- Bucharest and Ilfov
- București – Centrul Vechi
București – Centrul Vechi
Bucharest Old Town
Bucharest's historic centre between Calea Victoriei and Brătianu Boulevard, with pedestrian streets, churches from the 16th to 18th centuries, the ruins of the Princely Court, bank palaces from around 1900 and the city's best-known old restaurants.
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What to see in București – Centrul Vechi
Things to see, picked to fill a whole day.
1Brâncovenesc-style church of 1724Mănăstirea Stavropoleos
Small Brâncovenesc-style church built in 1724 by the archimandrite Ioanichie Stratonikeas, now a convent, with a collection of old icons and a lapidarium in the courtyard.
Centrul Vechi
2National history museumMuzeul Național de Istorie a României
The country's history museum, in the Post Office Palace on Calea Victoriei, with the Historical Treasury, a full-size copy of Trajan's Column and a lapidarium; the rest of the building is under renovation.
Calea Victoriei
3Princely church and medieval siteCurtea Veche: Biserica Buna Vestire și ruinele Curții Domnești
The church of the former Princely Court, founded by Mircea Ciobanul in the 16th century, next to the ruins of the palace where the princes of Wallachia lived.
Centrul Vechi
4Bookshop in a restored buildingCărturești Carusel
Multi-level bookshop in the former Chrissoveloni Bank building on Lipscani, a late-19th-century house with shop, opened as a bookshop in 2015, with a café upstairs.
Centrul Vechi
5Neo-Gothic palace and city museumPalatul Suțu – Muzeul Municipiului București
Neo-Gothic palace built between 1833 and 1835 for the Suțu family on University Square, now home to the Bucharest Municipal Museum and its permanent exhibition 'Timpul Orașului' (The City's Time).
Piața Universității
Where to eat in București – Centrul Vechi
Meals worth the trip.
- 1Historic beer hall and restaurant
Caru' cu Bere
Beer hall opened in 1899 in a Gothic Revival building on Stavropoleos Street, with Romanian food, its own beer, live music and dancing.
Centrul Vechi - 2Romanian restaurant in a historic inn
Hanu' lui Manuc
Romanian restaurant in the inn built between 1806 and 1808 by Manuc Bei, with an inner courtyard, terrace, music and traditional dancing.
Centrul Vechi - 3Korean barbecue restaurant
Jeonjuu Korean BBQ
Korean restaurant where meat is grilled at the table, with beef bulgogi, bibimbap, Korean fried chicken and cocktails.
Centrul Vechi - 4Rooftop restaurant and bar
Linea / Closer to the Moon
Restaurant and bar on the fifth floor, on the roof of the Victoria department store building, with views over the Old Town and an international menu of pasta, burgers and meat dishes.
Calea Victoriei - 5Brunch and dinner bistro
Bread and Butter
Bistro on Calea Victoriei serving brunch from 9 am, with eggs Benedict, croque madame and bowls, and fresh pasta, risotto and Mediterranean dishes in the evening.
Calea Victoriei
Where to stay in București – Centrul Vechi
Places to sleep well, picked for comfort and location.
- 15-star hotel in a bank palace
The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection
5-star hotel in the former Marmorosch Blank Bank palace, built between 1915 and 1923, with a restaurant, a bar in the bank's old vault and a spa with an indoor pool.
Centrul Vechi - 2Historic 5-star hotel
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard
5-star hotel in the former Grand Hôtel du Boulevard, opened in the 1870s on the corner of Calea Victoriei and Regina Elisabeta Boulevard and reopened in 2025 after a long restoration.
Calea Victoriei - 33-star boutique hotel
Vilacrosse Boutique Inn
Small 3-star hotel in the Macca-Villacrosse Passage, the glass-roofed arcade of 1891, with colourful rooms, large bathrooms and a free minibar.
Pasajul Macca-Villacrosse - 44-star boutique hotel
The Mansion Boutique Hotel
4-star boutique hotel in a late-19th-century house on Franceză Street, with each room decorated in a different style and an Italian restaurant on the ground floor.
Centrul Vechi - 54-star hotel
Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town
4-star Hilton hotel in a former bank headquarters from the first half of the 20th century on Doamnei Street, with a restaurant and gym.
Centrul Vechi
Frequently asked questions
What to see in București – Centrul Vechi?
We recommend Mănăstirea Stavropoleos (brâncovenesc-style church of 1724, Centrul Vechi): It is a category A listed monument and holds 4.8 on Google from more than 6,500 reviews. Other picks: Muzeul Național de Istorie a României, Curtea Veche: Biserica Buna Vestire și ruinele Curții Domnești, Cărturești Carusel and Palatul Suțu – Muzeul Municipiului București.
Where to eat in București – Centrul Vechi?
We recommend Caru' cu Bere (historic beer hall and restaurant, Centrul Vechi): It holds 4.6 on Google from more than 102,000 reviews, the most of any venue in Bucharest, and the building is a listed monument. Other picks: Hanu' lui Manuc, Jeonjuu Korean BBQ, Linea / Closer to the Moon and Bread and Butter.
Where to stay in București – Centrul Vechi?
We recommend The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection (5-star hotel in a bank palace, Centrul Vechi): It holds 9.2 on Booking from more than 4,000 reviews, and the building is a category A listed monument. Other picks: Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, Vilacrosse Boutique Inn, The Mansion Boutique Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town.
How do you choose the places?
For each category we pick at most five places and check them: they exist, they are open and they are worth the trip. We take no money to list a place.