Discover the Best 10 Museums in Bucharest – Your Ultimate Romania Guide

National Museum Hungary Budapest

National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest - Museums in Bucharest
National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest

The National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) is in one wing – a glass one- of the grotesque epitome of what was Ceauşescu’s oversized ego, the Palace of the Parliament. It’s one of  the best known museums in Bucharest.

The Palace, built in the 1980s, and with its 1,100 rooms varying in size from 100 to 2,600 m2, is the largest building in Europe and the second-largest in the world. The museum opened in 2004 and has since attracted attention with a string of controversial exhibitions.

Kalinderu MediaLab, dedicated to experimental art, is also part of the museum.

Address 2-4 Izvor, Wing E-4, Bucharest

Zambaccian Museum Bucharest

Zambaccian Museum Bucharest
Zambaccian Museum Bucharest

The Zambaccian is an art museum in what was once the private home of the Romanian businessman and art collector Krikor Zambaccian (1889-1962).

He left his impressive art collection to the city with the condition that the collection would be exhibited in his house and in the way that he had stipulated.

The building opened its doors as a museum in 1947, but closed down for several years in 1977, during the Ceausescu regime. The earthquake of 1977 also damaged the building, and it opened up for visitors again only in 1992.

Along with works by Romanian artists, the museum features pieces by Cezanne, Renoir, Delacroix, Corot, Derain, Matisse, Pissaro, Bonnard and Picasso.

Address Str. Zambaccian 21, Bucharest

Theodor Pallady Museum in Bucharest

Theodor Pallady Museum Bucharest
Theodor Pallady Museum Bucharest

The museum for the Romanian painter Theodor Pallady (1871-1956), is in the oldest building in Bucharest. A wealthy Armenian merchant built it in 1750. Pallady was one of the most influential Romanian painters of the 20th century. His signature is a mixture of styles that he had adopted throughout his career – from the renaissance to symbolism, from impressionism to cubism.

Henri Matisse was in his circle of friends during their student days in Paris, and the two ended up having a life-long friendship.

Although the small museum has only six of Pallady’s paintings, its interior – featuring original veiling paintings and old wooden floors – adds a healthy dose of authentic charm.

Address Str. Spatarului 22, Bucharest

 

 

Museum of the Romanian Peasant Bucharest

Museum of the Romanian peasant Bucharest
Museum of the Romanian peasant Bucharest

Housed in a red-brick building built in the Neo-Romanian style in 1912, the museum is one of the most beautiful museums in Bucharest.

Within you’ll find a well-executed recounting of the story of the Romanian peasant, spanning over four centuries in length.

Alongside traditional clothing and folk costumes, there are examples of pottery, reconstructions of the inside of a peasant’s house, religious icons, and hand-painted Easter eggs featuring motifs from Romanian folklore.

Address Sos. Kiseleff 3, Bucharest

Theodor Aman Museum in Bucharest

Thedor Aman Museum Bucharest
Theodor Aman Museum Bucharest

The house of the Romanian painter Theodor Aman was the first private home in Bucharest transformed into a museum. After studying in Paris, Aman returned to Romania. He not only became one of the country’s most famous artists but also founded the School of Fine Arts – the first of its kind in Romania. Aman was the institution’s director and a lecturer for 25 years.

A small house built in the Neo-Classical style, Aman’s house is a real architectural gem. Many sculptures cover the facade, depicting scenes from classical mythology, inspired, in part by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

The inside of the house features vignettes sourced from Romanian history. Aman designed all the building’s decorative elements by himself. He believed that one of the artist’s duties is to educate the people. Aman bequeathed his home to the city, as a vivid tribute to his life and times.

Address 1, Strata C.A. Rosetti, Bucharest

Romanian National Art Museum Bucharest

National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest
National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest

Romania’s National Art Museum in Bucharest is in what was once the Royal Palace, built over ten years and designed by the Romanian architect N. Nenciulescu. After the fall of the monarchy, the building became the National Art Museum.

The museum’s permanent exhibitions cover three galleries. The European Art Gallery, the Modern Art Gallery, and the Romanian Medieval Art Gallery. The latter is the pride of the museum, and definitely worth seeing. Alongside examples of medieval textiles and manuscripts, there is a separate section featuring icon paintings and frescoes.

Address Calea Victoriei 49-53, Bucharest

George Enescu Museum in Bucharest

Catacuzino Palace - Bucharest
Catacuzino Palace – Bucharest

The Cantacuzino Palace which now houses the museum dedicated to the renowned Romanian composer and violinist, George Enescu – is one of the most extravagant buildings in Bucharest. Romania’s prime minister Grigore Cantacuzino commissioned the building.

As Cantacuzino was also one of the richest men in the country, he wished to go down in history as having the most elegant houses in Bucharest.

The building’s architecture is an excellent example of French eclecticism. Neo-Classical architecture with elements of Art Nouveau mixed in. Two majestic lions guard the abode’s massive, wrought-iron doors. Enecsu’s most famous work is his “Romanian Rhapsodies”, and in Paris, he received the French National Order of the Legion of Honor.

Address Calea Victoriei 141, Bucharest

Romanian Kitsch Museum

Romanian Kitsch Museum Bucharest
Romanian Kitsch Museum Bucharest

The Romanian Kitsch Museum has opened its doors in Bucharest, conceived to showcase some of the country’s quirkier designs.

What does Dracula have in common with glassfish, garish wall carpets, and plastic remote control covers? They’re all items of Romanian kitsch, according to Christian Lica, a former advertising executive who has opened the Romanian Kitsch Museum in Bucharest’s historic center.

The museum has more than 200 items. See sequined stilettos and clown decorations, split into sections including Dracula kitsch, interior design, modern kitsch, and make-your-own kitsch.

The whole thing has a very tangible sense of humor – from the fake testimonials on the website to the museum signs encouraging people to take photos. The interior design section is like a how-to of questionable taste: from plastic fruit and flowers to ornaments, doilies, and aquarium lamps.

Address Strada Covaci 6, Bucharest

Museum Of Recent Art Bucharest

Museum of Recent Art Bucharest
Museum of Recent Art Bucharest

The 1,200 m² space of the Museum of Recent Art is set in the former residence of communist leader and foreign affairs minister Ana Pauker, which has been given a modern makeover. The 1930’s villa now sports a black concrete facade and a glass atrium.

Inside, walls are hung with a permanent collection of over 120 works by Romanian artists. These date from 1965 onward, when the Communist Party started prescribing diversity in the arts, thereby giving rise to new ideas and techniques.

At MARe, you’ll discover everything from abstract expressionism to neo-constructivism and minimalism. There are temporary exhibitions too.

Address Bulevardul Primăverii 15, Bucharest

National Military Museum Bucharest

National Military Museum Bucharest
National Military Museum Bucharest

The National Military Museum is from 1923 following a decree issued by King Ferdinand (today the museum bears the name of King Ferdinand). It provides a comprehensive insight into the history of the Romanian people from a military perspective, with an impressive collection patrimony which amounts to some 1,300,000 exhibits.

A significant part of the first patrimony, enriched in time with sundry additions, was damaged and lost in the course of the history of the museum.

But the present collections, divided according to the themes, feature a range of military uniforms, weapons (including firearms), flags, medals, and the like. The collections can be studied either from a chronological perspective or from the point of view of the military domains: infantry, cavalry, air force, marine.

Given the wealth of exhibits impossible to display on the limited surface filled by the museum, the collections rotate. The Ministry of National Defense of Romania manages the museum.

Address 125-127, Strada Mircea Vulcănescu, Bucharest

 

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2 responses to “Discover the Best 10 Museums in Bucharest – Your Ultimate Romania Guide”

  1. Awesome list! We live in Budapest but haven’t done many museums yet. Will bookmark this for the winter!

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