The Best Things to See and Do in Dorobanți, Bucharest

On one side of the little square found at the end of Calea Dorobanți, Scientists’ House is an architectural jewel and one of Bucharest’s secret locations. A Neo-classical palace, it features many salons decorated with gilded ceilings and stained glass and features a back garden that can be reached via a monumental staircase. The structure is the former residence of one of Bucharest’s richest and most famous inhabitants, and it’s now the property of the Romanian Academy. Astonishingly, very few locals know that this majestic palace is also a restaurant, so step in confidently, as you might have the place all to yourself.

You’d have a hard time trying to find a cuter or more original little museum in the whole of Bucharest. The magnificent 1920s building is filled with more than 1,000 treasures, including old maps of cities and of the sky, as well as paintings and city veduta, which you can observe carefully with the magnifying glasses provided. Reserve a few hours for your visit so you’ll also have time to check out the architectural details of the building, such as the Art Deco stairs, Gothic arches, and Venetian loggias.

Due to the exceptional quality of art works on display, as well as the variety of master artists featured,—Romanian and international—this relatively small art museum is also one of the best in the country. Alongside iconic paintings by Romanian artists, such as Ștefan Luchian, Theodor Pallady, Nicolae Tonitza, and Gheorghe Petrașcu, the museum displays works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse and hosts the only canvas by post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne in the country. Add to that works by sculptors Constantin Brâncuși and Oscar Han—whose kissing couple sculpture, displayed in the backyard, is one of the most sensual pieces around—and the picture is almost complete.

One of the quirkiest museums in Bucharest, the Dr. Victor Babeş Memorial Museum is a son’s gift to the legacy of his father, one of Romania’s most renowned scientists. One of the founding fathers of microbiology, Babeş left behind a vast collection of studies, which were all kept in the 1920s villa built in an eclectic style. Alongside valuable manuscripts that date from the end of the 19th century, the collection also features vintage furniture, including the scientist’s desk, as well as tapestries and ceramics.