conference engleza_Layout 1

Dear reader,
it is a pleasure to welcome you in Bucharest, Romania, on the occasion of the
dedicated Conference organized by our
association on the occasion of its 20th
anniversary on 13 May 2010 in Bucharest.
Bucharest is not only the capital of
Romania but also its biggest commercial
and industrial center and the third capital
in the South – Eastern part of Europe,
after Istanbul and Athens.
Following its size, nowadays it is the sixth
European capital in the European Union.
URTP Conference venue is
Bus 783 has two terminals: Henri Coanda
airport (underground) and Piata Unirii
square.
For Capital Plaza Hotel you have to get off
at Piata Victoriei square stop (following
„Docentilor“ stop).
For this transfer you need about one hour
at peak hours and 45 minutes off peak
hours.
Prices
You can buy a return ticket with 7.00RON
(less than 2 euros) until 20.30 on Saturday
and Sunday and until 21.00 from Monday
to Friday, from a kiosk next to the bus
stop.
Taxi is another option
Fly Taxi is the most comfortable but the
most expensive one among the other public companies such as Cris Taxi,
Cobalcescu, Meridian, Taxi 2000, Taxi
Leone.
Look for public taxi only, whose charge is
marked on themselves 1.39 to
1.69RON/km, and avoid private taxis who
offer to transfer you for much more
money!
Transfers from the Central
Railway Station GARA DE NORD
You have at least two alternatives:
By metro, using M1 line from Gara de
Nord to Piata Victoriei.
For further information you can visit
http://www.harta-bucuresti.com/harta.
metrou.bucuresti/index.htm.
You can buy a return ticket with 2.5 RON
(about 50 euro cents) at every metro
station.
Metro network is functional starting with
05.00 until 23.30.
By surface public transport: either bus
133 or trolleybus 86 to Piata Romana
stop.
You can buy a one way ticket with 1.3RON
(about 30euro cents) from a kiosk next to
most stops.
For further information you can access
http://www.miculparis.ro/utile/diverse/
harti.html
Taxi is also an option.
Local transport in Bucharest by metro
Capital Plaza Hotel
http://www.capitalplaza.ro,
10 minutes walk from Piata Victoriei
square (see the map on page 4).
Transfers from Henri Coanda and
Baneasa airports to the city
center
The best way to get to the center of
Bucharest is by bus service 783 line (every
20 minutes).
The city center of
Bucharest is located
between Piata
Victoriei and Piata
Unirii (3 metro
stations). The most
suitable transport
mean is Metro
network (M2 line)
Walking is also an
option for those who
prefer to walk about
3kms and have a
look around.
Tickets payments can be done only in RON (Romanian currency)
Bucharest – the little Paris of Eastern Europe
The following pages and the attached map
(page 4) are offering participants, mainly
those who intend to enjoy a week end in
Bucharest, some info about the most important sites worthing to be admired along
this walking tour.
Piata Victoriei square
Calea Victoriei (Victory Road) is among the
most important and old avenues of Bucharest city center. With a length of 2.7kms, it
stretches from Piata Victoriei square to
Piata Unirii square. Its existence is registered (half of its current length) since 1692
with the name of Podul Mogosoaiei Since
XVIII century, a lot of aristocratic houses,
churches, hotels, luxury shops, state institutions, of different architectural styles,
were built on this main road of Bucharest.
It got its current name in October 1878, on
the occasion of the glorious entrance of the
Romanian army in the Independence War,
it got this name and in 1882 the first electric
lightning appeared here and there. Be-
Ateneul Roman (Romanian Athenaeum) is directly connected to
the „Ateneul Roman“ cultural society established in 1865 whose
major objective was to build a real „temple of arts“ designed in
1886 by a team of Romanian architects led by Albert Galeron
(France). Its neo classic style, with many French decorative
elements, hosts a concerts room for about 800 places, in a round
area 28.5m diameter and 16m tall. The total height of the building
is 41m. In 1935 George Enescu, a Romanian composer of
international recognition, supported the building of an organ for
concerts. Four monumental stairs, made of
Carrara marble, lead to
the concerts room access. Besides the music
events, every person can
admire in the concerts
room a pictural ensamble of 75m length and
3m width, painted between 1933 and 1938,
and representing „the
open book of national
history for those who
look at it“.
Ateneul Roman has
been hosting (since
1958) the George Enescu
Festival, an international competition dedicated to classic music
compositions. Famous
names, such as Lord
Yehudi Menuhin, David
Oistrach,
Sviatoslav
Richter, Herbert von
Karajan, made this event appreciated worldwide. The 19th edition
took place in September 2009 and all tickets had been sold before
the event even began.
tween 1980 and 1990 its name changed
into Calea Victoriei Socialismului. Nowadays many large and luxurious Hotels in
Bucharest, Casinos, Romtelecom, etc. However, important old buildings can be
admired as a proof of its historical glory.
Piata Revolutiei square
Muzeul de arta (Arts Museum)
1837-1949 The Royal
Palace, hosting different Romanian kings
and princes, went
through a fire (1926), a
massive air raid (1944)
when it was partly destroyed.
1950 the National Gallery of famous Romanian
artists/painters was officially inaugurated, then extended
with a Foreign Art Gallery.
1961 completely rebuilt, remaining open to visitors until
1989, when the palace was caught in the crossfire of
December events and over 1000 works of art were badly
damaged, some completely destroyed.
1990 – 2000 Museum is closed to the public, undergoing
extensive restauration.
2000 The Gallery of European Art is the first to reopen for
visitors. The gallery of Romanian Modern and Medieval Art
followed in 2001 and 2002.
Biserica Cretulescu (Cretulescu Church)
It is considered one of the most
valuable architectural monuments built in 1720-1722 with
a lithe tower and a steeple
above the ante temple.
Both are endowed with long
and narrow windows, emphasizing its verticality.
The entrance is assured by an
open porch reinforced by high
stone columns.
Originally, its external walls were plastered up but during
its restoration in 1935-1936, they remained in face bricks.
The picture on the porch is original, made by the Romanian
painter Gheorghe Tattarescu during 1859 – 1860.
This Church was restored following the earthquakes in 1940
and 1977 and the events in December 1989.
Bucharest – the little Paris of Eastern Europe
Biblioteca Centrala Universitara
(Central Universitary Library)
This building was finalized and
inaugurated in 1895 on the place
bought by king Carol I and designed
by the French architect Paul
Gottereau. The extension of the
building started in 1911 and
finished in 1914. More than 500.000
volumes, unique maps and almost 3.700 manuscripts were
destroyed during the events in December 1989.
Starting with 1990, under UNESCO aegis, the whole building was
reconstructed and modernized.
In 2001 the official reopening was done.
Considering the quality of the events hosted here, the audience is
continuously increasing.
The last theatrical session (2008-2009) registered an audience of
more than 150.000 persons, representing an increase of about 25%
comparing with the previous session.
Palatul Cercul Militar National (National Military Palace)
It was built in
1912 as a central institution
of culture for
the Romanian
Army, hosting
cultural,
artistic, entertaining, protocol
activities. The
Palace was designed
by
Romanian architects and the necessary funds (80%) came from
army officers donations, subscriptions and fees.
The other 20% came from the state and reimbursement loans.
During 1948-1989 the Palace changed its name into „Casa Centrala
a Armatei“ (Central House of Army) and since 1990 got back to the
name of National Military Palace.
The University of Architecture
„Ion Mincu“ built in October
1864. In 1952 it became an
independent institution, not
as part of other universities
(Politehnica University - 1938,
when a department for
urbanism issues was established, University Constructions – 1949).
Piata Universitatii square
Teatrul National I.L. Caragiale (National Theatre)
was inaugurated in
December
1973
based on an original
project whose works
took almost 10
years.
The architectural
shape of the building was initially
that of a „hat“
which was a symbol
until 1978 when,
after a fire, Ceausescu asked for its reconstruction.
The three houses (Big House, Small House and Atelier) are hosting
not only plays but also lectures by famous personalities of
Romanian culture on different topics.
Around Piata Universitatii square you may also admire other
important buildings such as:
Intercontinental Hotel is the
first 5* Hotel in Romania,
built about 50 years ago, and
the highest (80m) building
until 1987.
Coltea Hospital is the first
Hospital in Bucharest, built in
1704 initially for pour people
and as a first medical education, especially as a micro
surgery school.
The Museum of Bucharest
(Sutu Palace)
Sutu Palace
(located at I.
C. Bratianu
avenue) was
built in 18331834
and
became a
Museum of
the Bucharest Municipality in 1959, hosting almost 400.000 representative objects coming
from archeological research, donations and acquisitions.
In 2009 it is celebrating 50 years of its existence at this location.
This museum was established in 1921 at another address in
Bucharest. It was at Calea Victoriei no. 117, in Moruzzi house,
starting with a collection of only 4.000 pieces of art.
From Piata Universitatii to Piata Unirii square you can either walk
about 15 minutes or take the Metro (M1) for only one station.
Bucharest – the little Paris of Eastern Europe
Palace of Justice
is situated on
Dambovita“s
right bank river
and it was built
between 18901895.
The building facades
have
influenced the surrounding area urbanism and the
central part is bult in a French renaissance style.
Statues from the main entrance symbolize Law, Fairness,
Justice, Truth, Force and Prudence.
Recurrent earthquakes and fragile soil in that area as well
leaded to numerous consolidations, the last one having
been finalized in September 2006.
Piata Unirii square
The Parliament Palace
is probably the most attractive objective to be visited
(daily during 10.00 to15.00 - last entry).
Its construction started in 1983 and ended in 1989, based
on probably the most disputed project in Romania. Its
surface is of about 330,000 sqm, being the second large
building in the world (surface area covered) and the third
based on its volume.
It“s volume is exceeding Keops pyramids with about 2%.
The idea of building this Palace came to Ceausescu after
a visit in North Coreea and following the earthquake in
1977 when he decided to „rebuild“ Bucharest as a new
modern city.
Among the buildings which had to be demolished:
Brancoveanu Hospital, National archives, Republica
Stadium, Vacaresti Monastery and very many houses.
In 1989 the overall costs were estimated to 1.75 billion
dollars and in 2006 to about 2 billion Euro.
200 architects and about 20,000 workers were involved
in this building achievement of 270 m length, 245 m
width, 86 m height above ground floor and 92 m
underground.
Caru cu bere restaurant
Is the location for the dinner on
5th November 2009. Caru cu
bere is a living legend and also
among the oldest breweries in
Bucharest. Its current location
is dated 1899. This brewery is
among the very few locations
full of tradition, where almost
nothing changed, its architecture attesting the reason Bucharest was once
considered „little Paris“. Mural paintings, stained glass windows and
carved banisters are distinctive elements of this old brewery. The spirit of
old times parties is very much alive, reminding of Bucharest“s buoyancy
of early XX century. In 1930 a wine cellar was open, as well as a hunting
saloon and wines. While admiring an impressive museum of paintings
whose history starts with Babylonian times and reaches modern days, you
can enjoy a carafe of good wine. In the old days „Caru cu bere“ was often
visited by famous Romanian writers as part of literary circles initiated by
our great poet George Cosbuc. For further information visit
http://www.carucubere.ro/CarucubereContactMap/CarucubereContactMap.html
Henri Coanda
and Baneasa
airpor ts
Capital
Plaza
Hotel
Piata
Unirii