Bucharest: GO inside, check out some museums

It usually happens that people don't get to visit any museums, maybe because of lack of enough time and hard to pick which one. Here an idea of some place you don't need too much time inside but it for sure super interesting to explore. 

National Museum of Maps and Old Books

Address: Varsovia Strada, Strada Londra 39, Bucuresti, Romania
Opening Hours*: Wednesday - Sunday 10:
Price: 8 RON

"The National Museum of Maps and Old Books, hosted in a beautiful villa from the 1930s, is allegedly the largest cartography museum in Europe. It was founded in 2003 by a private collector who donated over 800 historical maps (the oldest is from 1525), books, paintings, globes, and its collection was later enriched by other donors. " (Source)

Ground Floor 

Upper Floors 

I loved the upper floor not only because of the maps but also because of the furniture and fireplaces which are gorgeous 

The organisation of the space is excellent and it easily keeps you focused throughout your visit. The only thing I missed were the old books. Although when I passed by there was an exhibition of most beautiful book covers of some recent books which I found as a very nice idea.  

Theodor Pallady Museum 

Address: Strada Spatarului 22, Bucuresti 030167, Romania
Opening hours*: Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 - 19:00
Prince: 10 RON

Theodor Pallady (1871 - 1953) was an early Cubist artist widely regarded as Romania's most influential 20th century painter. Schooled in Dresden and Paris, Pallady was influenced by the Symbolist environment of the late 19th century, and his paintings before 1916 contain Symbolist motifs, sometimes with echoes of Moreau and Puvis de Chavannes. Alas the small museum that today bears his name has only six of his paintings, a couple of his sketches and assorted other art. The museum's saving grace is the house in which it is hosted: the oldest in Bucharest. Originally called the Casa Melik, it was built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu. Walk over the enchantingly creaky wooden floors and admire the decorated ceiling. (Source)

Below some of the paintings you can see in the museum 

The Romanian Atheneum  

Address: Str.Franklin nr.1-3, sector 1, Bucuresti
Opening Hours: I would give it a try 
Price: 10 RON

"Possibly the finest building in the city, the Romanian Atheneum, with its sublime baroque cupola, stands proudly at the flux of the city's busiest public square, competing with the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel, the Royal Palace and the old national library for attention. The work of French architect Albert Galleron, who also designed the National Bank of Romania, the building was inaugurated on February 26, 1888, and was built almost entirely with money donated by ordinary citizens of the capital, when a campaign called 'Give a penny for the Atheneum' (Dati un leu pentru Ateneu) rescued the project from folly after the original patrons ran out of funds. Today the seat of the Romanian Philarmonic George Enescu, the auditorium can seat 800 spectators comfortably, and is renowned worldwide for its outstanding acoustics." (Source)

"The Great Fresco, which covers the entire dome, was painted by Costin Petrescu, and given its size (amounting to 75 square meters), it was completed in no less than 5 years (1933 to 1938). The fresco consists of 25 sequences, each of them describing a certain significant episode of the history of the Romanian people." (Source)

And to end with, normally the inside of the Atheneum can be seen only if you go to a concert, but it happens often that they do allow visitors and you can even have the chance to catch a rehearsal. So make sure to give it a try. 

You need about 30-45 min in each, of course depending on your interest you can spend more time in each. Enjoy Bucharest! 

* opening hours & prices can vary, please check the website