Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
C4
62
Cărtureşti
D1
63
Filatelia
D7
E6
National Museum of Contemporary Art
(Muzeul Naţionale Arta Contemporana; 021-318 9137;
www.mnac.ro
;
Calea 13
Septembrie 1; adult 5 lei, student free; 10am-6pm Wed-Sun)
The Palace of Parliament
houses a superb art gallery that displays temporary, ever-changing exhibitions of eclectic
installations and video art. There's also a top-floor, open-air cafe. The entry is from the
southwestern side of the building (opposite from the Palace of Parliament tour entrance).
Check the website in advance to make sure something is on during your visit to spare
yourself a long walk.
GALLERY
PIAŢA UNIVERSITĂŢII
If Bucharest has a true centre, which we're not sure it does, it would be somewhere
around here, midway between Piaţa Victoriei in the north and Piaţa Unirii in the south,
with two major north-south arteries on each side: B-dul IC Brătianu to the east and Calea
Victoriei to the west. Many university buildings are situated here (hence the name), plus
government institutions, grand old buildings and lots of restaurants and bars. This was
also the scene of the some of the fiercest fighting during the 1989 revolution and the sub-
sequent miners' revolt in June 1990. Journalists observed both outbursts of violence from
the relative security of the upper floors of the Hotel Inter-Continental. Scour the area and
you'll still find bullet marks in some buildings.
Museum of the History of Bucharest
( 021-315 6858;
www.muzeulbucurestiului.ro
; B-dul IC Brătianu 2; adult/child 6/3 lei;
10am-6pm Wed-Sun)
Housed in a neo-Gothic palace built in the 1830s to host fancy
balls, this small museum, facing Piaţa Universităţii, is a lovely spot with an interesting
collection of old artefacts, photos and costumes. Designed by two Austrian architects, the
palace was built in 1832-34 for the Şuţu family, notorious for their high-society parties.
MUSEUM
New St George's Church
CHURCH
