# CEC Palace

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [București](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/bucuresti)

> The seat of the Savings and Consignment Bank on Calea Victoriei, built in 1897–1900 to plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau: a monumental façade, corner cupolas and a central dome of glass and metal.

**At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in București. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 15 min. Information verified on 25 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The exterior can be seen at any time, from Calea Victoriei. The interior cannot be visited.
- **Ticket:** Free — the exterior can be seen from the street
- **Visit duration:** 15 min — exterior only
- **With kids:** Yes — just a stop on the street
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the street, in the centre
- **Best season:** All year round — the exterior can be seen all year
- **Address:** Calea Victoriei 13, sector 3, București
- **Coordinates:** 44.432, 26.09646
- **Website:** https://www.cec.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEC_Palace
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5010221
- **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice), [Castles and palaces](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castele-si-palate)

## About CEC Palace

CEC Palace, officially the Palace of the Deposit, Consignment and Savings Bank, stands at Calea Victoriei 13, opposite the National Museum of Romanian History, at the edge of the Old Town. It was designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau, and building was run by Ion Socolescu. The foundation stone was laid on 8 June 1897 in the presence of King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth, and the building was finished in 1900. The bank paid for it entirely out of its own profits.

The site was once occupied by a monastery dedicated to Saint John the Great, with an inn alongside it, and a 16th-century church that Constantin Brâncoveanu rebuilt in 1702–1703. The complex fell into decay and was demolished in 1875; in its place rose the first CEC headquarters, which was too small for the growing bank and was in turn pulled down to make way for today's palace. The institution itself had been founded in 1864, by a law initiated by Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

The style is eclectic, with late 19th-century French influences. Today the palace still houses the headquarters of CEC Bank, the successor of the old Savings Bank.

### What you can see

The entrance is framed by two pairs of composite columns and crowned by a semicircular pediment, in which you can see a clock and two sculpted figures beneath the name of the institution. At the four corners, blocks with pediments and coats of arms end in Renaissance-style cupolas, while above the central hall rises a much larger dome of glass and metal, visible from far along Calea Victoriei. The façade is best seen from the opposite pavement, in front of the National Museum of Romanian History.

The central hall had CEC's counters until 1999. It has a staircase and mosaic of Dobruja marble, and the painter Mihail Simonidi decorated the interior with allegorical paintings; the ceiling of the council room, also his work, won a silver medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition.

### Good to know

The interior cannot be visited: the palace is the administrative headquarters of CEC Bank and is not open to the public for visits or events. The building can be seen from outside, at any time, from Calea Victoriei.

## Don't miss

- The semicircular pediment above the entrance, with the clock and the two sculpted figures, beneath the name of the institution.
- The central dome of glass and metal, which dominates the building and is visible from Calea Victoriei.
- The four corner blocks, with pediments, coats of arms and Renaissance-style cupolas.
- The two pairs of composite columns at the entrance, at the top of the steps.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the palace is at Calea Victoriei 13, in the historic centre of Bucharest, opposite the National Museum of Romanian History. The area is busy, with few parking spaces.

**Public transport:** the metro stations Piața Unirii (M1, M3) and Universitate (M2) are about a 10–15-minute walk away, and there is an STB stop called “CEC” in front of the building.

### Where to park

The building has no visitor car park. Around it you park on the streets, for a fee, and spaces are few; public transport is more convenient.

### Fees & discounts

The interior cannot be visited, so there is no ticket; the exterior can be seen free of charge from the street.

### Rules

The palace is a working bank headquarters: the interior cannot be visited, while the exterior can be photographed from the pavement.

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1897–1900
- **Architectural style:** eclectic, French academicism
- **Founder:** Casa de Economii și Consemnațiuni (Savings and Consignment Bank)
- **Historical period:** 1897–1900

## Frequently asked questions about CEC Palace

**How much is a ticket to CEC Palace?**

Admission to CEC Palace is free (the exterior can be seen from the street). The interior cannot be visited, so there is no ticket; the exterior can be seen free of charge from the street.

**What are the opening hours of CEC Palace?**

Opening hours at CEC Palace: daily open 24 hours. The exterior can be seen at any time, from Calea Victoriei. The interior cannot be visited.

**How long does a visit to CEC Palace take?**

A visit to CEC Palace takes about 15 min (exterior only).

**Can you visit CEC Palace with kids?**

Yes, CEC Palace is suitable for children (just a stop on the street).

**Where can I park at CEC Palace?**

There is paid parking at CEC Palace (on the street, in the centre). The building has no visitor car park. Around it you park on the streets, for a fee, and spaces are few; public transport is more convenient.

**How do I get to CEC Palace?**

CEC Palace is located at Calea Victoriei 13, sector 3, București. By car: the palace is at Calea Victoriei 13, in the historic centre of Bucharest, opposite the National Museum of Romanian History. The area is busy, with few parking spaces. Public transport: the metro stations Piața Unirii (M1, M3) and Universitate (M2) are about a 10–15-minute walk away, and there is an STB stop called “CEC” in front of the building.

**When is the best time to visit CEC Palace?**

The best season for CEC Palace: All year round (the exterior can be seen all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [National Museum of Romanian History](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-national-de-istorie-a-romaniei) — Museums and memorial houses · București · 32 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 0 km
  The museum in the Post Office Palace on Calea Victoriei shows the Historical Treasury, with the royal crowns and Getic gold, the Lapidarium and a full-size copy of Trajan's Column.
- [Stavropoleos Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-stavropoleos) — Monasteries · București · Free · 30 min · 0 km
  A small convent in the Old Town with a Brâncoveanu-style church from 1724, façades painted with saints in medallions, an arcaded courtyard and a lapidary of stones from vanished Bucharest churches.
- [Macca-Villacrosse Passage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasajul-macca-villacrosse) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km
  A fork-shaped shopping arcade from 1891, roofed in yellow glass, with a rotunda under a coloured-glass dome and stucco façades, between Calea Victoriei and Strada Eugeniu Carada.
- [Old Town (Lipscani)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/centrul-vechi-bucuresti) — 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.
- [Russian Church (Saint Nicholas)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-rusa-bucuresti) — Churches · București · 20 min · 1 km
  A church built in 1905–1909 by the Russian embassy, with seven Russian-style towers, brick façades with glazed ceramic, a gilded iconostasis and interior painting with icons by Viktor Vasnetsov.
- [Manuc's Inn](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/hanul-lui-manuc) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 45 min · 1 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.

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Last updated: 25 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania