Articles (893)

The Story of Matache Măcelaru, One of 19th-Century Bucharest’s Most Beloved Figures

In the bustling streets of 19th-century Bucharest, few figures were as well-known or cherished as Matache Măcelaru. While his name today may resonate primarily through a modern brand of meat products, the man behind the legend was very much real—a charismatic and enterprising personality who left a lasting imprint on the city’s cultural memory. Kno...

Top 7 places where Bucharest looks like another city

Bucharest has its own reputation — a mix of interwar elegance, communist mass housing, and contemporary improvisation. Yet, if you know where to look, you’ll find corners that resemble other European cities in surprising ways. These aren’t grand comparisons, just small fragments of atmosphere.1. Strada Franceză – a corner of old Paris - The cobbles...

The smells of the metro: the invisible geography of underground Bucharest

The Bucharest metro has its official map, with lines, stations, and intersections. But regular commuters know there’s another map, much subtler: the one drawn by smells. It’s an invisible geography that accompanies every descent down the stairs and every stop on the platform. It’s not printed in guides or Metrorex plans, yet all of us have learned...

The story of the great Ion Dacian, “the groom of operetta,” symbol of the National Operetta and Musical Theater in Bucharest

The history of operetta in Romania is older than one might imagine, and its emergence was by no means accidental. As early as the 1830s, Romanian audiences discovered the fascination of musical theater through vaudeville, a genre blending humor, dialogue, and music. At that time, great literary figures such as Vasile Alecsandri, Matei Millo, Costac...

Who was Vasile Lascăr, “the father of the modern Romanian police,” and why does he have a street named after him in Bucharest

Vasile Lascăr was born on November 7, 1852, into a family with uncertain origins, either Levantine or French. His father, Serdar Manolache (Emanoil) Lascăr, was a cultured man for that time, fluent in French and several Oriental dialects. He settled in Târgu-Jiu around 1842 and, after being widowed, remarried Raluca Urdăreanu, the daughter of Sluge...

The Dalles Hall in Bucharest, a painful history: the tribute of a grieving mother to her son, lost at only 35

In the heart of Bucharest, at 18 Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard, stands an imposing building, today home to the Metropolitan Center for Education and Culture. Many Bucharest residents know it as “Dalles Hall,” but few are aware of the dramatic story of the family behind this institution.The beginnings of the dalles family and the tragedies that marked...

The story of sociologist Dimitrie Gusti, after whom the Village Museum in Bucharest is named

On February 13, 1880, in Iași, was born the man who would become one of the most important thinkers of modern Romania: Dimitrie Gusti. Considered the father of Romanian sociology, he was not only a passionate researcher but also a philosopher, ethicist, and visionary who knew how to connect science with the practical life of rural communities. The...

The Story of Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest’s Open-Air Museum. Here Rest the Nation’s Greatest Personalities

Few places in Bucharest preserve as much history, legend, and emotion as Bellu Cemetery, the resting place of some of Romania’s most prominent figures. Today, it is perceived as a true open-air museum, where funerary sculpture merges with dramatic stories, and where the memory of the nation lives among the tree-lined paths of the necropolis.From Su...

Why autumn is the best season for Bucharest

Summer passes in its noisy rush, and winter always arrives too cold and too gray. In between, autumn is when Bucharest breathes differently. It’s not just a poetic impression but something quite practical: the light, the events, and the city’s rhythm shift in a way that makes the capital more livable and, for a while, even welcoming.The light - In...

The Red Snake, between Glory and Ruin: How the Favorite Tavern of 20th-Century Bucharest’s Great Artists Met Its End

Bucharest, a city with a rich history and a unique charm, has always been known for its picturesque taverns, places where urban life and artistic bohemianism blended into an unforgettable atmosphere. Among these legendary spots stood “Șarpele Roșu” (“The Red Snake”), a tavern that became the epicenter of Bucharest’s bohemian life after the Revoluti...