From Ancient Cartographies to Hidden Bucharest Treasures

From Ancient Cartographies to Hidden Bucharest Treasures

The Smell of Paper and a Childhood Dream

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a soft spot for print. I used to collect newspapers, hoard old magazines, and press my nose to freshly inked pages as if I could inhale their stories. Long before I knew the word “typography,” I was arranging pretend articles in handmade journals.

That early obsession became a lifelong path. I studied Graphic Arts, and for more than two decades I worked in the world of magazines — from independent culture zines to mainstream lifestyle titles. I’ve been a writer, a designer, an editor, and a publisher. Each role gave me a deeper appreciation of the printed page: its smell, its weight, its permanence. Years later, I founded KROMA Magazine — a digital publication devoted to contemporary art and culture. But despite all things digital, nothing beats the tactile pleasure of paper.

And nothing, I found, fed that hunger in Bucharest quite like the National Museum of Maps and Old Books.

A Hidden Treasure: National Museum of Maps and Old Books

Tucked away in an elegant neighborhood of Bucharest where the streets bear names of international cities — a detail that already tickled my cartographic curiosity — stands a villa that houses one of the most poetic collections I’ve encountered. An intimate space, but filled with geographic wonders.

The visit was kindly facilitated by Ioana Marinescu of the museum’s Curator and Communication team — a thoughtful contribution that enriched the experience. The welcoming staff on-site added a warm and attentive touch, making the journey through centuries of cartography feel both personal and inspiring.

The Power of Old Maps

Every room in the museum feels like stepping into a different worldview — literally. You’re surrounded by ancient perceptions of land, borders, the sky. One hall is dedicated to mythological maps, where sea creatures dance alongside imagined continents. Another focuses on the political shifts of Europe, tracing boundaries that faded or turned into nations. But what took my breath away was a map dated 1525, a jaw-dropping example of Renaissance cosmography and printing. I stood frozen in front of it, my fingers twitching, remembering the intaglio techniques we once practiced in university.

Detail: Map of Greece

Final Stop: Bazar de Muzică

No journey of mine feels complete without a visit to a local record store. After my immersion into old geographies, I wandered to Bazar de Muzică, a small haven for music lovers tucked in the heart of Bucharest. The smell of old vinyls hit me as soon as I stepped in. Rows upon rows of forgotten melodies, Romanian editions of jazz greats, rare Eastern European pop, and even a few obscure disco gems — all priced around €2 each. Needless to say, I left with a small stack and a wide smile.

Final Thought

Whether it’s a rare 16th-century map or a dusty vinyl with a cracked label, what moves me is always the same: ink, print, imperfection, and story. Bucharest — thank you for reminding me why I started collecting pages in the first place.