Cotroceni Palace
București · Muntenia
About Cotroceni Palace
Cotroceni Hill entered history in 1679, when Prince Șerban Cantacuzino founded a monastery here, on the edge of the Vlăsia forests, with a church and princely houses. Two centuries later Barbu Știrbei and then Alexandru Ioan Cuza used the old houses as a summer residence, and in 1893–1895 the Romanian state built a palace on the site for Crown Prince Ferdinand, to plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau.
It was Queen Marie who gave the palace the look it has today. Between 1915 and 1926 the architect Grigore Cerchez rebuilt the north wing in the Neo-Romanian style, with loggias, pavilions and the great reception hall, while the queen furnished her apartments to her own taste, mixing Art Nouveau, Byzantine motifs and an entire room carved in wood in the Norwegian style. It was also here, at the Crown Council of August 1916, that Romania decided to enter the First World War.
After 1949 the palace became the Pioneers' Palace and later a state guest house; the 1977 earthquake damaged it badly, and the rebuilding that followed added a new wing, today's seat of the Presidential Administration. In 1984 Șerban Cantacuzino's church was demolished on Ceaușescu's orders; it was rebuilt after 1989 on its old foundations. The museum opened on 27 December 1991, in the old wing of the palace.
What you can see
The museum route climbs from the hall of honour, with its marble staircase and stained glass, to the royal apartments upstairs: Carol I's German dining room, the hunting trophy room, the flower room with its Steinway piano, Ferdinand's library with an inner staircase up to the book gallery, the oriental salon and Queen Marie's silver bedroom. The great reception hall, with its chandeliers and portraits of the sovereigns, is the centrepiece of the Cerchez wing.
The cellars and the inner courtyard keep traces of the monastery: the church rebuilt on its old foundations, and the vaulted hall of the old kitchen. At weekends the route extends into the Presidency's state rooms — the Union Hall, the Basarab Gallery and the Concert Hall — which are closed to the public during the week.
Good to know
The palace is the residence of the President of Romania: you enter only with an original identity document (ID card or passport), you pass through a security check, and guided tours are available only by prior booking, by phone or e-mail. There are no guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays.
- King Ferdinand's library, with the wooden inner staircase climbing to the book gallery.
- Queen Marie's silver bedroom and her Norwegian room, carved entirely in wood.
- The great reception hall of the Cerchez wing, with its crystal chandeliers and the portraits of Ferdinand and Marie.
- Șerban Cantacuzino's rebuilt church and the vaulted cellars of the old monastery.
- At weekends, the Union Hall and the Basarab Gallery in the presidential wing.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the palace is in western Bucharest, between the Botanical Garden and Piața Leu, ~4 km from Piața Unirii. From the centre, take Splaiul Independenței or Bulevardul Eroilor to Șoseaua Cotroceni; the visitors' gate is on Șoseaua Cotroceni, opposite the Botanical Garden (the museum gate, Tuesday to Friday and at weekends).
Public transport: metro to Eroilor (M1, M3) or Politehnica (M3), then a ~10-minute walk along Bulevardul Eroilor or Șoseaua Cotroceni. STB trams and buses also run along Șoseaua Cotroceni and Bulevardul Geniului.
- Where to park
The museum has no visitor car park, and cars are not allowed into the presidential grounds. The nearest spaces are on the street, around Piața Leu and on Bulevardul Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Marinescu; check the parking rules (paid in most areas). The easiest way to come is by metro.
- Fees & discounts
Tuesday to Friday: self-guided visit 50 lei, guided tour (RO, EN, FR, IT, SP, GER, by prior booking) 70 lei, temporary exhibitions only 20 lei. Saturday and Sunday: self-guided visit of the museum + Presidential Administration 70 lei. Pupils and students pay 25% of the price, pensioners 50%. Free for pre-school children, people with disabilities, war veterans and ICOM members. On Wednesdays from 15:30 there are themed guided tours (the monastery and the church; the decorative universe) for 40 lei. Photography with a personal camera is free. Tickets are also sold online (with a booking fee).
- Rules
Entry is only with an original identity document (ID card or passport), checked at the gate, and after a security screening. Guided tours are available only by prior booking, by phone or e-mail (vizitare@muzeulcotroceni.ro), Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00; a tour takes at most 50 people. There are no guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays. Photography with a personal camera is allowed; filming and professional photography require a fee and prior approval.
- Facilities
Toilets · museum shop · guided tours in Romanian, English, French, Italian, Spanish and German, by booking · online tickets · historic building with stairs — limited wheelchair access, ask in advance at vizitare@muzeulcotroceni.ro
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