Biserica Kretzulescu

Kretzulescu Church is one of the most graceful churches in central Bucharest, built in the early 18th century, around 1722, by the chancellor Iordache Crețulescu and his wife Safta, daughter of the ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu. It is built in the Brâncovenesc style, that elegant architectural language blending Byzantine, Baroque and local influences. It stands right beside the Romanian Athenaeum and the Royal Palace, on Calea Victoriei, making it impossible to miss for anyone walking through Revolution Square.

Its arcaded porch with carved columns, exposed brick and restored exterior fresco give it a distinctive air, warmer and more human than the monumental buildings around it. The interior, small and intimate, preserves valuable mural painting, partly signed by Gheorghe Tattarescu. The church survived, almost miraculously, the communist systematisation that brutally reshaped the area and demolished many places of worship, and it remains a place of quiet reflection amid the noisy centre.

Good to know

• Entry is usually free; as an active place of worship, keep quiet and dress modestly.
• It sits a few steps from the other attractions around Revolution Square and from Calea Victoriei in the central districts.
• The nearest metro is in the central area, a short walk away.

A brief stop, but one that shows how beautiful old Romanian architecture can be, even squeezed between far larger and far noisier buildings.