Articles (1415)

The bastard who despised his father and used older women to make money. The story of Mateiu Caragiale, the “Prince of the Old Court”

Mateiu Caragiale, the illegitimate son of the great playwright Ion Luca Caragiale, remains one of the most controversial figures in Romanian literature. His life was marked by inner conflicts, resentment toward his famous father, and eccentric behavior that fueled countless scandals and rumors. Branded by society as a “bastard” and condemned to liv...

Who was Nicolae Kalinderu, the genius from Bucharest who wrote the first internal medicine treatise in Romania

Nicolae Kalinderu is one of the leading figures of Romanian medicine in the 19th century, a visionary who succeeded in bringing to the country the modern spirit of European science and in elevating internal medicine to an academic level. His story is not only about science but also about civic and cultural involvement, showing that an exceptional p...

Cotroceni – from Șerban Cantacuzino’s monastery to the elite neighborhood of the Capital

Cotroceni is one of the oldest and most fascinating areas of Bucharest, with a history spanning several centuries. The name comes from the old Romanian verb “a cotroci”, meaning “to retreat” or “to hide.” Situated on a wooded hill near the Dâmbovița River, the area was used in past centuries as a refuge and a quiet retreat for rulers and boyars.The...

The Princely Court of Târgoviște – the connection with the rulers of Wallachia

The Princely Court of Târgoviște is one of the most important medieval complexes in Romania and, for almost three centuries, represented the political, administrative, and cultural center of Wallachia. The first documentary mention of Târgoviște dates back to 1396, and shortly afterward, the settlement became a strategic location due to its positio...

The story of the great Petre Ispirescu, the boy from a Bucharest neighborhood who listened to stories in his father’s barbershop

Petre Ispirescu remains one of the essential figures of Romanian literature, the man who transformed tales gathered from neighborhoods, villages, and the homes of ordinary people into true treasures of our culture. From his childhood spent among the clients of his father’s barbershop to his recognition as “the father of Romanian fairy tales,” his l...

How to move fastest through Bucharest at rush hour: metro, bus or electric scooter?

Bucharest traffic is a daily reality, and rush hours turn the city into a test of patience. The question is not just “where are you going,” but “how fast can you actually get there, and with how much stress.” Three of the most common options—metro, bus, and electric scooters—show very different results.Metro – the underground network that saves tim...

Dormitory neighborhoods: why Bucharest grew upwards instead of outwards

Bucharest today is a city of contrasts. On one side, elegant interwar buildings with wide courtyards and ornate facades. On the other, massive apartment blocks built in the 1960s–1980s, lined up in neighborhoods that look almost identical: Drumul Taberei, Titan, Berceni, Militari. These so-called “dormitory neighborhoods” were the result of a delib...

Literary Bucharest — an itinerary through the novels and novellas that turned the city into a setting, a character, or a state of mind

Bucharest is not only the capital of Romania but also a literary space with its own identity. Throughout the 20th century, several important authors used its streets, neighborhoods, and atmosphere as a backdrop or even as a central character in their works. In famous novels and novellas, from Mircea Eliade’s Maitreyi to George Călinescu’s Enigma Ot...

Gheorghe Lazăr National College in Bucharest, a brief history. It was relocated during the Stalinist period, but managed to preserve the “Lăzărist” spirit

Gheorghe Lazăr National College in Bucharest is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Romania, with a history that reflects the evolution of Romanian education from the mid-19th century to the present. Founded at the initiative of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza on January 18, 1860, the school was the second Romanian-language gymnasium...

The cheapest markets in Bucharest

Bucharest has an extensive network of farmers’ markets, each with its own characteristics and price levels. For budget-conscious shoppers, the differences between markets can be significant. In the capital, there are places where fruits, vegetables, and traditional products are much cheaper than in supermarkets or in some central markets. Among the...