The museum dedicated to Romania's greatest composer and the country's most internationally recognised musician, in the spectacular Cantacuzino Palace on Calea Victoriei — a Belle Epoque mansion finished in 1903 with an Art Nouveau staircase and stained-glass ceiling. Enescu briefly lived in the small annex behind the main building from 1937 to 1946.
The collection includes manuscripts, instruments (his violin and Yehudi Menuhin's gift piano), personal letters, photographs, and a vast archive of recordings. The palace itself is the main reason to visit: the gilded reception hall and the Art Nouveau staircase are exceptional. The annual George Enescu Festival in September is the country's most important classical music event; many concerts take place a short walk away at the Athenaeum.