Macca-Villacroise Passage, Bucharest, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Macca-Villacroise Passage is one of Bucharest's most atmospheric spots, a covered arcade from 1891 with a distinctive yellow glass ceiling that fills the space with warm, golden light.

Designed by architect Felix Xenopol, the passage has an unusual fork shape. This wasn't a design choice but a practical solution: the owner of the Pesht Hotel, which stood in the way, refused to sell his property, so the passage was built around it. The name comes from the two property owners, Macca and Villacroise, who did agree to sell their houses for the project.

Before it became a tourist attraction, the passage had a more serious function. It housed Bucharest's first stock exchange, where merchants and traders did business under the glass ceiling. During the Communist era (1950-1990), it was renamed "Bijuteria" (Jewelry Store Passage) and lost much of its original character.

Today, the passage is lined with cafes, restaurants, and wine bars, and the Art Nouveau details on the walls and ceiling have been restored. The yellow-green stained glass overhead makes the whole space feel like stepping into an old photograph.

The passage connects Calea Victoriei, Bucharest's grandest boulevard, with the Old Town's Lipscani district. If you're on a Questo quest through Bucharest, the Macca-Villacroise Passage is a stop where 19th-century elegance and 21st-century cafe culture share a glass roof.