Monuments to visit Muntenia

This summer residence of King Carol I and his wife Elisabeth has become one of the most visited places in Romania. It was built between 1873 and 1914, according to the rather crazy plans of Doderer and Schultz. Its first inauguration took place in 1883, after which it was enlarged under the direction of the Czech architect Karel Liman. At the cutting edge of modernity in its time, Peleș was the first castle in Europe to have electricity and central heating. Carol I died there in 1914. Under communism, the confiscated royal residence was used as a holiday resort by party cadres. Distinguished guests, such as foreign heads of state, were often welcomed. The effect of this tall building, perched in its green setting, is immediate on the visitor, astonishing the eye with its towers, spires and half-timbered houses. In the German neo-Renaissance style, it is also influenced by Italian, Oriental, French and Gothic styles. The 160 rooms in the building are characterized by rich wooden ornaments, which are also found on the facades. The abundance and diversity of statues, pottery, precious vases, weapons, stained-glass windows, tapestries and porcelain is impressive. Among the most beautiful rooms, you will visit the Hall of Honour, characterized by its beautiful carved walnut decorations, or the library, all in wood panelling, absolutely magnificent. In the reception room, wooden models of sixteen castles belonging to the Hohenzollern family (Carol I's family) are on display. The armoury displays collections of European and Oriental weapons from the 15th century onwards. The stained glass windows of the music room, the Florentine room with its gilded wood and marble decorations, the Moorish room with its marble-encrusted furniture, and the theatre where the country's first film projection took place in 1906, will also delight you. The estate of Peleș includes several other beautiful buildings, also built by Carol I: in addition to the castle of Pelișor or the many outbuildings converted into hotels or restaurants, there is the castle of Foișor, a hunting lodge used in its time by Ceaușescu. Today it is a ceremonial residence of the Romanian state, which is not open to the public. The park at Peleș can be visited for free. The Italian Renaissance style gardens, laid out on terraces, enhance the castle, which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale, particularly well.

This 23-storey, 80-metre-high tower was erected under Ceauşescu's regime in agreement with the American Intercontinental group. Its construction was launched when the dictator decided that a capital city needed a structure of this standing. The city's first tower, inaugurated in 1971, was featured on the cover of every tourist guide to Bucharest, as proof of its modernity. During the revolution, the tower welcomed many foreign journalists, who watched from its balconies as soldiers fired on the crowds.

Built by Prince Brâncoveanu in the early ^18th century, this palace has an eventful history. After the prince's death, it suffered extensive damage from fire and invasion, and was once used as an inn. Recently renovated, it now hosts seminars, exhibitions, concerts and a restaurant. Its balconies, arcades and ornamental sculptures are remarkable. The color of the stone and bricks and the architectural harmony of the whole are enchanting. The roof of the main building features curious chimneys.

This beautiful classical-style building, built in 1852, was purchased in 1874 by the Capşa family, who turned it into a highly reputed confectionery, before adding a hotel, restaurant and café. The establishment enjoyed its heyday in the 1930s, when it became a meeting place for writers, artists and intellectuals. Neglected under Communism, it was renovated and restored to its former refinement in the 2000s. As for the confectionery, it still exists: here you can sample the sweets and cakes that made the place famous.

Erected in 1922 on the Parisian model, it celebrates the victory of the Romanian army in the First World War, the proclamation of King Ferdinand and the unification of the three Romanian provinces. As the first version quickly fell into disrepair, it was destroyed, rebuilt and inaugurated in 1936. Under Communism, the royal representations were removed, then replaced after 1989. From its summit, the Arc de Triomphe offers a fine view of the surrounding parks. The small museum inside features photos of the old arch and plans of the city at the time.

Opposite the National Museum of Art, this superb 1895 building is the work of French architect Paul Gottereau. Built by King Carol ^I, it houses the city's oldest central university library. Seriously damaged during the 1989 revolution, the three-building structure was renovated. In 2010, an equestrian statue of Carol ^I was installed in front of the Foundation Palace, the original structure.

At the entrance to the historic center, at the junction of Strada Lipscani and Bulevardul Brătianu, stands the Lupoaicei statue, a reproduction of the famous Roman she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. It was donated to the city by the Municipality of Rome in 1906, to mark the Latinity of Romanian culture. Similar replicas can be seen in other cities around the country, such as Timișoara, Alba Iulia or Târgu Mureș, donated by various Italian municipalities. In Bucharest, the she-wolf has changed location several times.

Slightly higher than the royal palace, Pelișor (literally "little Peleș", which nonetheless has 70 rooms) bears the same German Renaissance touch as its big brother. It was built between 1899 and 1903 by Carol ^I, who presented it as a gift to his nephew Ferdinand and his wife Marie, heirs to the Romanian throne. It was she who designed the interior decoration, in the Art Nouveau style she was so fond of. The small palace reveals the romantic, avant-garde personality of this aesthete queen, who died here in 1938.

Perched on a Carpathian ridge at the foot of the Făgărăș mountains, this ruined citadel is considered the real castle of Vlad Țepeș, the Vlach voivode who inspired the character of Dracula. Built in the ^14th century by Prince Negru Vodă to protect against Ottoman invasions, it has undergone numerous transformations, with the addition of towers and a keep. Vlad Țepeș, in particular, undertook an extension of the fortress during his reign, making it his second home. Legend has it that he took refuge here from the Turks in 1462, when they invaded the region. His wife is said to have thrown herself into the void to avoid ending up in their hands. Falling into the river below, she gave it its name: râul Doamnei, the river of the Princess. The Poienari citadel occupies a strategic position, at the entrance to the Argeș valley. It's reached by climbing a staircase of some 1,400 steps. Up there, you'll enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Argeș valley, the Vidraru lake dam and the surrounding mountains.

You'll reach the citadel from the north, via the mythical Transfăgărașan road, or from Curtea de Argeș, some 25 km further south. In winter, as the Transfăgărașan is closed, access is only from Curtea de Argeș. Find out in advance whether the rehabilitation work has been completed and whether the citadel is open to the public again (www.muzeul-judetean-arges.ro/cetatea-poienari/).

Dating from the ^14th century, the remains of the former princely court(Curtea Veche) are Bucharest's oldest monument. The complex was at the heart of the medieval city. It was under the reign of the Wallachian voivode Vlad Ţepeş (who inspired the character of Dracula), between 1456 and 1462, but above all under that of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714), that the princely residence enjoyed its greatest influence. Damaged by fire and earthquakes, the prestigious buildings were gradually abandoned by the end of the ^18th century.

This imposing 1900 building, one of the most beautiful in the capital, was designed by French architect Paul Gottereau. Built in an eclectic style reminiscent of the Petit Palais in Paris, it is one of the symbols of French influence on Romanian architecture in the early ^20th century. Its richly decorated facade is dominated by a large central dome, which illuminates the hall. The monumental entrance arch, supported by four columns, houses a clock, framed by Hermes and Demeter. Today, the palace houses the headquarters of the CEC Bank.

This small station is in kind a "prestige" station. This is where the Orient-Express stops, before winning Istanbul.

Considered one of Bucharest's most beautiful buildings, this mansion has been restored to its former glory after years of neglect. Its name, "Mița la cycliste", refers to the woman who occupied the premises, Maria Mihăescu, the first woman to ride a bicycle in Bucharest and a key figure in the Bucharest social scene in the first half of the 20th century. She was known for her "extravagances", but above all she was a free woman ahead of her time. This magnificent example of Art Nouveau now houses a cultural center, a bookshop and a cocktail bar.

Hard to miss. Still topped with dozens of satellite dishes, the Palace of Telephones(Palatul Telefoanelor) would not be out of place in Gotham City. Inaugurated in 1934, this building, reminiscent of the old New York skyscrapers, bears witness to the architectural follies of the time. For many years, it was the tallest building in the city, standing at 52.50 m. It is emblematic of the Art Deco style, well represented in Bucharest with the Ambasador and Lido hotels on Magheru boulevard, and the Union International Center on strada Câmpineanu.

A neo-Brâncovenesc monument, the Palace of the Institute of Architecture(Palatul institutului de arhitectură), built between 1921 and 1927 by Grigore Cerchez, houses the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning, named after this great architect and promoter of the neo-Romanian style. Its facade, recently cleaned, shows just how beautiful the city could be if the same treatment were given to the many buildings blackened by car fumes.

This austere 1950 building first housed the Ministry of the Interior, before becoming the headquarters of the Communist Party. It was from the balcony of this building that, on December 21, 1989, Ceaușescu delivered his last speech, interrupted by the crowd. The next day, after a night of chaos, the dictator and his wife fled by helicopter from the roof, and demonstrators invaded the palace. The palace housed the Senate until 2005, when it was returned to its original function.

Located south of Cotroceni, at the end of Eroilor Boulevard, it is a building that is hard to miss if you are driving through this part of the city. Very massive and square, it rises on one of the rare reliefs of the capital. Built in 1938 by Duiliu Marcu, it houses on its esplanade a statue in memory of the heroes of the fatherland (Eroilor Patriei), soldiers who fought for the country's freedom during the Second World War. The building housed the Nazi authorities during this period. It is now home to the National Defense University.

Everyone knows this building in the middle of a crossroads in Bucharest. It's a fire watch and warning tower, built in 1891 to replace an earlier one erected in 1715. At the time, it housed a large water tank, fire pumps and horses to transport them. It was used by firefighters until 1935, when it became a museum that recently closed its doors.

Located at the intersection of Iuliu Maniu and Geniului Boulevards, very close to Cotroceni Palace, the Monumentul Eroilor din Arma Geniului (Monument to the Heroes of the Weapon of Genius), nicknamed "the Lion" (Leul), is an imposing bronze statue. Symbolizing resistance and courage, it was erected in 1926 and is dedicated to the soldiers who fought in the First World War. The inscription on the pedestal reads, "Tell future generations that we made the supreme sacrifice on the battlefield, for the entire nation. »