At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the next, Bucharest lived through an era of grace and elegance, inspired by the charm of Paris. Just like the French capital, which set the tone for the Belle Époque beginning in 1871, Bucharest experienced a time of prosperity, refinement, and openness to modernity. Relative peace, economic growth, and the elite’s desire to imitate the West transformed the city into a “Little Paris of the Balkans,” where balls, soirées, and carriage promenades at Șosea became the emblems of a dazzling and vain world. During those years of peace and splendor, Bucharest’s high society lived its own “beautiful era,” one that would abruptly end in 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War.

Luxury and elegance under the sign of French influence

Born in 1871, Constantin Argetoianu later recalled that, by the time he became a “gentleman,” no house in Bucharest bore “the mark of the old boyar arrangements.” Everything had modernized, and the wealthy organized their lives “according to the norms and fashions of Paris.” 

The city had changed its face: old boyar estates had given way to imposing palaces, luminous salons, and furniture ordered directly from France.

Florance K. Berger, a foreign traveler who visited Bucharest around 1877, noted the Romanians’ fascination with everything Parisian, while Ulysse de Marsillac wrote that, once you entered a Bucharest salon, you had the impression you were already in the French capital. 

Elegant furniture, refined gowns, conversations in French, fragrant flowers, and piano music turned every evening into a display of Western sophistication.

The fashion of balls, soirées, and receptions spread rapidly among the elite, who missed no opportunity to outshine one another. Winter was the season for such events, while summer was reserved for travel to European spas or resorts abroad.

The Suțu Palace and the Oteteleşanu salons – temples of Bucharest elegance

In the second half of the 19th century, the most dazzling receptions were held in the salons of Elena Oteteleşanu and Princess Irina Suțu, at the famous Suțu Palace. The building, designed by Viennese architects Johann Veit and Conrad Schwink, seemed made for parties. 

During the winter balls, all the salons were opened — the red one, draped in heavy brocade, and the yellow one, adorned with stucco and giant mirrors. The warm light of hundreds of lamps and candles reflected in the mirrors and the ladies’ jewelry, creating an incandescent atmosphere.

Long dresses of velvet, silk, or brocade, adorned with fine lace and flowing trains, swayed to the rhythm of the waltzes played by Ludwig Wiest’s orchestra, one of the era’s musical masters. The Suțu Palace, with its gilded lions and romantic aura, was the heart of Bucharest’s social life. 

The Suțu couple, eccentric and vain, organized weekly balls, sometimes even twice a week. When they were not hosting, they could be seen daily on Șosea in an old-fashioned carriage, driven by a coachman in gilded uniform and accompanied by an armed footman, a nostalgic sign of an aristocracy living on the memory of its oriental past.

Elena Oteteleşanu, though widowed in 1876, continued to receive guests in her mansion on the site of today’s Telephone Palace. The furniture, gas lamps, and Smyrna carpets completed the refined décor, and guests would first gather to pay their respects before moving on to the ballroom.

Royal balls and Claymoor’s chronicles

The most important event of the year was undoubtedly the Royal Ball, hosted by King Carol I on New Year’s Day. More than a thousand guests attended — aristocrats, ministers, officers, diplomats, and businessmen. Although it was not considered the most exclusive event due to the sheer number of attendees, no family of standing dared to miss it.

The next day, everyone awaited the social chronicles of Claymoor, the pen name of journalist Mișu Văcărescu, a columnist for L’Indépendance Roumaine. He described in detail the ladies’ gowns, jewels, and decorations, and praise in his column was a mark of supreme recognition. Many women even sent him gifts to secure his favor.

After the Royal Ball began the true “social season”: the balls hosted by the Știrbei, Bibescu, and Marghiloman families, and later the famous events at Casa Vernescu, transformed by Ion Mincu into an architectural jewel. There, the elite gathered beneath golden domes, surrounded by perfume, silk, and music.

Dances, suppers, and cotillions

Balls usually began around ten in the evening, opening with an entrée quadrille danced by the hosts and their distinguished guests. After waltzes, polkas, and mazurkas, came the supper, a lavish meal served at midnight, after which the festivities continued until dawn.

The most anticipated moment was the cotillion, a dance led by a respected figure who directed the movements and kept the atmosphere lively. At the Suțu Palace, the prizes given during the cotillion were exquisite works of art — gilded enamel boxes, silver vanity sets, or delicate artificial flowers.

After supper, only the young people remained, and each couple “reserved” their seats by tying two chairs together with a scented handkerchief. Towards morning, strong coffee or hot broth revived the tired yet happy guests.

Masked balls, another fashionable craze of the time, were occasions for fantasy and extravagance. Gentlemen disguised themselves as musketeers, French officers, or historical figures, while ladies appeared as shepherdesses, queens, flowers, or goddesses. By the end of the 19th century, the traditional Romanian costume had also gained appreciation, worn proudly both in Bucharest salons and abroad.

Charity soirées and public balls

Alongside private events, two annual balls were indispensable: the Jockey Club Ball and the Obol Ball. The former was reserved for aristocracy and high-society ladies, a symbol of exclusivity. The latter, of a charitable nature, took place at the National Theatre and raised funds for humanitarian causes.

These balls, refined and dignified, were not only moments of celebration but also markers of prestige and influence for the families who hosted them.

Șosea – the stage of Bucharest’s elegance

Beyond balls and soirées, high society paraded its elegance along Șoseaua Kiseleff, the city’s most fashionable promenade. Between noon and evening, gentlemen and ladies gathered in luxurious carriages, chatting, laughing, and flirting to the rhythm of military music.

The carriages came from Vienna or Paris, while the thoroughbred horses were brought from England or Russia. Coachmen and footmen wore ornate uniforms, cloaks embroidered with gold thread, and silk-lined coats in vivid colors. Inside, velvet seats, soft cushions, and embroidered monograms completed the image of absolute luxury.

The star of the promenade was Nyka, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, famous for her eccentricities. Her gown always matched the coachman’s belt and the carriage upholstery, all designed in Paris. Her appearance was a theatrical event in itself, eagerly awaited by the entire elite.

Those who could not afford their own carriages hired muscals, Russian drivers with large coaches and black horses, who added a colorful, exotic touch to the scene.

Along the avenue, restaurants such as Bufetul de la Șosea, Sans Souci, Vila Regală, and Chateaubriand enlivened the summer nights. The Bufet, designed by Ion Mincu in a classic Romanian style, was an architectural gem surrounded by gardens and shaded alleys.

Walks, flower battles, and charming winters

One of spring’s most spectacular sights was the “flower battle” — a parade of flower-decorated carriages moving between the Bufet and the Second Roundabout. Ladies and gentlemen threw flowers at one another, filling the air with color and fragrance. The painter Ștefan Luchian immortalized this joyful scene in one of his most famous works.

In winter, when snow blanketed the city, horses were harnessed to sleighs adorned with bells and fox tails, and people cheerfully glided through the snowy boulevards. Ice skating had become a new fashion, practiced in Cișmigiu Park, where the frozen lake served as a natural rink. Though initially seen as extravagant, skating soon won the hearts of young people from the upper classes.

Epilogue of a dreamlike era

During summer, the aristocracy left Bucharest for their estates or for European spas. In autumn, the city came alive again, awaiting another season of balls and soirées. But it all ended abruptly in 1914, when the sound of elegant footsteps on ballroom floors was replaced by the echo of war.

A whole world built on refinement and dreams crumbled, yet the charm of Belle Époque Bucharest lives on in memories, chronicles, and photographs.

Today, walking along Calea Victoriei or gazing at the Suțu Palace, one can almost hear the echo of a waltz, glimpse an elegant silhouette in candlelight, and imagine a city that, for a few decades, lived to the rhythm of a Parisian dream.

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