Itinerary
Mon Oct 12 -13 Toronto - Paris - Vienna
Oct 13 - Vienna
Oct 14 - Vienna
Oct 15 - Vienna
Oct 16 - Vienna to Budapest by train
Oct 17 - Budapest
Oct 18 - Budapest to Zagreb Croatia
Oct 19 - Zagreb
Oct 20 - Zagreb - Belgrade Serbia
Oct 21 - Belgrade
Oct 22 - Belgrade
Oct 23 - Belgrade - Bucharest Romania
Saturday, October 24
Quick note (and funny) I forgot in yesterday's post. In the shower there is a red plug which I assumed was for power to heat the towel rack, so did John so he pulled it. Imagine our surprise when there was a knock on the door. It was an emergency alarm in case of accident in the shower!!
We started our morning with the alarm clock going off at 6 AM. There is a special place in hell for these people!
We headed right downstairs to the hotel restaurant, taking full advantage of the excellent free breakfast provided. Fuelled and ready for the day, our street art walk officially kicked off.
We wandered through the yellow-tinted glass roof of Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse, watching the morning light filter through the arcade.
It was built on the site of the former Câmpineanu Inn (later called Vilacrosse Inn), which belonged to Catalan architect Xavier Vilacrosse after he married the owner's daughter.
Completed in 1891, the project was designed by architect Felix Xenopol to mimic the fashionable covered shopping arcades of Western Europe as Bucharest strived to become "Little Paris".
The passage splits into two branches because the central property (the Hotel Pesht) refused to sell its land, forcing the architect to build the arcade around it.
The two branches are named after Xavier Vilacrosse and his wife's brother-in-law, Mihalache Macca.
It originally housed small shops, rental rooms on the upper floor, and briefly served as Bucharest's first Stock Exchange House.
From 1950 to 1990, the communist regime renamed it Pasajul Bijuteria (Jewelry Passage) before the original name was restored.
The glass-roofed arcade is a popular pedestrian spot filled with cafes, bistros, wine bars, and a hookah lounge
Palace of the National Military Circle (Cercul Militar Național) located on Calea Victoriei.
Built starting in 1911 based on plans by chief architect Dimitrie Maimarolu (on the former site of Sărindar Monastery).
Inauguration: Officially opened on February 4, 1923, in the presence of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie.
Purpose: Serves as the central cultural institution of the Romanian Army for representation, protocol, and public events.
A Bolt driver, a few days later, told us he had his civil wedding here.
Founded in 1852 by the Capșa brothers, making it one of the oldest and most iconic confectionery and coffee houses in Bucharest.
Long known as a traditional meeting place for the city's writers, artists, journalists, and politicians, earning a reputation reminiscent of classic Parisian literary cafés.
Known for classic pastries and signature desserts like the Tort Mareșal Joffre (Joffre cake) and traditional profiteroles.
Situated on Calea Victoriei at the corner of Edgar Quinet Street
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard (historically known as Grand Hotel du Boulevard).
Calea Victoriei: One of Bucharest's oldest, most famous, and historically significant boulevards, lined with historic architecture, museums, and cafes.
Hotel Capitol: A historic 4-star hotel located at Calea Victoriei no. 29, originally built in 1901.
Palace of the National Military Circle (Cercul Militar Național).
Making a quick detour to photograph the whimsical overhead umbrella installation at Pasajul Victoria.
The nearby umbrella street, officially known as Pasajul Victoriei (or The Umbrellas' Street), is just a 3-minute walk from Casa Capșa.
The passage itself is tucked inside a historic 1913 Art Nouveau building designed by architect Paul Smărăndescu. Historically, this location housed Bucharest's very first puppet theater as well as its first Chinese restaurant.
Teatrul Odeon (Odeon Theatre) on Calea Victoriei,designed by architect Grigore Cerchez and inaugurated on December 25, 1911, as the Comedia Theatre.
It features a neoclassical façade and houses the Majestic Hall, which is known for its rare sliding ceiling.
In the foreground stands a bust of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
The Novotel Bucharest City Centre hotel, located right next to the umbrella street on Calea Victoriei, has one of the most striking and unusual architectural designs in the city because it completely encapsulates a historic façade inside a giant glass structure.
The classical portico (the grand columned entrance) built into the modern glass atrium is an exact architectural replica of the former Romanian National Theater. Originally built on this site in 1852, the stunning theater was completely destroyed during World War II.
In August 1944, when Romania switched sides to join the Allies, Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe launched heavy retaliatory bombing raids over Bucharest. The National Theater took a direct hit and was reduced to ruins. After the war, the communist regime cleared away the remains instead of rebuilding it, leaving the site empty for decades as a soccer field and later a parking lot.
When Novotel bought the land to construct the hotel in the early 2000s, municipal zoning rules required them to honor the site's massive historical significance. Instead of building a standard block hotel, the architects chose a hybrid architectural concept: they rebuilt the precise architectural scale model of the bombed theater's entrance porch and enclosed it completely inside an ultra-modern, 70-meter-wide glass and steel portal.
Grand Hotel Continental, a 5-star hotel located at 56 Calea Victoriei. Built on the foundations of the former Grand Hotel Broft and recognized as a historic landmark.
Continuing slightly further north and cutting west, we marvelled at the brilliant gothic details of the "Bram Stoker & Dracula" piece at Strada Știrbei Vodă 16.
It depicts Irish novelist Bram Stoker sitting and sharing a table with Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Țepeș), the historical figure who inspired the character of Dracula.
Painted by well-known Romanian street artist Obie Platon.The mural blends Gothic literature, local history, and subtle Masonic symbols.
It was originally commissioned as an artistic advertisement for the former Bram Stoker Pub, which has since closed, though the mural remains a popular tourist stop and a feature on local alternative walking tours.
Revolution Square (Piața Revoluției) in Bucharest, Romania, featuring the Memorial of Rebirth (Memorialul Renașterii) and the Palace of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Palatul Ministerului de Interne).
The "Carol I" Central University Library and the Equestrian Statue of King Carol I in Revolution Square.
Tomorrow is not promised.
The neoclassical facade and entrance columns of the Romanian Athenaeum (Ateneul Român).
Doing their wedding photo shoot here. We ran into them later as they headed to the umbrellas for more photos.
Boteanu Church (Biserica Boteanu or Biserica Boteanu-Ienii), a historic Romanian Orthodox church located at Strada Boteanu.
We are standing along the main north-south axis of Bucharest’s city center. The traffic coming down from Piața Romană toward Piața Universității is dense and fast.
While we wait, your eyes are naturally drawn upward. The massive billboard on the left wrapping around the corner building constantly beams bright advertisements, while the commercial signs on the ground floor of Blocul Scala (like the purple Marionnaud storefront) compete for your attention against the gray, blocky apartment architecture. Thankfully, it is Saturday so we are not surrounded by a mix of hurried students, professionals clutching coffees, and tourists looking at maps!
The bookstore is housed inside the beautiful, 19th-century Dimitrie Sturdza aristocratic mansion. Instead of one big modern hall, you wander through a maze of cozy rooms featuring high ceilings, original white terracotta stoves, and hand-painted double doors.
We stepped right onto Strada Verona, the core of Bucharest's urban art scene. The entire street felt like a massive, living open-air gallery.
Mural is a work by Romanian visual artist and muralist Alexa Lincu.
The artwork depicts a playful, large-scale character with a round, smiling face stretching over green trees and winding pathways, alongside smaller figures (a child on a scooter, a person walking, and a child on a bicycle), contrasted against a gray, grid-like urban street scene filled with cars.
Pushing slightly further along the loop, we hunted down more of the city's hidden street masterpieces. We photographed the striking "Mural Girl" on Strada General Eremia Grigorescu 12.
And stood before the monumental "Nobody Famous" at 92 Bulevardul Dacia—a massive photo-mural of a woman peering down at traffic painted entirely with innovative, air-purifying eco-paint.
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We meandered back in our general direction.
Officially dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Dormition of the Theotokos (Romanian: Adormirea Maicii Domnului), as well as St. Nicholas. It is named after a wonder-working 1682 icon.
Originally built as a wooden church by Ceauș David Corbea in the late 17th century, later rebuilt and renovated by figures including Mihail Băbeanu, architect Alexandru Orăscu in 1872, and architect Paul Smărăndescu in 1928.
A troiță (pronounced troy-tsuh), a traditional Romanian wayside cross or shrine. In Romanian Orthodox culture, a troiță is typically placed at crossroads, entryways, or inside church courtyards to serve as a spiritual beacon, protector, and space for quiet prayer.
This specific cross features elaborate, traditional woodcarvings typical of the Maramureș region in northern Romania. It is hand-carved from solid oak and includes geometric folk motifs, rope borders, and a distinctive wooden canopy (or shingled roof) built to shield the intricate biblical scenes and crucifix from the elements.
We found ourselves back here.
A huge ad for McDonald's.
The building featuring the large advertisement banner is the Societatea de Asigurări „Generala” building (historically known as the Generala Insurance Palace, which also houses a prominent Humanitas Kretzulescu bookstore at its street level) on Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue), specifically at the prominent intersection facing Piața Revoluției (Revolution Square).
The old red-brick building standing just past the green trees to the right of the billboard is the historic Kretzulescu Church (Biserica Crețulescu).
It is one of the most famous and beautiful examples of the Brâncovenesc style in the city. This is a distinct Romanian architectural style that blends Byzantine, Ottoman, Late Renaissance, and Baroque elements.
It was built between 1720–1722 by the high chancellor Iordache Crețulescu and his wife Safta, who was the daughter of the famous Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu.
Cutting back through here.
We had dinner here last night.
Old Palace of the National Bank of Romania, serves as the central bank headquarters and houses a numismatic museum with a rich historical collection.
Eugeniu Carada (1836–1910), a prominent Romanian economist, writer, politician, and the founder and first director of the National Bank of Romania.
The original bronze components were sculpted by French artist Ernest Henri Dubois and the stone pedestal by Romanian sculptor Dumitru Mățăoanu, with the monument first unveiled on February 17, 1924.
The communist regime demolished the statue in 1948. A replica, reconstructed by sculptor Ioan Bolborea, was re-inaugurated on September 9, 2013, on the exact original site.
We made a grand entrance into Cărturești Carusel, the famous "Carousel of Light" bookstore on Lipscani Street. It was packed!
Outside the book store.
John ran into an old friend.
Dinner at a Turkish Saray restaurant.
