National History Museum of Romania

The National History Museum of Romania occupies the former Post Office Palace at Calea Victoriei 12 in Sector 3 of Bucharest, a grand building completed in 1900 in an eclectic neoclassical style. The museum covers Romanian history from prehistory to the early 20th century. Its best-known features are the plaster cast of Trajan's Column in the entrance hall, a full-scale copy that shows in spiral relief the Roman conquest of Dacia, and the Historic Treasury in the basement, where gold and silver objects, jewellery and royal regalia are displayed behind vault doors. Highlights of the Treasury include prehistoric and Dacian gold bracelets, the Pietroasele hoard, medieval crowns and the Romanian crown jewels. Upper galleries trace the eras of the Dacians, Romans and medieval principalities, and rooms of weapons, coins and ceremonial objects add detail. Visitors should plan 1.5 to 2 hours, with the Treasury taking at least half an hour. Entry to the Treasury is sold as a separate ticket, and the columns hall can be seen from the main floor. Crowds are lightest on weekday afternoons, while school groups appear on weekday mornings. Information is in Romanian and English, and some displays carry audio guides. Photography without flash is typically allowed in the main galleries but restricted in the Treasury. The museum is a short walk from Strada Lipscani and Stavropoleos Monastery, so it combines well with an Old Town visit. The ticket office closes 45 minutes before the museum, and closure on Monday and Tuesday catches many travellers off guard. A museum shop sells replicas and books about the history of Romania.