# Curtea Veche Princely Palace [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [București](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/bucuresti) > The ruins of Bucharest's first princely residence, with brick cellars, arches and columns, beside the Curtea Veche Church; the site has been closed to visitors since 2015. **At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in București. The visit takes 10 min. Information verified on 7 November 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** The palace has been closed to visitors since 18 November 2015, for consolidation works. In September 2026 the Bucharest City Hall gave the order to start safety and conservation works, estimated at three months; the actual restoration follows later, as a separate stage. Until it reopens, the ruins can be seen only through the building-site fence, from Strada Franceză. - **Visit duration:** 10 min — seen from the street, through the fence - **Parking:** Yes, paid — paid central zone - **Best season:** All year round — the ruins can be seen all year - **Address:** Strada Franceză 21–23, București - **Coordinates:** 44.43009, 26.10129 - **Website:** https://muzeulbucurestiului.ro/palatul-voievodal-curtea-veche.html - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtea_Veche - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1855757 - **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monuments-and-historic-sites) ## About Curtea Veche Princely Palace The Curtea Veche Princely Palace is what remains of Bucharest's first princely residence, on the bank of the Dâmbovița, between Strada Franceză and Strada Covaci. A document issued by Vlad the Impaler in 1459 mentions the fortress of Bucharest as a princely residence, and the rulers who came after him rebuilt it in turn: Mircea Ciobanul, Matei Basarab, then Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), in whose time the palace and gardens covered some 25,000 square metres. After the rulers moved to the New Court on Dealul Spirii (1775) and the land was put up for auction in 1798, the place was swallowed by the surrounding merchant quarter. Archaeological research begun in 1953 uncovered vaulted cellars, fragments of walls and the foundations of an older residence, and between 1969 and 1974 the ruins were laid out as a museum of the Bucharest Municipality Museum. The museum closed on 18 November 2015. ### What you can see The site is closed and fenced off, so the ruins can be seen only from the street, through the fence: the brick arches of the cellars, high brick walls, and columns and fragments of carved stone. Inside the site stands the bust of Vlad the Impaler, by the sculptor Dumitru Pasima. Next door is the Curtea Veche Church, another attraction on the same street. ### Good to know The palace has been closed to visitors since 18 November 2015. The consolidation works begun in 2018 stopped around 2020, and in September 2026 the Bucharest City Hall gave the order to start safety and conservation works, costing about 2 million lei and expected to last three months. The actual restoration will be a separate stage. ## Don't miss - The brick arches of the palace cellars, with high brick walls above them. - The columns and fragments of carved stone in the site's courtyard. - The bust of Vlad the Impaler, by the sculptor Dumitru Pasima. - The Curtea Veche Church right next door, dedicated to the Annunciation and Saint Anthony. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** the site is in the Old Town, ~4.7 km from Gara de Nord (~8 minutes, depending on traffic) and ~19 km from Otopeni Airport (~25 minutes). The surrounding streets are busy and partly pedestrianised; it is easier to leave the car around Piața Unirii and walk. **Public transport:** the nearest metro station is Piața Unirii (M1, M2, M3), ~400 m away, ~5 minutes on foot. ### Where to park The Old Town is a paid parking zone, with few spaces on the street, taken mostly in the evenings and at weekends. The most practical option is a public car park around Piața Unirii, a few minutes' walk away. ### Fees & discounts No tickets are sold: the site is closed to visitors, and the ruins can be seen for free from the street. ### Rules The building site is fenced and guarded, and entry is not permitted. The ruins can be photographed from the street, through the fence. ## Details - **Historical period:** Middle Ages - **Civilisation:** Wallachia ## Frequently asked questions about Curtea Veche Princely Palace **How long does a visit to Curtea Veche Princely Palace take?** A visit to Curtea Veche Princely Palace takes about 10 min (seen from the street, through the fence). **Where can I park at Curtea Veche Princely Palace?** There is paid parking at Curtea Veche Princely Palace (paid central zone). More under “Where to park”. **How do I get to Curtea Veche Princely Palace?** Curtea Veche Princely Palace is located at Strada Franceză 21–23, București. More under “Getting there”. **When is the best time to visit Curtea Veche Princely Palace?** The best season for Curtea Veche Princely Palace: All year round (the ruins can be seen all year). ## Nearby attractions - [Manuc's Inn](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manuc-s-inn) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 45 min · 0 km An inn from 1808, built by the merchant and diplomat Manuc Bei beside the Old Court: a listed building with an inner courtyard and wooden balconies, where the 1812 Russo-Turkish peace talks took place. - [Gabroveni Inn](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gabroveni-inn) — Monuments and historic sites · București · 30 min · 0 km An inn in the Old Town on Strada Lipscani, built in the early 19th century and restored in 2009–2014: today the seat of ARCUB, with a cobbled passage between Lipscani and Strada Gabroveni. - [Palace of Justice](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palace-of-justice) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km The seat of the Bucharest Court of Appeal on the bank of the Dâmbovița, built in 1890–1895 to plans by Albert Ballu and Ion Mincu: a stone façade with allegorical statues and a high French-style roof. - [Domnița Bălașa Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/domnita-balasa-church) — Churches · București · 30 min · 0 km A church in central Bucharest, built in 1881–1885 on the site of three earlier churches, with exposed-brick façades, rich interior painting and the tomb of Domnița Bălașa, daughter of Constantin Brâncoveanu. - [Linden Tree Inn (Hanul cu Tei)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/linden-tree-inn) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km The only historic inn in Bucharest to have kept its original form: a cobbled pedestrian passage between Strada Lipscani and Strada Blănari, with shops, art galleries and antique dealers. - [Old Town (Lipscani)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/old-town) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · 0 km The pedestrian quarter between Calea Victoriei and Piața Unirii, with streets named after the old guilds, the ruins of the Princely Court, Bucharest's oldest church and covered arcades from the 19th century. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/curtea-veche-princely-palace Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/palatul-voievodal-curtea-veche.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/palatul-voievodal-curtea-veche.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/palazzo-voivodale-curtea-veche.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/palais-voivodal-de-curtea-veche.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/palacio-voivodal-de-curtea-veche.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/curtea-veche-fejedelmi-palota.md Last updated: 7 November 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania