Bucharest City
Bucharest city is the capital of Romania and also the industrial, commercial and cultural centre of the country. Located in the Southeast of the country, Bucharest city lies on the banks of Dâmboviţa River.
It is said that Bucharest city was founded by a shepherd named "Bucur" (meaning "joy" in Romanian). Bucur’s flute made him loved by the locals who gave his name to the place.
First mentioned in 1459, Bucharest city became the capital of Romania in 1862. The history of Bucharest city is still present on the streets, revealed by the historical monuments with the elegant architecture that survived the two World Wars, the earthquakes and the program of systematization imposed by Nicolae Ceauşescu (former dictator of Romania between 1967 and 1989).
Once called the "Paris of the East" or “Little Paris”, Bucharest city was the scene for the December 1989 events: the overthrow of the communist regime and the beginning of democracy. The "House of the People" (today named the Palace of Parliament) is the mark of the Ceauşescu regime, but also second largest building in the world after the US Pentagon. With its huge appearance and 1.000 rooms, it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, in the category “Administrative Buildings”.
Bucharest city is well known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and Belle Epoque buildings. Triumphal Arch on the Şoseaua Kiseleff, an elegant boulevard longer than Paris' Champs-Elysees, is splendid in the spring when the trees bloom. In the summer nights Bucharest locals prefer a walk on Calea Victoriei, a part of Bucharest city that reveals its history. Among the architectural beauty one can admire on this ancient boulevard, the famous Casa Capşa Café arises in all its splendour, reminding that once upon a time, not long ago Bucharest was known as „Little Paris”. Casa Capşa, now a five star hotel and one the most luxurious Bucharest hotels, bears the testimony of the most bohemian and cultural uprising period of the Romanian capital at the beginning of the twentieth century. The National Museum of History, The Royal Palace (The National Art Museum), The Romanian Athenaeum, George Enescu Palace and The Museum of Art Collections are a few of the points of interest on Calea Victoriei.
The Bucharest city points of interest also include the churches, an expression of the Romanian architectural style. The old and valuable churches like: Patriarchal Church (1665) on the Mitropoliei Hill in Unirii Square, Creţulescu Church on Calea Victoriei, Church of St. Gheorghe on Magheru or Antim Monastery (1715) close to The Arch of Triumph, are just a few examples.
And we shouldn’t forget about the Village Museum that is located in Bucharest city on the banks of the Lake Herăstrău. Opened in 1936, it is among the first open air ethnographic museums in the world.
Presently Bucharest city has a big offer for its tourists and a wide range of cultural events at fairly low prices. For instance, the well known Bucharest Opera Season produces excellent opera presentations at incredibly low prices. Experiencing an economic and cultural boom, Bucharest city has now modern buildings rising from the dust, living the marks of communism in their shadow.
