Behind the scenes: a power trip

If you've been in Bucharest at least a couple of hours, you must have noticed all the churches! Small, big, impressive, modest, beautiful, or grand, they sure are everywhere :D

Book this tour if you want to find out more about the seesaw of power between State and Church throughout the ages. You will also see a few out-of-sight gems as well as the most in-your-face building that put Bucharest on international maps - the Palace of Parliament.

We start at the back of Manuc Inn, with an overview of the historical tandem of power between rulers and organized orthodoxy and a look at the court palace of Vlad Țepeș.

Next, we take a leisurely hike up one of the few hills in the city - Metropolitan Hill, which hosts the spectacular Patriarchate Palace and the former Senate of Romania (app. 1650 - 1996). Orthodox religion has been a crucial part of the national discourse which led to the formation of Romania in the late 19th century, and we will look at a few of those moments.

Our next stop is Antim Monastery, magically hidden at the back of a wall of blocks, one of which also hosts the Romanian Intelligence Service. This funny coincidence serves as an excellent pretext to discuss more the way the Orthodox Church was affected during communism.

The tour ends on one corner of the Palace of Parliament, which also affords a good view of the yet-unfinished Cathedral for the People's Salvation.

Come and discover less touristy spots in the center of Bucharest, a quieter, more understated kind of grandeur, paired with interesting perspectives on the role of orthodoxy in Romania.