Foișorul de Foc (Fire Watchtower)

About Foișorul de Foc (Fire Watchtower)

The Foișorul de Foc rises in the middle of a small square in eastern Bucharest, where Bulevardul Ferdinand I meets several streets, between Obor and Calea Moșilor. It is a round tower 42 m high, built between 1890 and 1892 to the plans of George Mandrea, the city's chief architect, as a lookout and alarm post for fires and, at the same time, as a water tower. The 750 m³ tank never worked, because the waterworks did not have pumps strong enough to fill it, and in 1892 the building passed to the fire brigade.

From the top, watchmen kept an eye on the city until 1910, when the telephone made watching with the naked eye unnecessary. Firefighters stayed in the tower until the mid-1930s, after which the building served as a store. Restored in the 1960s, it became the Firefighters' Museum, opened in 1963; today it is called the National Firefighters' Museum "Foișorul de Foc" and belongs to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. The consolidation works of 2021–2024 kept the original façade and set the tower on seismic isolators, and the museum was inaugurated again on 13 September 2024.

Information verified on 25 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the tower is in eastern Bucharest, in the small square where Bulevardul Ferdinand I meets the surrounding streets, ~2.4 km from Piața Unirii (~4 minutes), ~4.5 km from Gara de Nord (~8 minutes) and ~19 km from Henri Coandă Airport (~26 minutes). The address to enter in your satnav: Bulevardul Ferdinand I 33.

Public transport: the nearest metro stations are Obor and Piața Iancului, both on line M1, ~1 km on foot from the tower. From the centre you can also walk along Calea Moșilor.

Where to park

The museum has no car park. You park on the streets around the square, where spaces are usually paid; on weekdays the area is busy, so it is simpler to come by metro.

Fees & discounts

Adult ticket: 10 lei; students and pensioners: 5 lei; pupils, pre-schoolers and adults with a mild or moderate disability: 2.50 lei. Guiding fee: 20 lei per group, for at least 6 people. Professional photography or filming costs 50 lei. Entry is free for children under 3, for pupils of special schools and children with disabilities together with their companions, for teachers accompanying groups of pupils, for war veterans and for heroes of the Revolution, as well as on 28 February, 18 April, 18 May, 26 June, 13 September and Heroes' Day, and on 1 June for pre-schoolers and pupils. Prices may change.

Rules

Group bookings and guided visits are requested by email. Photographing with a phone for personal use is fine; professional photography is charged. Do not touch the exhibits. The tower has narrow stairs, so wear comfortable shoes and take it slowly.

Facilities

Museum on several levels, linked by a metal spiral staircase · guided visits for groups of at least 6 people · phone: +40 21 794 3490 · email: muzeu@igsu.ro