Pasajul Victoria, Bucharest, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

Pasajul Victoria (Victoria Passage) is a pedestrian passage off Calea Victoriei in the centre of Bucharest, Romania. It is best known today for the colourful umbrellas hung above it, which make it one of the most photographed corners of the old centre. It is also a good place to think about how the city has lived through bombings and earthquakes.

The story behind it

The passage was built as a commercial arcade, a shortcut lined with shops and meant for the city's well-off, on what was then Bucharest's smartest street. Over the decades it faded, and for a long time it was a soot-darkened, half-forgotten cut-through. In recent years it has been brought back to life and recovered its colour.

It also sits in a part of Calea Victoriei marked by the 1977 earthquake. Nearby stands the Palatul Telefoanelor, the Telephone Palace, an Art Deco building opened in 1934 and designed with American architects and engineers. Its steel frame gave it flexibility, but during the quake of 1977 its rigid stone cladding cracked and telephone connections were cut for a time. Local guides use the passage to talk about earthquake risk in a city where many older buildings still show their age.

What to look for

• Look up at the rows of coloured umbrellas strung overhead, which turn the narrow passage into a tunnel of colour.
• Notice the warning signs about falling plaster, a reminder that behind the cheerful look some of the surrounding buildings are worn.
• Compare the passage with the renovated frontage seen from Calea Victoriei, where the street side looks far tidier than the interior.
• Glance at the cafes and bars along the passage, which show how an old shopping arcade has found a new use.

Tips for your visit

• Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to walk through and take photos, longer if you stop for a coffee.
• It is an open public passage, so you can walk through it freely, but check current opening hours of the venues inside.
• Go in the morning or on a weekday for fewer people, or in the evening for a livelier atmosphere.
• Calea Victoriei is right outside, so you can easily continue on foot to the Telephone Palace and the other grand buildings along the street.

See it on a quest

If you would rather see the passage as part of a proper walk than as a quick photo stop, try After the earthquake: The story of a lifesaver. You reach the passage on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about the place when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is free to play and you can start any time.

Bucureștiul Bântuit II: Noaptea vrăjitoarelor takes a darker, more atmospheric view of the old centre. The route passes the Victoria Passage among other stops, the app explains each place as you get there, and a puzzle waits at each one. One ticket covers the whole group.

Secrets of Old Town Bucharest: The Lost Treasure Adventure is a treasure-hunt style walk through the old town that includes the passage. You move from place to place on foot, hear the story of each one in the app, and solve a puzzle in front of what you are looking at. One ticket covers the whole group.