- Bucharest
- Centrul Vechi
Centrul Vechi
Old Town
Bucharest's historic centre between Calea Victoriei and Brătianu Boulevard, with pedestrian streets, churches from the 16th to 18th centuries, the ruins of the Princely Court, bank palaces from around 1900 and the city's best-known old restaurants.
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What to see in Centrul Vechi
Things to see, picked to fill a whole day.
1Brâncovenesc-style church of 1724Mănăstirea Stavropoleos
Small Brâncovenesc-style church built in 1724 by the archimandrite Ioanichie Stratonikeas, now a convent, with a collection of old icons and a lapidarium in the courtyard.
Centrul Vechi
2National history museumMuzeul Național de Istorie a României
The country's history museum, in the Post Office Palace on Calea Victoriei, with the Historical Treasury, a full-size copy of Trajan's Column and a lapidarium; the rest of the building is under renovation.
Calea Victoriei
3Princely church and medieval siteCurtea Veche: Biserica Buna Vestire și ruinele Curții Domnești
The church of the former Princely Court, founded by Mircea Ciobanul in the 16th century, next to the ruins of the palace where the princes of Wallachia lived.
Centrul Vechi
4Bookshop in a restored buildingCărturești Carusel
Multi-level bookshop in the former Chrissoveloni Bank building on Lipscani, a late-19th-century house with shop, opened as a bookshop in 2015, with a café upstairs.
Centrul Vechi
5Neo-Gothic palace and city museumPalatul Suțu – Muzeul Municipiului București
Neo-Gothic palace built between 1833 and 1835 for the Suțu family on University Square, now home to the Bucharest Municipal Museum and its permanent exhibition 'Timpul Orașului' (The City's Time).
Piața Universității
Where to eat in Centrul Vechi
Meals worth the trip.
- 1Specialty coffee shop and bar
Origo Coffee
Specialty coffee shop on Strada Lipscani, opened in 2013 by Mihai Panfil, serving coffee from beans roasted by Origo by day and turning into a cocktail bar in the evening.
Centrul Vechi - 2Historic beer hall and restaurant
Caru' cu Bere
Beer hall opened in 1899 in a Gothic Revival building on Stavropoleos Street, with Romanian food, its own beer, live music and dancing.
Centrul Vechi - 3Romanian restaurant in a historic inn
Hanu' lui Manuc
Romanian restaurant in the inn built between 1806 and 1808 by Manuc Bei, with an inner courtyard, terrace, music and traditional dancing.
Centrul Vechi - 4Korean barbecue restaurant
Jeonjuu Korean BBQ
Korean restaurant where meat is grilled at the table, with beef bulgogi, bibimbap, Korean fried chicken and cocktails.
Centrul Vechi - 5Rooftop restaurant and bar
Linea / Closer to the Moon
Restaurant and bar on the fifth floor, on the roof of the Victoria department store building, with views over the Old Town and an international menu of pasta, burgers and meat dishes.
Calea Victoriei
Where to stay in Centrul Vechi
Places to sleep well, picked for comfort and location.
- 15-star hotel in a bank palace
The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection
5-star hotel in the former Marmorosch Blank Bank palace, built between 1915 and 1923, with a restaurant, a bar in the bank's old vault and a spa with an indoor pool.
Centrul Vechi - 2Historic 5-star hotel
Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard
5-star hotel in the former Grand Hôtel du Boulevard, opened in the 1870s on the corner of Calea Victoriei and Regina Elisabeta Boulevard and reopened in 2025 after a long restoration.
Calea Victoriei - 33-star boutique hotel
Vilacrosse Boutique Inn
Small 3-star hotel in the Macca-Villacrosse Passage, the glass-roofed arcade of 1891, with colourful rooms, large bathrooms and a free minibar.
Pasajul Macca-Villacrosse - 44-star boutique hotel
The Mansion Boutique Hotel
4-star boutique hotel in a late-19th-century house on Franceză Street, with each room decorated in a different style and an Italian restaurant on the ground floor.
Centrul Vechi - 54-star hotel
Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town
4-star Hilton hotel in a former bank headquarters from the first half of the 20th century on Doamnei Street, with a restaurant and gym.
Centrul Vechi
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Centrul Vechi?
We recommend Mănăstirea Stavropoleos (brâncovenesc-style church of 1724, Centrul Vechi): It is a category A listed monument and holds 4.8 on Google from more than 6,500 reviews. Other picks: Muzeul Național de Istorie a României, Curtea Veche: Biserica Buna Vestire și ruinele Curții Domnești, Cărturești Carusel and Palatul Suțu – Muzeul Municipiului București.
Where to eat in Centrul Vechi?
We recommend Origo Coffee (specialty coffee shop and bar, Centrul Vechi): It won 'Best Coffee Shop' at the Romanian Hospitality Awards 2026, an award it has taken at every edition since 2018, and has 4.7 on Google from more than 5,000 reviews. Other picks: Caru' cu Bere, Hanu' lui Manuc, Jeonjuu Korean BBQ and Linea / Closer to the Moon.
Where to stay in Centrul Vechi?
We recommend The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection (5-star hotel in a bank palace, Centrul Vechi): It holds 9.2 on Booking from more than 4,000 reviews, and the building is a category A listed monument. Other picks: Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, Vilacrosse Boutique Inn, The Mansion Boutique Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town.
How do you choose the places?
For each category we pick at most five places and check them: they exist, they are open and they are worth the trip. We take no money to list a place.