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As a kid, the school subject I hated the most was History. All those names and dates dancing before my eyes were not at all intriguing. Yet, as I grew older I realised that history is not just a way to torture high school students. Now, I consider history an essential part of travelling. From the people’s political choices and how these affected their lives to the architectural trends throughout the centuries, every destination is defined by its history. Both Katerina and I make sure to include as many historic sites as possible in every trip we take. Recent history is what fascinates us the most, though. This made Bucharest and its not so long gone troubled political past an ideal destination for us. The Romanian capital is home to many recent historic treasures. One of these is Casa Ceausescu, the former Ceausescu residence.
Ceausescu residence past and present
Casa Ceausescu was the residence of the notorious Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu and his family from 1965 to 1989. Back then its name was Spring Palace. Nowadays, it houses a newly opened museum which aims to narrate the story of the Ceausescu family to the world. What’s very interesting about the museum is that furniture and decoration in its interior are arranged in almost the exact same way as when the Ceausescu family lived there. This reflects the museum’s desire to focus on the private, everyday lives of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu. These details are not as widely known as the ones referring to the couple’s roles as Romania’s leaders.
Visiting Ceausescu residence
Once inside Ceausescu residence, we were struck by the extravagant decoration of this huge mansion. Majestic marble staircases and impressive wood carvings. Invaluable mosaics and tapestries alongside unique pieces of furniture. All these compose an image of absolute luxury and indulgence. The stories our guide shared with us as we passed from one room to another were so vivid that we could almost see Nicolae receiving state officials in his study or Elena sitting in her office.
We also saw the apartments of the family’s three children as our guide outlined their personal stories too. As if all this luxury wasn’t enough, there were some rooms that screamed extravagance more than others. But you’ll get no spoilers from me! The tour ended at the mansion’s fantastic garden. There, we met the only remaining residents of Casa Ceausescu: six beautiful peacocks. They are actually the descendants of Nicolae’s own favourite peacocks.
Once outside Ceausescu residence, all the gold we had seen still glittering in our eyes, we both kept silent, reflecting on all the new information we had acquired. Travelling is the best way to learn history. Visiting the very sites were the actual events took place rather than reading about them in books, is far more effective in remembering them. And remembering is crucial when it comes to avoiding repeating the same mistakes. Because history is not only about the past. It is first and foremost about creating a better future for everyone.
At this point I would like to thank Roxana, the guide who showed us around Ceausescu residence. She is very knowledgeable and she has a great way of telling stories. She is extremely kind and although we posed a ton of questions to her, she answered all of them with a smile. Roxana was so sweet as to even share with us some of her own precious childhood memories back from the days that Nicolae Ceausescu was Romania’s leader. For that, we can’t thank her enough.
Practical information about Ceausescu residence
Ceausescu residence is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.
You can visit by guided tour only. Book the latter at least 24 hours in advance.
For more information visit the museum’s official website.
Disclosure: Casa Ceausescu kindly offered us a private standard tour free of charge but, as always, we express nothing but our very own and honest opinion about the experience we had.
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This is sheer and brilliant opulence. I loved the extravagance that the Casa Ceausescu celebrates. Also, I feel it is wonderful that traveling is helping us realize that history can be so much more beautiful when you get glimpses like these outside the dreary textbooks. Great post 🙂
Hey guys thanks for a lovely comment! Learning history on the road is the best way to do so!
Wow!!loved the garden with the peacock .Pinned it for later.Thanks for sharing.
Hi there! Thanks for your comment!
What an incredible destination, so luxurious and decadent. I used to really dislike history as well, think it was just how it was taught and the aspects of history that were covered. Now I appreciate it a lot more as well
Hi Claire! You are so right, most people dislike history because of their memories of how it was taught. What a shame.
This place is so stunning! It looks like a princess castle out of a Wes Anderson movie! How lucky are to have visited it!
Hey Claire! I love your Wes Anderson take on our experience 😉
This place looks absolutely stunning. My favorite part was the garden. Definitely a place I would love to visit but if it wasn’t for your article, I might have never heard about it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Always glad to inspire others! That’s what our blog is all about after all! Thank you for your lovely comment, Daniel!
We haven’t been to Romania yet but have wanted to go for a while. I am very interested in political history and always like to explore these kind of places when we visit new destinations. The Casa Ceausescu looks like a fascinating place to include in our itinerary.
Hey Alex, thanks for your comment! We are into this kind of history too so Ceausescu Residence was a must-see for us. Do plan a visit there when you travel to Bucharest. You will love it!
Wow! This is a beautiful place rich with history. I smiled after reading that history was like a torture as a subject in school. It happened to me too. But yes, traveling has taught me how important is history to us.
Hey Supriya! Good to know that travel has inspired others to embrace history, too. Travel is life-changing in so many ways after all.
I agree with you, history is one of the most important aspect of any traveler. The residence seems to have alot of history in it and an opportunity to learn more.
Hey Esther! Thanks for your comment. You do learn a lot about the history of Romania there.
What a cool thing to check out. We will be in Bucharest mid October, and might check this out as well. Thanks for the information, and your pictures are gorgeous. Pinning for later.
Hey Kylee, thank you so much for your kind words. If you have time, do plan a visit there. You won’t regret it!
I can relate to how you felt in high school! My perspective on history definitely changed once I started traveling though and see history with my own eyes. Thank you for sharing a piece of Bucharest’s past!
Hey Celine, thank you for your lovely comment. I never thought that I’d become a History fan. But I have and it’s one of the many things I am grateful to travels for.
What a great way to learn about the history of Romania under Nicolae Ceausescu. I remember when I was younger learning about his evil dictatorship and watching his overthrow. Seeing the history through the lens of his family must have been interesting. I am always fascinated to see homes like this where people live in opulence while those around them live with extreme poverty or deprivation.
Hey Lance, thanks for your comment. It’s always important to see history from different perspectives if you want to have as objective a picture as possible.
What a magical place filled with history, charm, and beauty. So glad you developed a passion for history as you got older and thank you for sharing this beautiful place with me.
Hey Kelly! Thank you for your kind words. We love to share the things we’ve seen and liked and inspire others to go see them too!
What beautiful photos! Looks like a very magical place – especially the garden with the peacock!
Thank you Annie!
wow this place looks so luxurious! And the peacocks add an extra air of royalty too!
Thanks for your comment Sarah!
It always amazes me how leaders like that lived in such luxury meanwhile the rest of the country was dirt poor. It’s interesting that they didn’t demolish it.
Hi Kasia! That’s what we thought too and we actually discussed this with our tour guide.
Really loved seeing the photos and reading the history of this residence. I especially love the photo of the peacock. They’re such beautiful animals.
Many thanks for your comment, Rio!
It’s great to get up close with history it makes it more interesting for sure! This place looks fascinating to visit, its a country I know next to nothing about so would love to go on this tour and learn about Romania. 🙂
Hey Katie! Romania is a country filled with recent history and Ceausescu Residence is a good place to start if you want to delve into its past.
I’ve been twice to Bucharest but never saw this beautiful place! Shame on me! I must say I am impressed by the gorgeous garden! Definitely going to visit next time I go there! 💗
Hey Monica! Thanks for your comment. Do visit next time you are in Bucharest and let us know how you liked it 🙂
Such a gorgeous place. It looks like straight out of the Medieval Era when the landlords used to build such lavish residential places. I can totally imagine how close to nature this place takes you.
Thanks for your comment Anshul.
I loved that garden area where those peacocks dance. This itself makes the place a must-visit for me. Thanks for such a useful guide and valuable information. Pinning it for my reference.
Hey Purvi! Thank you for your lovely comment. These peacocks were indeed real cuties!