Politehnica Metro Station, inaugurated in 1983 on today’s Line 3, may at first glance seem like just another stop on Bucharest’s underground network. Located near the Polytechnic University, it serves thousands of students, professors, and local residents every day. Yet beyond the bustle of commuters and the trains arriving every few minutes, the s...
Few artists have left such a profound mark on Romanian culture as Gică Petrescu, a name synonymous with elegance, optimism, and the charm of the cântec de petrecere (party song). Generations hummed his melodies and admired the infectious energy with which he turned every performance into a celebration. Yet beyond the applause and the spotlight, the...
In distant times, when people lived closer to nature and its mysteries, a legend was born that symbolically marked the beginnings of Romania’s capital and the river that runs through it. It is not a tale of kings and queens, but of two simple young people: the shepherd Bucur and the beautiful Dâmbovița.The legend of a love born at the foot of the m...
Few Bucharest neighborhoods can boast a history as rich and layered as Băneasa. The area—known today mainly for its airport, the Royal Railway Station, and the Miorița Fountain—has roots reaching back to the 17th century, when it was a small village called Cârstănești. Beyond monuments, institutions, and historical events, the origin of its name li...
The Arch of Triumph in Bucharest is not only an imposing architectural monument but also a symbol of national history, sacrifice, and victory. Built to honor the courage and heroism of Romanian soldiers in the First World War and to mark the achievement of the Great Union of 1918, the monument today stands as a landmark of Romanian identity. Over t...
In the middle of Bucharest, where the narrow streets of the Old Town bring together cafés, shops, and fragments of history, Șepcari Street hides a truly surprising past. Beyond the appearance of a simple pedestrian alley, today sprinkled with restaurants and bars, this street carries within its walls the story of one of the most fascinating linguis...
Anyone who has spent even a few days in Bucharest quickly realizes that traffic is one of the city’s biggest nightmares. For expats, often used to more predictable infrastructure, the shock is real: hours lost at intersections, streets clogged during rush hours, construction sites that change routes overnight. Yet there are ways to make it bearable...
The end of summer brings a shift in rhythm that you can sense in Bucharest even if you’re not paying close attention. After months of a different kind of bustle—empty streets on weekends and terraces buzzing until late at night—the city moves into another phase. It’s as if it breathes differently.Traffic is the first to betray the change. September...
In the modern history of Romania, few institutions have played as important and constant a role as the National Bank of Romania (BNR). Founded on April 17, 1880, with the publication in the Official Gazette of the Law establishing a “bank of discount and circulation,” the institution marked not only a crucial stage in building the Romanian state’s...
The years following the Second World War were marked, for Romania, by chaos and deep instability. In the capital, the outlying neighborhoods became areas where law was almost nonexistent and daily life unfolded under the sign of violence. Out of this bleak backdrop rose a figure who would enter the dark legend of Bucharest: Gică Cioc, nicknamed “Th...