Curtea Veche

The Old Princely Court in Bucharest is the cradle of the capital: the remains of the medieval princely palace raised in the 15th century, in the days when Vlad the Impaler consolidated here, on the bank of the Dâmbovița, a fortified residence of the rulers of Wallachia. The earliest documentary mention of Bucharest, from 1459, is bound to this very court, and the brick and stone walls uncovered by archaeologists preserve traces of several building phases, from vaulted cellars to the foundations of ceremonial halls. Beside it stands the Old Court Church, the oldest surviving place of worship in the city, where the rulers were anointed.

The ensemble, turned into an open-air museum, allows a tangible descent into the city's medieval history, right in the heart of the old centre, among the little streets of Lipscani. Practical note: check the schedule, since the site has undergone extensive restoration, and combine the visit with a stroll through the historic centre.