Bellu Cemetery
About Bellu Cemetery
Șerban Vodă Cemetery, known to Bucharest residents as Bellu Cemetery, is the largest cemetery in Bucharest, covering 28 hectares south of the centre, on Eroii Revoluției Square. Work began in 1853 on the site of a former garden that had belonged to the Bellu family and gave the place its name; from 1859, when the city moved burials out of church yards, the first dead were brought here. Since 1862 the cemetery has been in the care of the Municipality.
From the first years, boyar families, politicians and people of culture took plots here, so today Bellu is also a necropolis of Romanian culture. Among many others, Mihai Eminescu, Ion Luca Caragiale, Nichita Stănescu and Maria Tănase are buried here. The ensemble is a listed historic monument (LMI code B-IV-a-B-20118), and many of the funerary monuments are also listed individually, some of national importance.
What you can see
You enter through the monumental gate on Calea Șerban Vodă, with its bas-relief, sculpted angels and the inscription "Fericirea cerească, gloria pământească" ("heavenly bliss, earthly glory"), and walk towards the chapel, a domed building with light-coloured facades, around which the cemetery's avenues open out. Among old trees stand family vaults, funerary sculptures, stone crosses and mausoleums in styles from Neoclassical to Neo-Romanian, some signed by well-known architects. It is worth a leisurely walk along the side avenues, as through an open-air museum, and a stop at the Artists' Alley.
Good to know
It is a working cemetery: keep away from services and funerals and keep quiet. Close by are the Catholic, the Evangelical Lutheran and the Sephardic Jewish cemeteries, which are separate cemeteries.
Information verified on 26 October 2026.
- The monumental gate on Calea Șerban Vodă, with its bas-relief, sculpted angels and the inscription "Fericirea cerească, gloria pământească".
- The domed chapel in the centre of the cemetery, around which the main avenues open out.
- The graves of Mihai Eminescu and Ion Luca Caragiale, among the funerary monuments listed as being of national importance.
- The Artists' Alley, the section where actors, musicians and writers are buried.
- The avenues shaded by old trees, with family vaults, funerary sculptures and stone crosses from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: The cemetery is in the south of the city, at the junction of Calea Șerban Vodă with Șoseaua Giurgiului and Șoseaua Olteniței, ~3 km from Piața Unirii (~5 minutes), ~6.5 km from Gara de Nord (~10 minutes) and ~22 km from Otopeni Airport (~30 minutes, depending on traffic). The main gate is on Calea Șerban Vodă, at no. 249.
Public transport: metro to Eroii Revoluției station, ~150 m from the gate; tram and bus lines also stop on Eroii Revoluției Square.
- Where to park
On the streets around the square spaces are few and fill up quickly on days with many visits, for example on religious holidays. The simplest option is to come by metro.
- Fees & discounts
There is no charge to enter the cemetery. Guided tours organised from time to time by cultural associations are paid separately, at each organiser's rate.
- Rules
It is a place of reflection and a working cemetery: keep quiet, dress modestly, no food, no walking on graves and no climbing on monuments. During services and funerals keep your distance, and do not photograph ceremonies. Photograph graves discreetly, without disturbing families visiting the cemetery.
- Facilities
Chapel and administration office on the grounds
Frequently asked questions about Bellu Cemetery
- How much is a ticket to Bellu Cemetery?
- Admission to Bellu Cemetery is free (free entry). There is no charge to enter the cemetery. Guided tours organised from time to time by cultural associations are paid separately, at each organiser's rate.
- What are the opening hours of Bellu Cemetery?
- Opening hours at Bellu Cemetery: daily 07:00 – 20:00. Visiting hours: 1 April – 30 September 07:00–20:00 (the hours in the table), 1 October – 31 March 08:00–17:00, every day. The administration office has different public hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 07:00–15:00, Thursday 08:00–18:00, Saturday 09:00–14:00.
- How long does a visit to Bellu Cemetery take?
- A visit to Bellu Cemetery takes about 1 – 1½ hours (1–2 hours, depending on how many avenues you walk).
- Can you visit Bellu Cemetery with kids?
- Yes, Bellu Cemetery is suitable for children (a quiet walk).
- Where can I park at Bellu Cemetery?
- There is paid parking at Bellu Cemetery (on the surrounding streets). On the streets around the square spaces are few and fill up quickly on days with many visits, for example on religious holidays. The simplest option is to come by metro.
- How do I get to Bellu Cemetery?
- Bellu Cemetery is located at Calea Șerban Vodă 249, sector 4, on Eroii Revoluției Square, București. By car: The cemetery is in the south of the city, at the junction of Calea Șerban Vodă with Șoseaua Giurgiului and Șoseaua Olteniței, ~3 km from Piața Unirii (~5 minutes), ~6.5 km from Gara de Nord (~10 minutes) and ~22 km from Otopeni Airport (~30 minutes, depending on traffic). The main gate is on Calea Șerban Vodă, at no. 249. Public transport: metro to Eroii Revoluției station, ~150 m from the gate; tram and bus lines also stop on Eroii Revoluției Square.
- When is the best time to visit Bellu Cemetery?
- The best season for Bellu Cemetery: All year round (spring and autumn).
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