Situated in the very center of Bucharest from Unique Hotel you can easily reach the main city sights: National Art Museum (Royal Palace), Romanian Athenaeum, George Enescu Museum, Casa Stork Museum, Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Additional nearby points of interest include National Theatre, Cismigiu Garden, Herastrau Park, Cotroceni Palace, Village Museum.
The hotel is within walking distance to Historical Center, Lipscani street, Casa Poporului (The people’s house, largest building in Europe and second largest in the world after Pentagon building), and Piata Victoriei the Government Palace.
Evening time can be spent at Unique’s cafe-bar or very close at several Clubs, Restaurants, Casinos.
The National Museum of Art of Romania having an impressive royal past, at only 5 minutes walking from Unique Hotel, situated on the main Boulevard of Bucharest Calea Victoriei 49 – 53, hosts 3 art galleries. The European Art Gallery, the Romanian Medieval Art Gallery and the Romanian Modern Art Gallery are exhibited in an attractive, modern manner, making a visit to the museum enjoyable and instructive.
Short history of the Palace:
Built between 1812 and 1820 by boyar Dinicu Golescu on the site of the present-day south wing of the Museum.
In 1837 – Wallachian Prince Alexandru Ghica moves his official residence into the Palace from Calea Victoriei.
1859-1866 – Following the Union of the Romanian Principalities of Moldavia and Walachia, Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza uses the house as a ceremonial palace and residence.
1866 – King Carol I of Romania (German Prince Carol (Karl) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) brought in to rule the Romanian Principalities, makes the palace his official residence.
1882-1906 – King Carol I remodels and enlarges the palace. Successively he hires French architect Paul Gottereau and German architect Karl Liman. By 1906 the palace becomes the winter residence of the Royal Court.
1926 – In December, a fire destroys the central part of the palace and the Throne Hall. King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie (granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Alexander II of Russia) start to reconstruct the affected area retaining the original size and decoration of the rooms.
1930-1937 - King Carol II embarks on rebuilding and extending the palace.
1948 – Following the forced abdication of King Michael I in 1947, the Royal Palace is nationalised in June by the communists. It is to be jointly used by two institutions – the Council of Ministers and a National Museum of Art.
1950-1954 – On 20 May 1950, the National Gallery, displaying works by famous Romanian artists, is officially inaugurated.
1989 – During the events in December, which put an end to Ceausescu’s dictatorship and to the communist regime in Romania, the palace is caught in the crossfire.
2000 – After 10 years of restoration The Gallery of European Art is the first to reopen for visitors. The Gallery of Romanian Modern Art and the Gallery of Romanian Medieval Art follow suit in 2001 and 2002.
The National Museum of Art is opened from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:00 – 18:00 hours. The first Wednesday of the month the entrance is free.
