Bucur Church, Bucharest

Bucur Church (Biserica Bucur), located just steps from the Dambovita River and Radu Voda Monastery, offers visitors a charming window into the city’s mysterious past. Dedicated to Saints Cyril and Athanasius of Alexandria, this petite Romanian Orthodox chapel is noted for its intimate, homespun architecture-whitewashed walls, a wooden-columned portico reminiscent of peasant dwellings, and a mushroom‑shaped dome-all set against the hustle of modern Bucharest.

Tourists are drawn by the rich legend linking the church to a figure named Bucur-a shepherd who, according to folklore, built a small sanctuary and founded a settlement by the river, giving rise to Bucharest itself. While this tale may be more romantic myth than historical fact, it has roots in a rare 1761 manuscript by missionary Blasius Kleiner and continued into 19th-century writings, suggesting the enduring appeal of the Bucur story.

Scholars generally date the church back to the 17th century, with a rebuild in the early 18th, and some even attribute its origins to Mircea the Elder in 1416-but the precise timeline remains debated. The first known map labeling it “Bucur Church” appeared between 1844 and 46. Restoration efforts in the early 20th century refined the carved stone window frames, doorways, and portico into the charming form seen today.

Visiting the church will reward tourists seeking a contrast to Bucharest’s grand squares and bustling boulevards-a serene, verdant nook steeped in narrative lore. Step inside to admire its modest iconostasis, painted interiors, and the sense that you’re touching an origin story-myth or otherwise-woven into the fabric of the Romanian capital.