travel in Bucharest Museum ( orasul bucuresti)

Bucharest General Information

Location: Southern Romania
Size: City of Bucharest - 88 sq.miles (228 sq.km); Bucharest Metropolitan area - 587 sq.m(1,521 sq.km)
Elevation: 190-295 ft (55-90 m)
Population: 2.6 milion (2007)
Inhabited since: 500 BC
First documented: 1459 AD


City Highlights

Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of "Little Paris"), Bucharest, Romania's largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis.

Romanian legend has it that the city of Bucharest was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River by a shepherd named Bucur, whose name literarily means "joy." His flute playing reportedly dazzled the people and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place.

In the 15th century, the princely court of Vlad Tepes (thought to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula) was established here and by the end of the 17th century, the city had become the capital of the province of Walachia. In 1862, Bucharest became the capital of Romania.

Remodeled in the late 19th century by French and French-trained architects, the city features large neoclassical buildings, fashionable parks, and even its very own Arc de Triomphe on the elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, an avenue longer than the famed Champs-Elysees and home to the city's mansion district.

Bucharest is laden with historical charm - from the streets of the Old City Centre, which are slowly being restored, to the grand architecture of the Royal Palace and the lush green of Cismigiu Park. The city also claims a large number of museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites.

Nicolae Ceausescu's legacy, including the Parliament Palace (formerly called the People's Palace), which at 3.76 million square feet stands as the world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, provides an interesting introduction to the dictator's megalomaniac vision.

Bucharest's buzzing cultural scene - 37 museums, 22 theatres, concert halls, opera house, 18 art galleries, jazz clubs and hip nightclubs - will certainly keep you busy. Every two years, Bucharest is host to the George Enescu International Festival, a prestigious cultural event named after the famous Romanian musician and composer. Renowned orchestras, conductors and soloists perform at the Romanian Athenaeum, a hall with acoustics comparable to Milan's La Scala.


Museums

Art Collections Museum (Muzeul Colectiilor de Arta)
Address: Calea Victoriei 111
Tel: (21) 212.96.41
Web: www.mnar.arts.ro/muzsatelit/EN_muzcolectiilor.php
Note: The museum is closed for renovations until the end of 2010.
Admission charge
Founded in 1978, the Art Collections Museum, a branch of the National Art Museum, houses private collections donated over the course of time. Collections include European as well as Oriental art works.

Bucharest History & Art Museum (Muzeul Municipiului Bucuresti)
Address: Blvd. I.C.Bratianu 2
Tel: (21) 315.68.58
Web: www.muzeulbucurestiului.ro/main.html
Open: Wed. - Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge
Housed in the neoclassical Sutu Palace (1834), the museum features some 300,000 artifacts, from coins, books, maps, engravings, paintings, arms and furniture to old traditional costumes. Among the most valuable exhibits are the document attesting for the first time the name of the city of Bucharest, issued by Vlad Tepes in 1459, and a sword set in precious stones that belonged to Prince Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714).

Communist Iconography Museum
Address: Sos. Kiseleff 3 (inside the Romanian Peasant Museum)
A compact, but fascinating, cellar room inside the Peasant Museum is home to a collection of communist-era busts (including that of Lenin), paintings and memorabilia.

Cotroceni Palace & Museum (Muzeul National Cotroceni)
Address: Str. Geniului 1
Tel: (21) 317.31.07 or 430.44.85
Open: Tue. - Sun. 9:00am - 5:00pm; Closed Mon.
Admission charge (Guided tours are available in English)
Note: Guests are received by appointment only; please call for reservations.
A former royal residence built between 1679 and 1681 by Prince and ruler Serban Cantacuzino, the palace was home to King Carol I, who made important changes in its architecture. At the end of the 19th century, Heir-to-the-Crown Ferdinand ordered the partial demolition of the palace, which was later reconstructed by French architect Paul Gottereau in neoclassical style. In 1977, Nicolae Ceausescu transformed it into an official guesthouse with the addition of a new wing.

After 1990, the old wing of the palace became a museum. The Oriental Hall, the Norwegian Hall and the Queen's Chamber are almost unchanged from the original design and are worth visiting. Very important collection of medieval art also can be seen here. The new wing serves as the seat of the Romanian Presidency.



George Enescu Museum (Muzeul National George Enescu)
Address: Calea Victoriei 141
Tel: (21) 318.14.50
Open: Tue. - Sun. 10:00am - 5:00pm; Closed Mon.
Admission charge
The museum, housed in the Cantacuzino Palace, displays documents and various objects that belonged to the great Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu (1881-1955), including a Bach music collection he received as a gift from Queen Elisabeta of Romania. A world-class violinist, Enescu studied at the Vienna Conservatory, where he met German composer Johannes Brahms and where he also gave his first concerts. In Paris, Enescu graduated from the French Conservatory in 1899. His best-known works, the Romanian Rhapsodies, earned him national and international fame. In 1936, his Oedipe tragic opera premiered in Paris and Enescu was awarded the French Legion of Honor award for the composition. A member of the Romanian Academy and corresponding member of the Institute of France, George Enescu was the teacher of renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Every two years, the Romanian Athenaeum celebrates the maestro by hosting the George Enescu International Festival.

Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum (Muzeul National de Istorie Naturala)
Address: Sos. Kiseleff 1
Tel: (21) 312.88.63
www.antipa.ro
Note: The museum is currently closed for renovations.
Admission charge
Recently renovated, this museum is the largest natural history museum in Romania, housing collections of reptiles, fish, birds and mammals. More than 300,000 artifacts and specimens are on display, including a dinosaur fossil. A whole floor is dedicated to sea life and features examples of whales, dolphins and seals. The museum also contains a beautiful butterfly collection.

Minovici Museum of Ancient Western Art (Muzeul de Arta Veche Apuseana)
Address: Str. Dr. Minovici 3
Tel: (21) 665.73.34
Note: The museum is currently closed.
Admission charge
In addition to the small renaissance art collection of Dumitru Minovici, who made barrels of lei in the oil business in the 1930s, the museum features Belgian tapestries, Dutch furniture, Swiss stained glass, a complete library and Italian paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries.



Museum of the Romanian Peasant (Muzeul Taranului Roman)
Address: Sos. Kiseleff 3
Tel: (21) 317.96.60
Email: info@muzeultaranuluiroman.ro
Web: www.MuzeulTaranuluiRoman.ro/en/index.php?page=colectii
Open: Tue. - Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm; Closed Mon.
Admission charge
Opened in 1906, the museum features the richest folk art collection in Romania, with over 90,000 artifacts that trace the colorful and diverse cultural life of the Romanian people. The Pottery Collection includes some 18,000 items, representative of the most important pottery centres in the country. The oldest ceramic item found in the museum bears the inscription 1746. Equally impressive, the Costume Collection comprises almost 20,000 traditional folk costumes, some dating from the beginning of the 19th century, giving visitors insight into the styles and traditions of the Romanian peasants.

The displays dip into all aspects of life in the Romanian countryside. Exhibits of agricultural tools, carpets, icons, furniture, photographs and films build up a complete picture of Romanian folk culture. In one of the galleries, you can see a wooden church and in another, a wooden peasant house. Four more wooden churches stand in the outdoor museum area. In 1996, the museum was named European Museum of the Year. Visitors can buy regional handcrafts and textiles in the museum's extensive gift shop.

National Art Museum (Muzeul National de Arta)
Address: Calea Victoriei 49-53
Tel: (21) 313.30.30
Email: national.art@art.museum.ro
Web: www.mnar.arts.ro/EN_home.php#
Open: Wed. – Sun.. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (May - September);
Wed. - Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (October - April); Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge (English guided available)
Romania's leading art museum was founded in 1948 to house the former Royal Collection, which included Romanian and European art dating from the 15th to the 20th century. Located in the neoclassical former Royal Palace, set amid a wealth of historic buildings such as the Romanian Athenaeum, Kretzulescu Church and the Hotel Athenee Palace-Hilton, the museum currently exhibits over 100,000 works divided into two major sections. Its National Gallery features the works of major Romanian artists, including Grigorescu, Aman and Andreescu. There is also a roomful of early Brancusi sculpture, such as you won't find anywhere else, demonstrating how he left his master, Rodin, behind in a more advanced form of expression. The European Gallery, comprising some 15 rooms, displays little-known art gems from the likes of El Greco, Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir, Breughels (father and son) Cezanne and Rubens. If you only have time to visit one gallery, make it the Romanian one. It is the most complete collection of Romanian works of art in the country and quite possibly, the world.



National Geological Museum (Muzeul National de Geologie)
Address: Sos. Kiseleff 2
Tel: (21) 212.89.52
Web: www.onlinegallery.ro/mgeo_flori-mina.html
Open: Mon. - Sun. 10:00am - 4:00pm
Admission charge
Impressive collections of minerals and quartz formations specific to the area are found here, including a well-presented geological structure of Romania.

National History Museum (Muzeul National de Istorie al Romaniei)
Address: Calea Victoriei 12
Tel: (21) 315.82.07
Open: Tue. - Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm; Closed Mon. (May - September); Tue. - Sun. 9:00am - 5:00pm; Closed Mon. (October - April)
Admission charge
Housed in a 1900s neoclassical building that once served as the city's main post office, the museum offers a great introduction to the exciting history of Romania. Spread throughout 41 rooms, the exhibits recount the country's development from prehistoric times to the 20th century. The highlight is the National Treasury Hall where visitors can enjoy a dazzling display of some 3,000 gold items, including jewelry and valuable Neolithic artifacts.

Among the displays are the 12 pieces of the 4th century Pietroasele Treasure Collection. First presented at the 1867 World's Fair in Paris, it was considered the most valuable treasure collection in the world (the tomb of Tutankamon had not yet been discovered). One year later, the collection was displayed at the Second Annual International Exhibition in London and in 1872, at the International Exhibition in Vienna.

Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country without Soviet troops on its soil after 1958. National Military Museum
(Muzeul Militar National)
Address: Str. Mircea Vulcanescu 125-127
Tel: (21) 638.76.30
Open: Tue. - Sun. 9:00am - 5:00pm; Closed Mon.
Admission charge
Founded in 1972, the museum illustrates the most important battles for independence and freedom in Romanian history. The museum features collections of Oriental and Occidental weapons, Romanian and foreign uniforms, military medals and awards, trophies, artillery, canons and airplanes as well as a library of historical military documents.

The centerpiece is the 1989 Revolution exhibit, displaying mainly personal belongings donated by families of soldiers and civilians killed during the upheaval.



National Museum of Contemporary Art
(Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana)
Address: Calea 13 Septembrie 1, entrance E4
Tel: (21) 411.10.40
Email: info@mnac.ro
Web: www.mnac.ro
Open: Wed. - Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm;
Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge
Bucharest's newest museum, the MNAC, as it is often called by museum-goers, displays works of Romania's contemporary artists as well as many temporary exhibits by international artists. The museum is housed in a wing of the Palace of Parliament, the space which would have served as Nicolae and Ileana Ceausescu's private apartment (where just the bathroom occupied 680 square feet, while the adjoining boudoir was three times that size).

National Museum of Old Maps & Books (Muzeul National al Hartilor si Cartii Vechi)
Address: Str. Londra 39
Tel: (21) 230.44.68
Email: muzeulhartilor@artelecom.net
Open: Wed. - Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm; Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge
Though it may not house the world's biggest collection, this museum is worth a visit, especially if you are interested in old maps and books.

Romanian Railways Museum (Muzeul Cailor Ferate Romane)
Address: Calea Grivitei 193
Tel: (21) 222.75.20
Open: Tue. - Sun. 9:00am - 4:00pm; Closed
Admission charge
Several engines and wagons are on display in the open-air section of the museum. Inside, you can find an 1869 Morse telegraph, memorabilia, turn-of-the-century pictures and some age-old Romanian railway uniforms.

Storck Museum (Muzeul de Arta Frederic Storck si Cecilia Cutescu-Storck)
Address: Str. Vasile Alecsandri 16
Telephone: (21) 317 38 89
Email: muzeul.storck@muzeulbucurestiului.ro
Open: Tue. - Sun. 9:00am - 4:00pm; Closed Mon.
Admission charge
This museum pays tribute to the works of sculptor Frederick Storck, founder of the Romanian school of architecture, and his wife, Cecelia Cutescu-Storck, an artist and a keen advocate of enhanced recognition for women in the arts. Some 150 paintings and 250 sculptures are featured in the beautiful Storck residence, built in 1913 by a French architect after the plans of Frederick Storck.



Technical Museum (Muzeul Tehnic)
Address: Str. Candiano Popescu 2 (inside Carol I Park)
Tel: (21) 336.93.90
Open: Wed. - Sun. 11:00am - 6:30pm; Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge
This museum displays some 5,000 exhibits covering a wide range of industrial models: turbines, compressors, steam engines, the cylinder from the first steam engine that was used in a Romanian factory, as well as antique cars and motorcycles.

Theodor Pallady Museum (Muzeul Theodor Pallady)
Address: Str. Spatarului 22
Tel: (21) 211.49.79
Web: www.mnar.arts.ro/muzsatelit/EN_pallady.php
Open: Wed. – Sun.. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (May - September);
Wed. - Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m (October - April); Closed Mon. & Tue.
Admission charge
Housed in the beautifully restored Melik house, built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu, and currently, the oldest house in Bucharest, the museum features six Pallady paintings, a couple of his sketches and various other art objects.

Village Museum (Muzeul Satului)
Address: Sos. Kiseleff 28-30
Tel: (21) 317.91.03
E-mail: contact@muzeul-satului.ro
Open: Mon. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.;
Tue. - Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Admission charge
Founded by royal decree in 1936, this fascinating outdoor museum, the largest in Europe, covers some 30 acres on the shores of Lake Herastrau in Herestrau Park. It features a collection of 50 buildings representing the history and design of Romania's rural architecture. Steep-roofed peasant homes, thatched barns, log cabins, churches and watermills from all regions of the country were carefully taken apart, shipped to the museum and rebuilt in order to recreate the village setting. Throughout the year, the Village Museum hosts special events where you will have a chance to witness folk artisans demonstrating traditional skills in weaving, pottery and other crafts. Folk arts and crafts are available at the museum gift shop.

Zambaccian Museum (Muzeul Zambaccian)
Address: Str. Zambacian 21A
Telephone: (21) 230.19.20
Open: Sat. - Wed. 11:00am - 7:00pm; (May - September);
Sat. - Wed. 10am - 6pm (October - April); Closed Thu. & Fri.
Admission charge
The museum possesses the private art collection of Krikor Zambaccian (1889-1962). Names such as Andreescu, Grigorescu, Luchian, Pallady and Tonitza are famous in Romania, albeit less known outside the country, but the works, mainly following the Impressionist school, are of the highest quality. There are also several small sculptures that complement the canvases. Although Zambaccian was a big patron of the art of his home country, he also collected European works from artists such as Cezanne, Renoir, Delacroix, Corot, Derain, Matisse, Pissaro, Bonnard, Utrillo and Picasso. The museum preserves the initial display as it was conceived by the art collector himself.