Essential Bucharest

After biking just a few kilometres outside Bucharest, one can find the ruins of Chiajna Monastery that is believed to be cursed and haunted. It was built at the end of 18th century, but soon abandoned during the plague that devastated the area. Actually there was no ceremony that ever took place in the monastery. The tower of the church fell in the earthquake of 1977 and the bell was thrown in Dambovita river. Locals say that they hear the bell tolling on full moon nights :)

http://www.boredpanda.com/greatest-enchanted-themed-library-in-eastern-europe-just-opened-in-bucharest/

Greatest Enchanted Themed Library In Eastern Europe Just Opened In Bucharest Cărtureşti Carusel, or also called

Rainy winter day on General Berthelot street. It seems that these beautiful houses are left in disrepair to match the gloomy weather.

Essential Bucharest wishes you a Happy New Year! Let's discover Bucharest together in the year to come!

Abba - Happy New Year Music video by Abba performing Happy New Year. (C) 1980 Polar Music International AB

We are at the end of the 70'. Bucharest was hit by the devastating eartquake from 1977 and has to be rebuilt. After returning from an official visit in North Korea, Ceausescu decides that the reconstruction has to make Bucharest look like the "magnificent" city of Phenian, the Korean capital.
But in order for the new Phenian to grow, the old Bucharest has to be destroyed. Many buildings are razed to the ground without discrimination: monasteries aged more than 300 years together with residential buildings and private houses. Instead, construction of new huge buildings starts, together with large boulevards with blocks after blocks after blocks...
Still, some of them manage to escape this tragic fate due to the ingenious solution designed by Eugen Iordachescu, of moving buildings on rails, without affecting the structure. In Bucharest this is the case of 8 churches and two blocks of flats. The Churches were moved up to 300 metres and hidden behind the newly built blocks, making it very hard to find for one who doesn't know the city.

Catalin chose to celebrate his birthday with his friends and with Essential Bucharest in a tour behind the blocks. You can see here what they discovered.
Amazing places, great people, cool guide! :)