What to see in Romania

Bucharest

Bucharest is the capital and most populated city in Romania, as well as its main industrial, commercial and cultural centre. It is situated in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâ, mbovita River. The city was first mentioned in a document written in 1459. Since then it has undergone a great many changes, none more significant that being made the national capital in 1862, which consolidated it as the national centre of communication, culture and economy. Its eclectic architecture mixes neoclassical, interwar (Bauhaus and Art Deco), communist and modernist styles. In the interwar period, the city's architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of Little Paris. Despite the fact that many buildings and districts in the centre were damaged or destroyed by war or earthquakes, most remain standing.