Free Guided Tour: Mântuleasa—Between History and Legend

"Stories from Bucharest" becomes POV.Bucharest— a publishing project that promotes and documents Bucharest through its places, cultural scene, events, and people’s stories. We discover exhibitions, performances, restaurants, and cafes, and turn them into recommendations and ideas for exploring the city.

“The Living Map of Sector 2” is the platform’s first project: an invitation to get to know the places and people that give Bucharest its identity. We’re starting with the neighborhoods of Sector 2, where the houses, courtyards, workshops, and small, traditional businesses preserve the memory of the communities that built the city and continue to bring it to life. We’re bringing their stories together in a cultural map accessible to everyone, both online and on foot.

This time, we’re exploring Mântuleasa: between history and story. Amid the houses, gardens, and streets of the old neighborhoods, we’ll talk about the merchants and families who shaped the neighborhood, about the places from Mircea Eliade’s childhood, and how they found their way into literature. A stroll through different eras of Bucharest, from the neighborhood church to the elegant residences and houses that have been reopened today for cultural purposes.

Event Information

📅 Date: October 24, 2026
🕓 Time: 4:00 p.m.
📍 Meeting point: at the bust of Mircea Eliade, in the square in front of Mântuleasa Church (20 Mântuleasa Street, Bucharest)
👤 Guide: Anita Sterea (historian)
⏳ Duration: approximately 2 hours
🎟️ Participation: free, by registration, subject to availability
👨‍👩‍👧 Children under 16 are welcome on the tour when accompanied by an adult.

Route and stops

📍 Bust of Mircea Eliade
📍 Mântuleasa Church
📍 Mântuleasa Street
📍 Plantelor Street and Captain Dimitrie Pandele’s House—now known as PLAN PATRU
📍 Sfântul Ștefan Street
📍 Dimitrie Racoviță Street
📍 Calea Moșilor

🌐 Learn more about the project and the places in Sector 2 at bucharest.povcityguide.com and follow us for new stories, projects, and events that bring us together in the city.

The “Living Map of Sector 2” project is co-funded by the Sector 2 City Hall.