1911 and ended in 1923 with most of the funds being donated by the Romanian Army officers. The Army Club replaced the monastery church of Sarindar which used to sit here. Address: junction of Calea Victoriei/Regina Elisabeta Antim MonasteryAntim Monastery is a beautiful complex built in Brancovenesque style. It was completed in 1715 after plans by Antim Ivireanu who was the metropolitan bishop of Wallachia. The complex is located very close to the Palace of Parliament and similar to Mihai Voda Church a part of it was moved to make way for Ceausescu's urbanization plans. It is located behind apartment buildings, hidden from sight. Address: Str. Antim 29 Bucharest UniversityBucharest University is dominating one of the corners of University Square. The old building, in neoclassic style is facing Regina Elisabeta boulevard. It was started in 1857 and finished in 1859. The buildings on the sides were built in 1912-1916. The University as an institution was created in 1864 by Alexandru Ioan Cuza, ruler of the newly united principalities, Wallachia and Moldova. All around the building you can find stalls selling secondhand books. Address: Piata Universitatii. University Square (Piata Universitatii)In the last 15 years University Square has proved to be a popular railing point at the time of national crisis as well as celebration: people gathered here during the 1989 revolution and the sad events of June 1990 and they continue to gather here every time the national team wins a soccer game (which unfortunatelly doesn't happen very often these days). If you see a lot of people loitering around the underground passage entrance in front of the National Theater is because it's probably the most popular meeting place in Bucharest. It's a place buzzing with crowds and traffic, a true center of activity. The square is surrounded by interesting architecture starting with the University of Bucharest building on the square's northwestern corner. Facing the university there are four statues of illustrious pedagogues and statesmen. On the other northern corner, adjacent to the Intercontinental hotel, is the National Theater of Bucharest. Opposite it lies the beautiful building of the School of Architecture, behind a little square with a small fountain where people stop and sit when the weather is nice. On the southwestern corner of the square, the Bucharest History Museum traces the city history from the beginning to modern days and across from it lies the neo-Classical building of the Coltea Hospital and its lovely church. In the middle of the square, in a little island, there are ten stone crosses that pay homage to those killed during the 1989 revolution. Below the square there is an underground passage with shops and eateries which allows pedestrians to cross to from one side of the square to another and also leads to the subway station. Bucharest's School of ArchitectureA few steps away from University Square, behind a little square with a fountain lies the building of the School of Architecture. Grigore Cherchez conceived this building in 1912 and it took five years to complete it. By circling the building you'll notice that it is a hybrid. The old wing (which is the one designed by Cherchez), in Brancovenesc style, is a mixture of Eastern and Renaissance motifs, with richly ornated pillars and carvings. This building was dedicated to Ion Mincu, which is considered to be one of the greatest Romanian architects. The new parts of the building are in a modern, cold style. The Union Square (Piata Unirii)The Union Square (Piata Unirii) is where the downtown starts. Two of Bucharest subway lines intersect here and the square is the site of one of the city's department stores, Unirea. Unfortunatelly this place was also Ceausescu's playground for experimentation, as the square was caught in his plan for "urbanization" and creation of the ugly soviet style Civic Center. To make way for his Civic Center Ceausescu ordered the demolition of all the buildings located in and around Unirii Square. The Brancovenesc Hospital, the Sf. Vineri Church, the Sf. Spiridon Church, the Vacaresti Monastery and many others historic buildings and monuments as well as lots of private houses were virtually wiped out. It's worth coming here and seeing the Civic Center just for realizing how ugly the architecture is (the blocks of apartments are just ugly, but the fountains along the Unirii boulevard are truly hideous). Villacrose and Macca PassagesVillacrosse and Macca passages are two pedestrian alleys roofed with glass and wrought iron and lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. They were built at the end of the 19th century. Entrance from Calea Victoriei across the police headquarters and from E. Carada Street. The Triumphal Arch (Arcul de Triumf)In northern Bucharest, along Sos. Kiseleff lies Bucharest's Triumphal Arch (Arcul de Triumf). Modelled on the triumphal arch in Paris, the structure was erected in 1935-1936 to commemorate the creation of Greater Romania which took place in 1918. It sits on the spot where two earlier arches stood: the first arch made of wood and cardboard was erected in 1878 to mark Romania's independence from the Turks; the second arch made of timber was erected in 1922 to mark Ferdinand's entry into Bucharest as the first king of Greater Romania. The current arch is built of concrete and granite. Portraits of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie decorate one face, while the names of battles fought by Romanians during the First World War can be seen on the other face. The portraits of the king and queen were destroyed during the communist rule but they were restored in 1992. The sculptures decorating the arch were created by leading artists of the day, including Ion Jalea, D. Onofrei and Constantin Baraschi.

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