Our hotel was really comfortable, and since it was our last day in Romania, we decided to wake up late. We left the hotel almost at noon, walked to the Parliament Palace, passing through the Cismigiu Garden, super excited to visit this building, and it turns out that it was closed. What a disappointment.

CIsmigiu Garden

Parliament Palace
Built at the special request of Nicolae Ceausescu, leader of Romania’s Communist Party, the colossal Parliament Palace – formerly known as “People’s House” ( Casa Poporului ) – is the world’s second largest administrative building after the U. S. Pentagon.
It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build this massive structure that boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 350-ft.-long lobby and eight underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker.
When construction started on June 25, 1984, the building was intended  to be the headquarters of the country’s Communist government. Today, it houses Romania’s Parliament, Bucharest International Conference Centre and Romania’s Museum of Modern Art.
Built, furnished and decorated exclusively with materials sourced and made in Romania, the building reflects the work of the country’s best artisans.
From: http://romaniatourism.com/

Parliament Palace

We walked around the palace, visited the Easter Fair that was in front of it, then walked along the Urinii boulevard. The rest of the day we visited:

Manuc´s Inn: 

Built in 1804, it´s one of the few inns that were kept in Bucharest in their original form. The inn is named after a wealthy Armenian trader Emanuel Marzaian (called by the Turks “Manuc Bey”). The inn differed from the old architectural style ins, especially by its beautiful porches supported with wooden columns, which sustain beautiful trilobite arches that surround the courtyard. Nowadays, a restaurant, wine cellar and a pastry shop are welcoming guests from all over the world.

Manuc´s Inn

Manuc´s Inn

Palatul si Biserica Curtea Veche:

“At the centre of the historic area are the remains of the Old Princely Court (Curtea Veche), built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracula. The Old Court Museum was established in 1972 when an archaeological dig revealed the remains of the fortress, along with Dacian pottery and Roman coins, evidence of Bucharest’s earliest inhabitants.

Palatul si Biserica Curtea Veche

“Next to the palace stands the Old Court Church (Biserica Curtea Veche), dating from 1559 and considered the oldest in Bucharest. For two centuries, the church served as coronation ground for Romanian princes. Some of the original 16th century frescoes have been preserved.”

Biserica Curtea Veche

Biserica Stavropoleos: 

“Built in 1724 by the Greek monk Ioanikie Stratonikeas. Featuring a combination of Romanian and Byzantine architecture, it has a beautiful façade and a delicately carved columned entrance.”

Biserica Stavropoleos

Caru´cu Bere (“Beer Wagon” restaurant):

“The restaurant became, soon after its opening in 1879, one of the most popular meeting points for Bucharest’s literati. Its neo-gothic architectural style is reflected both in the façades and the interior decorations: columns, arches, chandeliers, a wooden staircase, furniture and murals on the walls and ceiling.”

Caru´Cu Bere with the National Bank in the background

Caru´Cu Bere

Strada Lipscani:

“At the beginning of 1400s, most merchants and craftsmen – Romanian, Austrian, Greek, Armenian and Jewish – established their stores and shops in this section of the city; a jumble of streets between Calea Victoriei, Blvd. Bratianu, Blvd. Regina Elisabeta and the Dambovita River. Soon, the area became known as Lipscani, named for the many German traders from Lipsca or Leiptzig.

Strada Lipscani

National Bank of Romania:

“Built in neoclassical French style, the building boasts a facade with Corinthian columns and an enormous central banking hall.”

Our flight to go back to Madrid was at 21:00, therefore around 18:45 we took a Uber to the airport (6,6€).

PS: all the historical facts are from http://romaniatourism.com/

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