Monuments to visit Bucharest

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.

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.

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. »

It's a handsome 100-meter-long edifice that stretches along the banks of the Dâmbovița. Designed by Albert Ballu in 1895 in a French neo-Renaissance style, it was built on the orders of King Carol ^I, who wanted to provide the young independent kingdom with judicial institutions worthy of the name. Damaged by the 1977 earthquake, it was condemned to demolition by Ceaușescu. Renovated in the early 2000s, it has regained its lustre and now houses the Bucharest Court of Appeal. Its facade is decorated with six allegorical sculptures, surmounted by two other statues.

Located at kilometer zero, this imposing edifice is recent: bombed during the Second World War, the National Theater was rebuilt under the Communist regime. Completed in 1973, it was completely reconfigured and renovated between 2011 and 2015, including its facade. It has no fewer than 6 halls and, in summer, a rooftop amphitheater hosts shows. In front of the building, a beautiful bronze sculpture depicts the best-known characters created by the great Romanian playwright Ion Luca Caragiale, who gave his name to the theater.

The massive neoclassical-style University Palace extends at the entrance to the Boulevard Regina Elisabeta. It was inaugurated in 1869. The four muses adorning the façade were added in 1929, works by the sculptor Emil Wilhelm Becker. Also noteworthy are the statues of teachers and statesmen in the surrounding area. The palace now houses the geography, mathematics, history, literature and other humanities sections, as well as the chemistry section. The University of Law is located at Kogălniceanu and the University of Medicine at Cotroceni.

Built at the very beginning of the 20th century, it dominates the northern tip of the park Cişmigiu. It impresses with its eclectic elegance, blending French Renaissance styles with Baroque influences, with a richly ornamented facade topped by a crenellated roof. The palace, built for Elena Crețulescu (or Kretzulescu), was designed by the architect Petre Antonescu, to whom we also owe the Arc de Triomphe bucarestois. Riddled with debts, the owner sold the building to the town hall in the 1920s. Since 1972, it has housed Unesco services.