Regarded as the most impressive passageway in Bucharest, the Villacrosse Macca Passage is a place that has witnessed many changes. Like the majority of the buildings from the end of the 18th century in the Old Town, it was originally an inn for the city’s many international travellers. There were plans to have the city’s Philharmonic concert hall built on the same ground in the 1830s, but these didn’t come to fruition, so in 1854 it was eventually converted into a luxury hotel called Stadt Pest. In 1891, the municipality decided to create a narrow passage between Calea Victoriei and Lipscani Street. Both streets saw some intense activity given the high concentration of shops and banks, making this area the heart of trade and finance in the country.