Articles (893)

Nălucă’s Gang, the Most Famous Outlaws of 19th-Century Bucharest, Stole from Boyars and Lived in the Sewers

In the early decades of the 19th century, Bucharest was a city of stark contrasts. Far from the image of a quiet center, the capital of Wallachia was a place where aristocratic luxury mixed with the squalor of the slums, and the calm of holidays was often broken by the sounds of robberies and uprisings. Bucharest at the beginning of the 19th centur...

The Struggles of the Great Writer Vintilă Corbul, from Judge and Colonel to a Simple Worker at Water and Sewer

Few Romanian writers have had a destiny as complicated, spectacular, and tragic as that of Vintilă Corbul. Born on May 26, 1916, he came from a wealthy family with strong connections in the international artistic and financial world. His mother owned shares in American film studios, which allowed the family to travel frequently overseas—something e...

The Curse of an Unfulfilled Love. Alexandru Odobescu Ended His Life Because of a Woman 30 Years Younger

Love stories have always fascinated humanity, especially when they end in tragedy. The history of Romanian literature hides not only memorable creations but also destinies shattered by impossible passions. One of the most dramatic cases is that of Alexandru Odobescu—writer, historian, and academician—who, despite his cultural and social prestige, m...

Famous Boulevard Names: Pavel Kiseleff, the Russian General Who Loved Romania and Gave Us the First Constitution

In the history of Bucharest, there are a few emblematic boulevards, steeped in memory and symbolism. One of the most important is Șoseaua Kiseleff, a promenade and landmark of the capital. Its name is no accident: it honors a Russian general who played a crucial role in modernizing Romanian administration and drafting the first Constitutions of Mol...

Who Was Ion Câmpineanu and Why a Street in Central Bucharest Bears His Name

Ion Câmpineanu remains one of the important figures of modern Romanian history, a cultured and patriotic boyar who tied his destiny to the great political and social struggles of the 19th century. He was among the first Wallachian boyars to wear the uniform of the new Romanian army, organized along European lines. A visionary boyar and officer of t...

How much does autumn cost in Bucharest — and how to save money

Autumn doesn’t just bring yellow leaves and shorter days, it also comes with a new set of expenses. Higher utility bills, daily transport, warmer clothes, and the little comforts that make the season bearable — your wallet immediately feels the seasonal shift.1. Seasonal billsAs temperatures drop, heating costs kick in. Even if some apartment block...

10 cafés in Bucharest that feel like being abroad

Bucharest is full of cafés, but some of them manage to make you feel like you’ve crossed a border without leaving the city. Not through forced décor, but through design details, atmosphere, and the way they build their identity. Here are ten places where, for a couple of hours, you might just feel like you’re somewhere else.1. Trofic (Ion Brezoianu...

Before Casa Capșa, there was Kübler. The story of the most famous café in 19th-century Bucharest

Before the tables of Casa Capșa became the preferred stage for writers, journalists, and bohemians of the Capital, another venue dominated the cultural life of Bucharest. This was the famous café Kübler, the meeting place of literary figures, actors, journalists, and aristocrats of the time. In the 19th century, Kübler was not just a café but a tru...

Costică Alexandrescu, “the Banker of Berceni,” owner of the legendary Mandravela tavern

Interwar Bucharest was a city of striking contrasts, where the opulence of grand palaces coexisted uneasily with the turmoil of working-class neighborhoods. Yet these disparate worlds often intersected in the city’s taverns, which became spaces where aristocrats, artists, laborers, and rogues mingled over food, wine, and music. Among the most celeb...

Assan House, the palace in the heart of the Capital where the first Romanian to travel around the world lived

Hidden in the center of Bucharest, right behind Piața Romană, stands Assan House, a superb building erected at the beginning of the 20th century. As its name suggests, it once served as the residence of a member of the influential Assan family, namely Bazil, the eldest son of the family’s patriarch. The story of this miniature palace is intertwined...