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. The construction of this magnificent edifice was supported almost entirely by public donations within a campaign called ‘Give a penny for the Atheneum’ (Dati un leu pentru Ateneu).
Today the seat of the Romanian Philarmonic George Enescu, the auditorium can acommodate 800 spectators comfortably, and is renowned worldwide for its outstanding acoustics.
HOW TO GET THERE
Walking: 2 minutes walk from University Square or Piata Romana via Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei)
Bus: 137, 138, 268 Nicolae Balcescu stop
