Macca-Vilacrosse Passage — Attraction in Bucharest

Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse is a fork-shaped, yellow glass covered arcaded street in central Bucharest, Romania. Câmpineanu Inn (Romanian: Hanul Câmpineanu) once stood in the place nowadays occupied by the passage.

The old Inn was bought by Petros Seraphim, who gifted it to two of his daughters as dowries. Daughter Polixena married in 1843 Xavier Vilacrosse, Chief Architect of Bucharest, 1840-1848, the Inn renamed after him. Daughter Anastasia married Mihalache Macca, who built luxury shops on their part. In the late 1880s, the city decided to buy the sites to build a Western style passage to relieve congestion. It was designed by architect Felix Xenopol, and opened in 1891.

Because the central part of the site was occupied by the Pesht Hotel, which the owner refused to sell, the passage was executed as a two-tined, fork-like shape with two wings around the two sides of the hotel. The narrow streets were covered with a glass roof, allowing the entry of natural light while providing shelter from the rain. The ground floor was meant for shops, while the rooms on the first floor were for rent. One branch of the passage was called Vilacrosse, while the other one was called Macca, after the old owners. The two-tined end opens onto Calea Victoriei, one of Bucharest's main avenues; the other end opens toward the National Bank in the historic Lipscani district.

Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse hosted the first Stock Exchange House of Bucharest, before a larger and more appropriate structure was built. Between 1950 and 1990 the passage was called Pasajul Bijuteria ("Jewelry Store Passage"), but the initial name was restored afterwards.

Today it hosts several indoor/outdoor eating establishments, including an Egyptian-themed bar/restaurant, the Blues Cafe, a bistro, a Chinese restaurant and a...

Villa Cross Passage is one of those hidden little corners in Bucharest that you might walk past without noticing — but once you step inside, it feels like a different world. It’s a narrow, covered passage connecting two busy streets, lined with small cafés, vintage shops, and a few quirky bars that give it a really bohemian and artistic atmosphere.

The place has that old Bucharest charm — a bit worn around the edges, with its faded walls and dim lighting, but that’s exactly what makes it special. It feels authentic, not over-polished or touristic. During the day it’s quiet and photogenic, especially if you like urban photography; at night it comes alive with music and conversation from the nearby bars.

It’s not a big place, but definitely worth passing through if you’re exploring the city center. A small detour that captures perfectly the mix of history, creativity, and urban life that...

Beautiful architecture but a place to avoid. Went there on a Friday afternoon with out of town friends and it dampened our mood for the day. The place is full of shops where people can smoke Turkish pipes and that's about it. Nothing else to see, unless you want to be robbed. We were followed from Lipscani by an aggresive team of people with birds and fortune notes. One of them placed the bird on one of the young girls with us and then on the other. He demanded 40 lei just because the bird extracted from the fortune notes. His friends were waiting a little further. I'm never going back there again. I later found out that this is a common occurence there. One of my daughter's friends had to leave her wallet with the bird people just to be left alone. And no one from the shops or...