A Walk Through the Oldest Part of my City

This year that we will all remember, this year that changed our way of life and showed us that it is not excluded and one step back in our existence. A year in which the vast majority of us were forced to stand still. I gave up vacations and long trips, I also gave up trips nearby. I miss a trip so much that a getaway in the city center now has all the data and appearances that I am visiting an unknown place.

If it is almost unknown to me then it is certainly unknown to you.

This is the reason why I will show a small portion of my city, part of its old center, places sought after by all tourists who last year filled the streets and dozens of restaurants and terraces in the area.

Bucharest, the Old Center and Calea Victoriei seen in a short walk on a day at the end of 2010.

Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Over three million inhabitants. Almost six hundred years since the first attestation in a document of Prince Vlad Tepes. Vlad Tepes, who was a very bloody ruler, used to punish the boyars as well as the enemies, especially the Turks, by stabbing them in a spear.

Spear is called in Romanian "teapa", hence the name of Prince Tepes. In reality, the name after his father was "Dracul" (Devil). Vlad Dracul inspired Bram Stoker when he wrote the famous novel "Dracula"!

Dracula, a story full of vampires, takes place in Transylvania, a region of Romania. This novel and the character made Romania known all over the world.

Returning to Bucharest, this city has had many influences throughout its history, from the Turkish and Greek to the French, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The French cultural and architectural influence was very strong, at that time the city was also called Little Paris!

The Arc de Triomphe is a copy of the one in Paris, but obviously smaller, hence Little Paris. Many buildings built in the early twentieth century are also children or influences of French architecture and buildings in Paris. Like this building located on Calea Victoriei (my favorite boulevard), the headquarters of one of the first banks in Romania. The place where my walk and presentation begins.

It is now the headquarters of the same bank again. Next to it, a new building was built, also the bank's headquarters (another bank). It is interesting to see and compare two buildings that have the same purpose but have been separated for over a hundred years.

Obviously, the modern building, made of concrete and glass, is much bigger, more functional and much more comfortable. However, it seems that the old building is more beautiful, from my point of view, warmer and friendlier, with a greater care for beauty than for the imposing.

Right in front of the old building is a narrow street, Stavropoleos Street, which leads us to the old center of Bucharest. The development of this central area of the city began around the 1600s, when the first shops and inns were built here. Also here are the ruins of the Royal Palace (unfortunately too little restored and cared for) where the leaders of Wallachia lived, the first of them being Vlad Tepes, in the 1660s, the one we talked about earlier. However, today's walk does not reach the palace, about which I will make a presentation in the future.

Stavrepoleos Street is one of the most important streets here, although it is a short street, no more than 500 m. It is flanked by important buildings, such as the National History Museum, the largest history museum in Romania, which houses ancient exhibits from the Paleolithic to the modern era. Among the exhibits, the most important treasure in Romania, it seems to be of Gothic origin, called the shell with the golden chicks as well as a copy with all the bas-reliefs of Trajan's Column, from Rome.

Another well-known location on this street is a brewery, called "Carul cu bere" (Chariot With Beer) built in 1899. A famous brewery in the city, frequented by many people of culture, writers and journalists, actors. In neo-gothic style, with a special interior that I will show on another occasion, now I don't have photos from there.

It was not a day for the terrace (quite safe, it is noticeable that on each table there is a bottle for disinfecting hands) nor for the restaurant. At one end of the street you can see the old bank building and on the other side is our destination ...

... our destination being a very small monastery (with only six nuns), the monastery that gives the name of the street, Stavropoleos. It was built in 1724 and has been restored several times.

It is a small monastery, miraculously left in the middle of the city. The church of the monastery has a beautiful architecture, with painted walls (painting that has been partially preserved) and many bas-reliefs and stone sculptures.

This is my wife's favorite church. The religious service is completely special and respects the special rules of the monasteries. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, access to the church is not allowed and because of this the ceremony takes place outside, in the small courtyard.

I presented more about this monastery because I noticed that all foreign tourists who come here are very interested, both ceremonial and the building.

The Old Center is a pedestrian island in a city buried in cars. Because of this it is an area highly sought after by tourists. Here you will find monuments, shops and many terraces. A perfect place to spend money on culture, various useful objects and fun. To admire the buildings, some old, as this former bank headquarters between the two world wars.

This year has been very difficult for businesses in this area that live almost exclusively from tourism. The pandemic hit the freedom of movement severely by suspending flights and introducing travel restrictions. Even though the owners of the terraces and restaurants tried to adapt and brought additional protection measures, everything was in vain. The streets and terraces are empty.

Sad. Very sad! This place was the meeting place of young people, Romanians and many foreigners, especially from Israel and England. They came on Saturday and left on Sunday evening, they came especially for fun and nightlife. Because they found good and cheap drinks here, I'm not saying that girls are also very beautiful in Romania.

Now I think that the pandemic, which I don't know how long it will last, and Brexit will hit hard in business here. I am also sorry for the young British people who appreciated this place very much, Romania as they appreciated Bulgaria, Greece or Spain. Of course, it will not be impossible to travel again but I think there will be more restrictions and documents to fill out.

This was part of the Old Center of Bucharest. It is still being arranged, consolidating very old buildings to be much more attractive for tourists. I am optimistic that in the coming years life will become easier and more beautiful again and travel, people's desire to travel and have fun, to live life in a more pleasant way will be even greater than before. Surely this will be seen from how the streets of the Old Center will be filled again.