After a good night’s sleep at the Mercure Bucharest City Centre we walked the short distance to the Romanian Athenaeum concert hall which stands on the edge of Revolution Square. This ornate domed, circular building is an architectural gem and is the city’s main classical music venue.
As well as being able to purchase tickets for performances it’s also possible to take self guided tours to view its ornate interior, gilded dome ceiling and impressive fresco artwork. Entrance tickets are 10 Lei (£2) and need to be paid in cash. We were unaware of this when we arrived at the ticket office and not having any cash with us as cards are widely accepted in Bucharest, we had to go in search of a cash machine. Fortunately there was a bank quite near so we were able to obtain some cash to pay for our tickets. Once inside the Athenaeum we were handed an informative leaflet and it was explained that we were permitted to wander around freely in any of the open areas of the building.
The bank detour was definitely worthwhile as the building is absolutely beautiful. Designed by Albert Galleron and opened in 1888, with Doric entrance columns, it is reminiscent of a Greek temple and has been classified as a National Monument since 2007.
The rotunda is a stunning example of Neo-Classical style architecture with its marble columns, mosaics and decorative sculptures. Twelves Doric columns clad in stucco support the central dome. The rotunda is enclosed by four spiral staircases in the middle of which there is a balcony with a view of the entire foyer. Each staircase leads up to the circular concert hall which is even more impressive with a 75 metre long fresco illustrating 24 scenes of the most important moments in Romanian history.
The auditorium has 794 seats in the stalls and boxes arranged in the form of an amphitheatre. The view of the stage is perfect from each seat and the auditorium benefits from outstanding acoustics. At the time of our visit the stage was set for an orchestral performance as it is home to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. This is one of Europe’s oldest orchestras which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018.
I’d definitely recommend adding a visit to the Athenaeum to your Bucharest itinerary. There is a link to the website here but it appears to be only available in Romanian.
On leaving the Athenaeum we strolled through the small park to the front and then caught a bus to view the Arch of Triumph which stands to the north of the city in the middle of a busy traffic intersection. The 27 metre high arch was built to resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and is decorated with the Royal crown and scenes from the First World War on its stonework. The monument serves as a reminder of the Romanian Army’s victory in World War One and the Great Union of 1918 which was one of the most important events in Romanian history. A military parade takes place around the arch to celebrate Romania’s National Day on 1st December each year. At certain times the arch is open to visitors who can be rewarded with far reaching views from its upper balcony.
Herāstrāu Park was located nearby so we decided to visit there next. The park was laid out in 1936 beside the lake to which it takes its name. It’s the city’s largest park and one of the biggest in Europe. Spread over 187 hectares the park is a popular spot for locals and being so big never seems overcrowded. No park looks at its best in mid-winter but we enjoyed a stroll along the lakeside with its pleasure boats moored by the bank awaiting the warmer weather to resume their trips around the lake.
We came across a collection of 12 sculpted heads arranged in a circle. Each statue is about 1.2 meters tall and shows the name of a famous person who was involved in the founding of the EU. The monument designed by Ionel Stoicescu was unveiled on Europe Day, 9th May, 2006 when Romania was still a candidate for membership.
The park is also home to an open air museum comprising 300 buildings including homes, churches, farmsteads, workshops and windmills which have all been transported to the park brick by brick. I always enjoy exploring open-air folk museums wherever I travel but will need to make a return visit to Bucharest as sadly it was closed for winter renovations when we were there with little to see from the locked gates.
We’d seen The House of the Free Press towering in the distance from the lake shore so before leaving the district we decided to walk round for a closer look. The building was formerly called “Casa Scânteii” and is one of the city’s landmarks and a reminder of the communist regime. It was constructed between 1952 and 1957 and served as the headquarters of the Communist Party’s official publication, Scânteia (The Spark). Following the Romanian Revolution from 1989, the name of the building was replaced with the “House of the Free Press”.
It was then time to return to the hotel to collect our luggage and make our way back to the airport for our flight home.
Our weekend in Bucharest had been very enjoyable and despite many of the city’s attractions being closed over winter we’d had a fun time exploring the old town, parks and visiting the magnificent Romanian Athenaeum.
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