Page 4 - AIT0323_Bukarest

Foto: Roxana Achim, RO-Bukarest Filarmonica George Enescu, RO-Bukarest Foto:

Foto: picture alliance / Xinhua News Agency, Gabriel Petrescu Foto: Cosmin Dragomir, RO-Bukarest

Analysieren: Paucescu Haus (11) und Kunstmuseum (12) • Analyzing: Paucescu House (11) and Art Museum (12) Gustieren: Athenäum (13) und Saftbar Frudisiac (15) • Tasting: Athenaeum (13) and Frudisiac (15) juice bar

B ucharest, the capital of Romania with 1.8 million inhabitants, is located in the midst Hanul lui Manuc (5). Centuries ago, the “restaurant of Manuc”, a former caravanserai,
served as the trading place for merchants and diplomats from all over the world during
of Walachia – and yet is anything but provincial! Particularly when it comes to ar-
chitecture, the lively metropolis offers an impressive cocktail of a wide variety of styles the Ottoman foreign rule.
and epochs. At the crossing between the East and the West, Bucharest is based on an r 15:00 – We walk from Unirii Square to the University Square where the mixture of the
ancient Byzantine structure which was overlaid by the Belle Époque and Art Deco in the past and the modern age is particularly noticeable. Hidden between long rows of stan-
th
th
19 and 20 centuries. In the beginning of Romanian independence, the city was the dardized residential blocks from the communist era, we discover the orthodox Kretzu-
centre of “revival architecture”, a kind of historicism that, as the “national style” com- lescu Church (6), built starting in 1720 in Brâncoveanu style. At the time of Ceausescu,
bining western influences with traditional regional elements. After the turn of the mill- numerous historic buildings were moved on metal rails to make room for large building
ennium, “young urban professional” from all over the world flocked to the city and com- projects. On Calea Victoriei, one of the oldest promenades, much of the historic splen-
plemented the difficult architectural heritage from the years of dictatorship under Nico- dour of Bucharest has been preserved. A special eye-catcher is the mighty Palatul Tele-
lae Ceausescu with innovations. This resulted in an architectural programme of con- foanelor (7), an office building from the time of Art Deco that used to be the city’s highest
trasts that simply has to be experienced! building and was to be bombed in the Second World War. The nearby baroque theatre
was destroyed instead. Not until 2006, a hotel complex was built on the vacant site
Saturday: Foray through the city’s pulsating heart which combines the reconstructed façade of the old theatre with a new glass structure.
Also preserved was the CEC Palace (8) with a glass dome. The main building of the Ro-
r 10:00 – The Expirat (1) cultural centre is one of the many hotspots of the Bucharest manian CEC bank was constructed around 1900 and is a symbol of the strong influence
neo-Bohème and an excellent location for a relaxed breakfast. We stroll on to The Ark France had on Romanian aristocracy at the time when Bucharest was called “little Paris”.
(2), culture- and office building where pop-up stores and flea markets are also found. r 19:00 – We let ourselves drift through the picturesque streets past small boutiques,
The gigantic People’s Palace (3) is here still a part of the former Uranus district and was churches and formerly significant palaces that, meanwhile, are in part falling into decay
constructed as of 1983 according to plans by the architect Anca Petrescu (1949–2013) as and have a morbid kind of beauty. Those who love this take a detour to the Macca art-
a neo-fascist bastion said to be the heaviest building in the world. nouveau villa which today is home to the archaeological institute of the Romanian Aca-
r 13:00 – For a cup of tea or coffee, we go to the Origo (4), a third-wave café designed demy of the Sciences. Also worthwhile is a visit to the former home of past president
by the Bucharest office Lama Architecture or, after lunch, to the historic courtyard of the Ion Bratianu (1864–1927) that has been constructed around 1910 in the Romanian neo-

AIT 3.2023 • 037