Old Princely Court
Curtea Veche
Remains of the palace of the Wallachian princes, linked to Vlad III, the historical prototype of Dracula, with the city's oldest church beside it.
The Old Princely Court was the seat of the Wallachian princes' court from the 15th to 18th centuries. In 1459, a document issued by Vlad III (Vlad the Impaler, the historical model for Dracula) first mentioned the name 'Bucharest'. Today only underground ruins, remnant walls and a small museum remain, with a bust of Vlad III standing in front. Next door, the Old Princely Court Church (the Church of the Annunciation) was built in 1559 and is Bucharest's oldest surviving church. Its red-and-white brick exterior is distinctive. Entry to the ruins costs a small fee, the church is free, and the site is in the southern part of the Old Town.
Opening hours
About Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Manuc's Inn
- Lipscani Old Town
- Cărturești Carusel
- Stavropoleos Monastery
- Caru' cu Bere
- Macca-Villacrosse Passage
- CEC Palace
- Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral