Lipscani - historiske bymidte

This listing actually refers to Lipscani and the Old Town of Bucharest, the historic core of the city, only with its label rendered in a foreign language, Danish. Beyond the odd name, this is the oldest and liveliest part of the capital, a network of pedestrian streets dotted with terraces, bars, shops, cafes, old churches and period buildings, many restored in recent years.

The name Lipscani comes from the merchants who brought goods from Leipzig (Lipsca, in the old usage), a sign of the area's centuries-old commercial vocation, where each street once bore the name of a guild. Today, by day, you stroll among restored facades and cafes, while by night the district turns into one of the most animated places to go out in the city. Among the lanes hide the Old Princely Court, Manuc's Inn, the Stavropoleos Church and several other churches, witnesses to a Bucharest hundreds of years old.

Good to know

• It is a pedestrian zone: best explored on foot, unhurried, letting the side streets and the architectural details carry you along.
• Many of the historic attractions and most of the central clubs and bars are concentrated here, which makes it the epicentre of nightlife.
• The nearest metro station is Piața Unirii or Universitate, both just a few steps away.

To truly feel Bucharest, the Old Town is where any honest exploration of the city begins, whatever label you find it listed under.