The excavated ruins of a 14th-century palace expanded by Vlad Țepeș in the 1450s and used as the residence of the Wallachian princes until 1812. The site is small but the layers of brick and stone, the cellars, and the bust of Vlad outside make it the closest you can get to medieval Bucharest. Curtea Veche church, just adjoining, dates from 1559 and is the city's oldest surviving building.
A small museum on site displays coins, ceramics, and weapons found during excavation. The whole complex sits in the heart of the Old Centre and is easily combined with Stavropoleos, Lipscani, and Caru' cu Bere within a single afternoon walk.