Manuc's Inn

In the area of the present streets Lipscani and Stavropoleos, there used to be a great number of inns, which were part and parcel of the flourishing commercial world of Bucharest between the 16th and 19th centuries. Actually few of those inns resisted to the test of time, of which the Lime-Tree Inn, built up in 1833 and Manuc's Inn raised in 1808 by a wealthy Armenian, Emanuel Mârzaian, called by the Turks Manuc-bei (prince).


They say that Manuc, a rich adventurer, who was also a merchant and a political man, was the owner of a fabulous fortune made up of money, gems, houses, shops, estates and even mountains. After 1812, he was forced to leave the country for fear of the Turks, and once arrived in France, he was adopted by the French high-life society. He owned a stately palace and was considered to be the most elegant foreigner who lived in Paris. He was versatile in 12 different languages, and had many love affairs. But the most sensational story about him, which was also recorded by the press of the time, was an act of philanthropy the 100,000 FF he won at gambling one night, were all given to the poor the next day. The Turks asked Napoleon I to hand him over to them. But Manuc-bei learned about it from the prefect of Paris, Fouché, duke of Otranto, so that he fled away to Russia. It was there that he was poisoned to death some years later.


Manuc's Inn, one of the most beautiful samples of old town architecture preserved in Wallachia, stretches partially over the territory once held by the Old Princely Court. The plot of land was bought by Manuc at an auction, and was located in the very commercial centre of the city, with streets that still bear the names of the tradesmen who populated the area, i.e. Lipscani - shopkeepers whose merchandises were brought from Leipzig; Gabroveni - dealers in clothes from Gabrovo, Bulgaria; Covaci - ironmongers; Şepcari - hatters and cap dealers; Şelari - saddlemakers etc. So, in old times, Manuc's Inn was both a meeting and a resting place for tradesmen and tradeswomen; it was known for its noise, dirt and many carts. Many travellers, even if they did not put up there, would stop by just to have a look at the picturesque yard and at the inn's superposed interior open porticos and bedrooms.


In his comprehensive work "The History of Bucharest", Prof. Constantin C. Giurescu made a lively description of Manuc's Inn. "In the yard and on the corridors of the inn one could see a remarkable blend of human types and costumes, i.e. merchants come from everywhere, cart-renters, townspeople, clergymen, peasants, tarts, gypsies moving to and fro, they would talk, haggle, conclude bargains, quarrel." The inn was made up of a four-sided building around an inward yard where "big carts from Brasov" and "caravans" would go in and out. The one-storey building had vaulted cellars which were deep and large. On their inner side, all along their length, the basement and the 1st floor had open porticos supported by wooden pillars between which would open three-cusped arches. Access to the 1st floor was made by means of two wooden stairs with belle vues. While the rooms on the ground-floor would serve to passage travellers, people who would come for a longer time would be lodged on the 1st floor. The outer sides of the inn were trimmed with many shops that would put on sale a whole variety of merchandises, whether Turkish carpets for a "decent price", or "the best of" scents brought all the way from London and Paris.


The inn was built in 1808 and was the site of the preliminary talks for the Treaty of Bucharest, which put an end to the 1806–1812 Russo-Turkish war. In 1842 it briefly housed Bucharest's town hall. Around 1880 a hall at the inn as used as a theatre, and was the site of the first Romanian operetta performance. Before Romania entered World War I, in 1914–1916, the hall "Sala Dacia" hosted meetings of the Wallachian pro-war party seeking to establish a Greater Romania by uniting with Transylvania and Bukovina; speakers included Nicolae Filipescu, Take Ionescu, Barbu Ştefănescu Delavrancea, and Octavian Goga.


Although Manuc's Inn has been subject to repeated restorations — in 1848, 1863, 1966-1970, and 1991–1992, as well as the one now under way — its essential structure remains intact; of the three surviving 19th century inns in the Lipscani district, it is the only one currently in use as a hotel. At present, Manuc's Inn has preserved, to a large extent, its old style and flavour, it now serves as a hotel with a restaurant, a wine cellar, and a cake shop. Just like in the old days, there are many shops on the outer side of its ground-floor. When one walks into the inn's yard, he or she would step on an oak beam bridge and thus get a glimpse on how streets in Bucharest might have looked in the 16th and 17th centuries. The building is located at 62 Iuliu Maniu street, across the street from the ruins of the Old Court (Curtea Veche). Although one side now faces a vast modern public square, Piaţa Unirii, there is no evidence of this in the courtyard or the inward-facing rooms.

World's Best Invention in 2009

For over two decades Romania has been known in Europe as having a remarkable potential for scientific research. Each year the Romanian scientific researchers stand out at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva where they have often held, from the point of view of the number of Gold and Silver medals, hierarchical positions that have surpassed countries with great scientific traditions such as France, Germany, etc. Therefore the international community was not surprised when a Romanian company won with a majority of votes the most important award in Geneva this year.


At the 37th annual International Exhibition of Inventions held in Geneva from April 1st to 5th, a Bucharest company won the fair's Grand Prix by a unanimous vote of the 82-member jury. The domestically financed firm MB Technology (known in Romania as MB Telecom SRL), prevailed with its automated gamma ray scanner, the Roboscan 1M. It is a historical moment as this is the first time in 37 years that a Romanian inventor receives the Grand Prix of the most prestigious invention fair in the world.


The Romanian invention, dubbed ‘Roboscan 1M,’ represents a mobile and completely robotized gamma ray system capable of ‘seeing’ within containers and trucks without the operator being exposed to the radiation. A complete scan lasts only 30 seconds and the ‘Roboscan’ has already identified cases of smuggling that would have been impossible to detect through other means. A team of 12 Romanian engineers worked on this invention for 4 years, with the EUR 6 M costs being covered by a private Romanian company – MB Telecom – a company that has already been contacted by foreign customers. The product, already patented in Asia, the United States and Europe, is the only such system in the world.


The Roboscan 1M is designed specifically for customs inspections and is reportedly deployed at least at nine Romanian border checkpoints. Its key advantages are: low weight, a minimal personnel requirement, increased maneuverability and productivity, a significant reduction of energy consumption and an extended inspection capability.

Stones that grow by themselves

The term Trovant is specific to the Romanian geological literature and was introduced first by the naturalist Gh. M. Murgoci in this work "The Tertiary in Oltenia".


The trovants, also known as "growing stones", are geological formations found in sand accumulations and sandstone deposits cemented by waters rich in calcium carbonate. They appear as mineral units, nodular, spherical or cylindrical with massive, concentric or plain structure ranging from a few millimeters to several meters. The trovants have a hard stone core, but their shells are made of sand. They trovants represent a cementation in the reservoir of sand that contains them in various shapes, some of the very strange. 6 million years ago there was a sedimentation basin here. The sand reservoir was formed as a consequence of the successive sedimentation of detritic material, transported by rivers from the continent. Along with this sediments, from the water get accumulated chemical substances in excess (carbonates). The, over the first beds of sand the sedimentation continues and the sand get compressed under the beds above. the water is eliminated through the empty spaces between the sand particles, that get pressed. Trovants grow spontaneously from the center to the margins - with a deposition rate of about 4-5 cm in 1000 years.


Trovants can be found in Romania at two locations in Vâlcea County. The first location is a sand quarry on the left side of DN67, before the entry in Costeşti village. On an area of 1100 m2 there are several trovants of various forms, several tons heavy, extracted from the steep sand quarry wall. The second location, and the most spectacular, is along Gresarea Brook that flows into a river in the nearby of the Oteşani village, approximately 15 km from Horezu. Going up the Gresarea brook you will find trovants in many forms, with weights ranging from only a few grams to hundreds of kilograms. Trovants can be seen at the "Trovants Museum" Natural Reserve in Costeşti, Vâlcea County, declared UNESCO monument,


The stone formations with alien features lie dormant, witnesses to the passing of time; that is – until it rains. Not long after the last drops of water fall, they begin a multiplication process. Small oval or round blain-like forms appear on the upper part of them. Many people are amazed and even locals are impressed when after heavy rainfall these rock formations begin to ‘live’. Locals have aptly dubbed them, “growing stones”.

The Horezu Rooster

Romanian ceramics compiles an experience that dates back to Neolithic times. The “Cucuteni” culture of this period is recognized as having one of the most refined and stylish potteries in all of Europe.

Nowadays, the most famous Romanian pottery is made in and around the town of Horezu, from northern Wallachia (Vâlcea County), on the riverbed of the river Olt. An age-old craft, modeling clay has become a real art in the hands of old masters, the inhabitants of this breathtaking region.


On the main street, called "Olari Street" (Potters' Street), one may admire famous collections bearing the names of those who gave life to the potter's wheel: Vicşoreanu, Mischiu, Ogrezeanu, (members of the Romanian Academy of Folk Arts), and others. Everything about this antique art is a family secret and at the same time a family business, since both adult members of the family are usually involved: the man giving shape to the objects and the woman decorating them.


The Horezu enameled pottery – unique to Romania through its chromatics and floral motives – is emblematic of the region. And, its ceramics are known worldwide. These objects preserve the local tradition and display Byzantine influences that have turned the craft into a brand for the Horezu valley. Horezu pottery is shaped only on the traditional kick-wheel, with simple finishing tools. Its burning is usually made in horizontal stoves using the oxidation technique, thus resulting in red earthenware. Most of the ceramic objects are decorated in delicate, yet powerful geometric and vegetal patterns, artfully painted by the masters’ wives, using 100% natural colors and ancient age old tools such as cow horns and goose feathers.


The traditional glazed ceramic objects are: plates, mugs, pitchers, bowls and even toys and flutes. The most frequently used colors in Horezu are brown, orange-red, green and lately even blue. Light colors are preferred for the background. They clay is prepared through a traditional technique and not used immediately. The clay needs to yeast for a while – big clay balls are broken into small particles through a wetting-drying process. The motifs are varied and many of them were preserved through time, even if they suffered changes in their representation. The most popular motif for the region is the Horezu Rooster, but there are other symbolic drawings: the spiral, the star, the snake of the house, the tree of life, the wavy line (the lost way), concentric circles, and the wheat ears. The traditional painting method called "jirăvirea" is a special technique used for adornment. This is made by joining the edges of a spiral with its center, while the paint is still wet. This technique allows the making of an infinite number of models that result from the combination of the colors that appear in a spiral and through the different styles through which this traditional painting method is done.


The town of Horezu houses the largest ceramics fair in the country, “The Hurez Cock”, an event that takes place every year on the first Saturday and Sunday of June. The fair is attended by craftsmen from all the pottery centres across the country ( Horezu – Vâlcea, Oboga – Olt, Vlădesti – Vâlcea, Corund – Harghita, Baia Mare, Hunedoara, Timis, Marginea – Suceava, Lungeşti – Vâlcea, Slătioara – Vâlcea, Miercurea Nirajului, Odorheiul Secuiesc, and so on).

Georges Boulanger

Gheorghe Pantazi, kown as Georges Boulanger (April 18, 1893 Tulcea - June 3, 1958, Buenos Aires) was a Romanian violinist, conductor and composer. Although his father was Greek, he was known as the typical Romanian virtuoso because of where he was born. He learned to play the violin as a child from his father, who was already the sixth generation musician. At the age of 12, Georges Boulanger got a scholarship to study at the Conservatory in Bucharest. Three years later he was heard by Leopold Auer who took him to Dresden with him and where he studied with him for the next two years. Other students of Auer were Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, and Mischa Elman.


In 1910, when Boulanger was 17 years old, Leopold Auer told him that his musical studies are finished and gave him a violin as a going away present. Boulanger played on this violin until his death. Under the recommendation of Auer, Georges Boulanger received a position of first violinist in Café Chantant in St. Petersburg, Russia. This was where many aristocrats frequented. With his background music, a mixture of Gypsy music, Balkan Folklore and Viennese Waltzes he found that many people in the public enjoyed his taste in music. This music is also known as salon music, hall music, or café concert music.


It was here in Russia that Georges Boulanger met a young girl from Estonia named Ellionorr Paulson. She was an intellectual student of law and medicine. They eventually got married and had two daughters, Nora and Georgette. In 1917 Georges Boulanger left Russia and returned back to Romania. In 1922/23 he went to Berlin where he played for his old audiences of Russian Aristocrats that now lived in Berlin. In the year 1926, his name suddenly became well-known. Boulanger played in radio transmissions that were broadcast live throughout the country. He played in the most famous houses in Berlin and other large European cities such as the Savoy Hotel in London. He was contracted by the Bote & Bock Edition who published his musical compositions.



Boulanger's music is essentially for consumption purpose: foxtrot, marches, tangos, one-steps, that is, every music type for dancing. Many of his works are easily recognizable by means of their well-known titles, namely: Beside the Lake, The Piper, Budapest Party, Autumn Moods, without making any reference to the most known works. He inspired himself in everything surrounding him, in his own state of mood or in Balkan folklore, like in "Romanian Legend", "Romanian Czardas", "Hungarian Rhapsody", "Hungarian Dance", "Hungarian Song and Czardas", "Romanian fantasias", or "Russian Intermezzo". His famous Avant de mourir would later be called My Prayer and a text by Kennedy would be added. It was charted in the number one spot for 21 weeks in 1958 in the USA. The song was played by Ambrose, Chet Atkins, Pat Boone, P.J. Proby (1964), Glen Campbell, Vikki Carr, Frank Chacksfield, Harry Connick Jr. (2004), Ray Conniff, Johnny Desmond, Jimmy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Hamilton, Lionel Hampton, Chick Henderson, Engelbert Humperdinck, Leslie (Hutch) Hutchinson, Jack Hylton, The Ink Spots (1939), Jay and the Americans (1969), Tom Jones (1967), Bert Kaempfert, Gene Krupa, Brenda Lee, Joe Longthorne, Joe Loss, Vera Lynn, Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, Mantovani (1971), Dean Martin, Glenn Miller (1939), Gerry Monroe, Wayne Newton, Roy Orbison, Patti Page, Gene Pitney, The Platters (1956), The Righteous Brothers, Edna Savage (1956), Bobby Vee. The song appears also on the soundtrack of "Malcom X" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".



Boulanger lived in Germany from the early 20s until 1948 when he moved to South America. He worked in Brazil then settled in Argentina for the rest of his days.

Gabriela Szabo

The Romanian athlete Gabriela Szabo is one of the names that made history at the Olympics and World Championships and she counts amongst the greatest athletes of the last decades. Recently retired from the sport career, Gabi Szabo remains a symbol of overpassing one’s limits as she continues to be a fighter both for her own goals and the community’s.


As a child, Szabo participated in swimming and gymnastics. When it became apparent that she wasn't going to be good enough to make the Olympics, she switched to track. At the age of 13, Szabo was discovered by coach Gyongyossy Zsolt while dominating a 600m race. She then left her native Bistriţa to train at the prestigious Rapid Bucharest Sports Club. As a 15-year-old in 1991, Szabo won the European Junior 3,000m title, then went on to repeat that win in '92, '93 and '94. She also won gold (1994) and silver (1992) medals at that distance at the World Junior Championships.


She made a smooth transition to the senior level, winning bronze medals at the European Championships and the World Cup. And at age 19, she became the youngest World Indoor Champion in history, winning the 3,000m. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Szabo finished second to Russia's Svetlana Masterkova in the 1,500m. That silver medal was a great disappointment to Szabo, who had expected and promised gold. Earlier in the Games, she had failed to qualify for the 5,000m final -- an event that was considered her best chance for a medal. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Szabo outkicked Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan in the 5,000m to win the gold medal and erase the disappointment of Atlanta. Later in the Games, she came back to win a bronze medal in a tactical 1,500m race. Szabo has become so well-known in Romania that she finds it difficult to train at home. Instead, she has spent much of her time training on a farm near Potchefstroom, South Africa. While there, she can avoid media attention and train in relative seclusion, with only her husband/coach, her physiotherapist and cook nearby. On October 2, 1999, Szabo, 24, and her coach, Gyongyossy, 37, were married in Bucharest. They didn't make their much-rumored romance public until shortly before the wedding. Eventually, Szabo would like to devote more time to her family and less time to training. In 2004, after the contest in Birmingham, where she abandoned the race, Gabriela decided to retire. She was hardly believed. No special ceremonies were organized, quite because both the Federation and the supporters hoped that the athlete would change her mind. But Gabriela Szabo didn’t reconsider her decision. In the summer of 2006, during Romania’s international athletics championship, an official retirement festivity were organized in her honour.


The record of Gabriela Szabo: Junior World Champion for 3000 meters - Lisbon 1994; Bronze medal for 3000 meters - Helsinki 1994; Cross World Champion - team - Durham 1995; World Champion - 3000 meters - Barcelona 1995, Paris -Bercy 1997, Maebashi 1999 and 1500 meters - Maebashi 1999; Olympic Vice Champion 1500 meters - Atlanta 1996; World Champion for 5000 meters - Athens 1997 and Sevilla 1999; Winner of the Golden League Circuit in 1997 and 1999; European Vice Champion for 5000 meters - Budapest 1998; World Record for 2000 meters in 1998; Best Athlete of the World in 1999;· World Record for 5000 meters - Dortmund 1999; European Champion for 3000 meters - Gent 2000; Olympic Champion for 5000 meters - Sydney 2000.

Szabo's resume includes a silver medal in the 1,500m at the 1996 Olympics, gold in the 5,000m at the 1997 World Championships, gold at 1,500m and 3,000m at the 1999 World Indoor Championships, gold in the 5,000m at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships, and most recently, gold in the 5,000m and bronze in the 1,500m at the 2000 Olympic Games. In 1999, she was named Athlete of the Year by the IAAF, Track & Field News and Athletics International. She currently holds two world indoor records: 2,000m (5:30.53) and 5,000m (14:47.35). In 1999, Szabo swept all the 3,000m races in the seven-meet Golden League series, earning half of the $1 million jackpot awarded to athletes who remain undefeated through the series. She and Danish 800m runner, Wilson Kipketer each earned $500,000, and by the end of the year, Szabo had become the first female athlete to win more than $1 million in prize money in one year.


"Today I feel great when I walk on the street and people come and tell me « Thank you for what you’ve done». This means that my work was not in vain. This matters the most. At the world competitions I was representing Romania, which is a nation, so I had a responsibility and I didn’t want to disappoint those waiting, quite out, in front of the TV sets. When you appear there, you have a responsibility, you are not Gabriela Szabo anymore, but you are Romania. Only in grand prix it is you, but in world contests you are Romania."

The living fires

Focul Viu (English: The Living Fire) is a natural phenomenon unique in Europe. Emissions of natural gas spew from cervices in the earth's crust and ignite spontaneously, forming 30-50 cm high flames rising in the wind blow, but hard enough to be seen in daytime. The Living Fire is certainly something that should not be missed. It is a place to visit if you like something a little bit different from the average, sunny, lazy beach holidays. The Living Fire is to be seen in Buzău and Vrancea Counties, on the upper Milcov River, is geological preserve since 1995 and protegee area (in Lopătari and Andrieşu de Jos communes area, 20km far from the city of Buzău).