Central area · Centru

Old Town (Lipscani)

Bucharest's historic core: cobbled streets, terraces, hidden passages and nightlife between Lipscani, Stavropoleos and the Old Princely Court.

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Attractions 16 Restaurants 19 Stays 8 Clubs & nightlife 18

About Old Town (Lipscani)

The Old Town, which everyone simply calls Lipscani, is where Bucharest shows its layers. Medieval merchants set up their stalls here — the very name Lipscani comes from the traders who brought goods from Leipzig — Vlad the Impaler raised the Old Princely Court on this ground, and today the same web of narrow streets is packed with cafés, second-hand bookshops, bars and terraces that rarely close before dawn. After decades of neglect, much of the quarter was restored and pedestrianised, and it has become the most visited part of the city.

You don't explore this quarter with a map in hand; you wander. Turn down one alley and you stumble onto the Macca-Vilacrosse Passage, a fork-shaped former banking arcade with its distinctive yellow glass roof; walk a little further and you reach Hanul lui Manuc, the only commercial inn in the Balkans preserved almost intact, its wooden galleries wrapped around a courtyard where people still linger over coffee much as they did two centuries ago. The streets themselves — Lipscani, Gabroveni, Smârdan, Covaci — each carry the name of the old trades or merchants who once worked them.

What to see

Stavropoleos Church, a Brâncovenesc gem from 1724 with a small courtyard full of old tombstones and carved stone
The Old Princely Court (Curtea Veche) and the statue of Vlad the Impaler, traces of the city's first royal residence
The Macca-Vilacrosse Passage, a former banking arcade now lined with cafés
Hanul lui Manuc, worth it for the architecture and the mood alone

The vibe

By day the area is easy-going and photogenic, ideal for a slow coffee and a wander. By night it transforms: the terraces fill, music spills into the streets, and the clubs and bars along Lipscani and Gabroveni keep going late. It is the liveliest stretch of the city, and also the most crowded — and, frankly, the most touristy — so pick your hour to match your mood: calm in the morning, buzz after dark.

Getting there

The metro is the simplest option; Piața Unirii station sits a short walk to the south. Check the metro map or your public transport choices. Leave the car at home, since the streets are pedestrian and parking is a nightmare. For food ideas, browse the nearby restaurants, and for landmarks see the central attractions.

Old Town (Lipscani)

Attractions

16 places

Attraction4.9(108)

Interesting Times Bureau

Strada Smârdan 15, 030167 București

Old Town (Lipscani)

What to see

The vibe

Getting there

Attractions

Interesting Times Bureau

Walkabout Free Tour - Story of Bucharest

Cărturești Carusel

Biserica Mănăstirii "Stavropoleos"

Catedrala Patriarhală din București

Palatul Pinacotecii

Muzeul Băncii Naționale

Casa de Economii și Consemnațiuni

Lipscani - historiske bymidte

Piața Universității

Templul "Coral"

Muzeul Național de Istorie a României

Old Town

Pasajul Macca - Villacrosse

Hanul lui Manuc

Curtea Veche

Restaurants

Bottega Leon

Il Tagliere Ristorante italiano, Aperitivi, Bar.

Picnic Sandwich Atelier

SUBURA BISTRO

Restaurant TOKA

Sam's Fusion Cuisine

LITTLE NEW YORK

Jeonjuu

naive

Le Bab Downtown

Restaurant Hanu' lui Manuc

Caru' cu Bere

Bazaar

Opia Bucharest

Freddo Garden

Le Dôme

Nomad Skybar

Les Bourgeois

Old Habits

Stays

Matisse Bucharest Old Town

Hotel La Bohème Casa Oprea Soare

The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection

Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town

Moxy Bucharest Old Town

Old Town Boutique Hotel Bucharest - Hotel Centru Vechi București

Hotel Forty One

Liad Hotel

Clubs & nightlife

El Dictador

Limoncello Club

Linea | Closer To The Moon

Opia Bucharest

Mojo

Freddo Garden

St. Patrick Irish Pub - Berarie & Sports Bar

Shoteria

Interbelic

True Club

Club Bound

The Drunken Lords

#ALTFEL

Gilda Music Lounge

The Vintage

Freddo

Old Habits

El Comandante

Tours & activities in Old Town (Lipscani)

Everything you need to get there

Frequently asked questions

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