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Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei) is a historic street that leads north from the heart of Bucharest. My posts about Old Town and Revolution Square cover a lot of the sights along the street. This entry covers some other sights between Revolution Square and Victory Square.
History
Victory Avenue was opened in 1692 by Constantin Brâncoveanu, the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia at the time, and was paved with wood. Today there’s a mixture of beautiful historic mansions (many from the 19th century), parks, and some stretches of ugly modern buildings.
White Church
Starting from Revolution Square heading north, first is the White Church (Biserica Albă). It’s a church that was built in the 18th century.
Ştirbei Palace
A couple blocks up on the west side is the Ştirbei Palace. It was built between 1850 and 1863 by the Ştirbei family. Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei was the Prince of Wallachia and has had a few descendants that served in the Romanian government. The palace was seized by the Communist government in 1949, all the valuables inside were stolen, and the building sat abandoned until 1959, when it was restored as a diplomatic residence for foreign dignitaries. It was briefly used as a hotel and is now a restaurant and private event venue. The Ştirbei family is still buried on the site.
Romanit Palace
The Art Collections Museum, a branch of the National Art Museum, is located in the Romanit Palace. It was completed in 1822 and acquired by the Romanian government in 1836, later being used as the Ministry of Finance. Two new wings were added by the Ministry of Finance, giving it its present U shape. Admission to the museum is 32 lei for adults, 16 lei for seniors, 8 lei for students, and free for children up to age 6 (as of August 2024). It’s open Friday through Tuesday.
St. Nicholas Tabacu Church
In beautiful Nicolae Iorga Park (Parcul Nicolae Iorga) sits the St. Nicholas Tabacu Church (Biserica Sfântul Nicolae Tabacu). It was built in 1864 on the site of a 17th century wooden church.
Casa Hristu
Across the street just to the north is the Casa Hristu, a historic house built in 1871. There are other more impressive homes and mansions from the early to late 19th century along the street, but this simple one caught my eye.
Grădişteanu-Ghica Palace
On the north end of the park is Grădişteanu-Ghica Palace. It was the home of the Ghica family, who ruled Wallachia and Moldavia during much of the 17th and 18th century. The palace was built in the 18th century and is one of the most impressive buildings on the entire street.
Cantacuzino Palace
THE most impressive building on Victory Avenue is the Cantacuzino Palace. It was built in 1901 by Gheorghe Grigori Cantacuzino, a mayor of Bucharest and Prime Minister of Romania, and also a descendent of the Byzantine royal family.
Cantacuzino’s son, Mihail, inherited the palace. When he died in 1929, his wife, Maria, remarried with composer George Enescu. After Enescu died in 1955, she turned the home into the George Enescu National Museum. Admission is 10 lei for adults, 5 lei for seniors, 2.5 lei for children aged 6-15, and free for children under 6 (as of August 2024). A guided tour for up to 10 people costs 50 lei and must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.
The small building behind the palace is the George Enescu Memorial House. The museum is well worth a visit, both to see the palace and to learn about the fascinating life of Enescu.
St. Basil Church
Across the street from the Cantacuzino Palace is the St. Basil Church (Biserica Sfântul Vasile cel Mare). It was built in the early 19th century.
Victory Square
Victory Square (Piața Victoriei) is where Victory Avenue ends. This wide open square hosts the Victory Palace (Palatul Victoria), which was named after the square. It’s the home of the Government of Romania and contains the offices of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History
Just north of the square along Kiseleff Road (Șoseaua Kiseleff), the continuation of Calea Victoriei, are two museums. The first is the Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History. The building was built in 1893 and the museum is named after Grigore Antipa, a biologist who administered the museum for 51 years. Admission is 20 lei for adults, 10 lei for seniors, 5 lei for students, and free for children under 6 (as of August 2024). It’s open daily except Mondays.
Museum of the Romanian Peasant
The next museum is a must-see when in Bucharest. The fantastic Museum of the Romanian Peasant is dedicated to rural life in Romania, with objects such as traditional costumes, ceramics, furniture, religious items, tools, an actual house, and even a tribute to grandmothers.
The building was built in 1906 when the museum was founded, but it was used as a museum of communism during the rule of the Romanian Communist Party. It reopened as the peasant museum in 1990. In the basement is a small exhibit on communism. The museum open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Admission is 12 lei for adults, 6 lei for seniors, and free for children under 6 (as of August 2024). It’s well worth your time and money.
Kiseleff Park
Across the street is a very large park, Kiseleff Park (Parcul Kiseleff), which contains the National Museum of Geology on its southern end. The building opened in 1906. The museum is open daily. Admission is 15 lei for adults, 10 lei for students, 5 lei for seniors, 5 lei for children aged 5-14, and free for children under 5 (as of August 2024).
