Old Town

The Old Town, known in Romanian as Centrul Vechi, is the historic heart of Bucharest, the area from which the city grew over the centuries, ever since the court of the rulers of Wallachia stood here. It is a maze of pedestrian streets, many cobbled, where period buildings, old churches and inns stand alongside bars, restaurants and shops. By day it has a weathered charm, full of architectural detail and contrasts; by night it becomes the epicentre of the capital's nightlife, with terraces full late into the evening.

Here you find some of the most important landmarks of the old city: the Old Princely Court with its ruins, Manuc's Inn, one of the most picturesque courtyards, and churches such as Stavropoleos, small jewels hidden among the lanes, with carved porches and old icons. The contrast between the calm of a church and the buzz of a terrace a few metres away is the very essence of this district, where the sacred and the worldly coexist naturally.

Good to know

• Explore on foot, unhurried; get deliberately lost on side streets to find the prettiest corners and the lesser-known facades.
• In the evening, most of the city's clubs and bars are concentrated here, so the area becomes very lively.
• For orientation, see the area's attractions and use Piața Unirii or Universitate metro station, both close by.

Whatever else you visit in Bucharest, a walk through the Old Town is all but essential, as it is where the city shows its layers of history most clearly.