Romania - Eastern Europe - page 508

this is also the time for staff to start cleaning, and the majority of houses are only
unlocked for the public after around 11am. Note that the souvenir shop is not as good
as the one at the Peasant Museum.
!os. Kiseleff 28-30. & 021/222-9106. www.muzeul-satului.ro. Adults L5 ($1.80/£1). Students and children L2.50
(90¢/50p). Audioguide L7 ($2.50/£1.35), plus ID as deposit. Tues-Sun 9am-7pm; Mon 10am-5pm.
SHOPPING
Keep your eyes open on the streets; on the steps of old monuments and around inner
city sidewalks, you'll spot casual traders selling collectibles, including books and old
Romanian LP records. You'll also be amazed at the number of shops beneath the city
surface in its subways; there are at least four or five bookstores under the ground at
the intersection at Pia $ a Universit â$ ii.
Antiques lovers can have a lot of fun poking through Bucharest's innumerable
“antichit â ti” stores. Typically, you'll find a mix of furniture, ornaments, knickknacks,
and artworks that vary dramatically in value. You'll come across items that were sal-
vaged during the Communist era, when homes and neighborhoods were destroyed, or
things that have been kept in basements out of harm's way for decades. Start at Hanul
cu Tei (Str. Lipscani 63-65; & 021/313-0181; www.hanulcutei.ro; Mon-Fri 10am-
7pm, Sat 10am-2pm), an arcade in the heart of the Lipscani District; there's a range
of antiques stores and a extensive selection of artworks. Around here, you've every
chance of finding street traders with something worthwhile to sell. Also in the Lip-
scani area, you can admire antique furniture as well as smaller decorative items at
European Heritage (Str. ! epcari 16; & 021/315-9537; www.european-heritage.
com; Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun noon-5pm). Stefan Vezure sells bronzes, porcelain,
paintings, and sculptures as well as religious icons from his store, Stef Art (Str. Buze @ ti
19; & 0720/32-7338; [e-mail]). For paintings, rare maps, and
manuscripts, as well as antique photographs, visit Galeria de Art â Zambaccian (Str.
Bl â nari 12; & 021/315-3485; [e-mail]). For an upmarket
spend, visit Galeria Valore Antiques ( & 021/224-4182; [e-mail])
in the Plaza of the World Trade Center-Sofitel complex. If you'd like to visit an artist's
studio, try Iuliana Vîlsan (Lasc â r Catargiu 45; & 0722/69-2892; www.iuliana-vilsan.
net), but call first to make an appointment.
For all sorts of upmarket retail therapy, head for Calea Victoriei, where you'll find
Hugo Boss, Stefanel, and Guess, next door to which is Lamoda with an exclusive
and expensive range of men's and women's clothing. Directly across the road from
these, is Naracamicie, with fantastic European-style shirts and blouses for men and
women, and next door is Musette with fabulous ladies shoes and accessories. The best
boutique we came across in Bucharest is Zebra Society ( & 0744-339-163 ), tucked
away in a small arcade at Calea Victoriei 122; two young fashionistas create imagina-
tive designs for men and women. Calea Victoriei is also good for art purchases; you
could pick up an interesting canvas or two at Galateea (Calea Victoriei 132; & 021/
317-3814; Mon-Sat 11am-7pm), a contemporary space hosting provocative exhibi-
tions with work for sale.
Occupying the same building as the Hotel Lido is Ania Handicraft (daily
9am-9pm) which has well-made traditional dresses, blouses, and other garments, as
well as religious icons, brought in from villages around the country.
A great memento for anyone with an interest in sports is a branded Steaua
Bucharest football shirt from the country's most important club, at one of the Nike
outlets in either the Unirea or Bucure @ ti mall.