Bucharest - Romania
Romanian capital Bucharest is a booming city. Since the Soviets moved out at the end of the 1980s, Romania has been in a state of almost constant reform, but that takes nothing away from this vibrant city of around 2 million people. Like many Eastern European capital cities, there is a unique buzz on the streets of Bucharest.
Landmarks
Bucharest is well known for its impressive architecture, designed in the Parisian style. Probably the most prominent landmark in Bucharest is former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s Palace of the Parliament (the largest building in Europe and now home to one of the world’s largest convention centres). It is sometimes referred to as the “palace of the people” by locals.
The National Museum of Art of Romania is also located in the palace and houses works from Paul Cézanne, Eugène Delacroix, Camille Pissarro, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, not to mention Romanian artists.
Away from the palace, another Bucharest landmark is Arcul de Triumf (The Triumphal Arch), built in 1935 and styled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Culture
The neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum, founded in 1852 is home to the George Enescu Philharmonic and puts on various concerts throughout the year.
Bucharest is also home to the Romanian National Opera, as well as the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre.
Nightlife
The majority of bars and nightclubs are around the city centre, from the Piaţa Unirii to Piaţa Romană. Bucharest has a particularly lively electronic music scene, with clubs like Bamboo and Kristal Glam Club carrying on with style into the early hours. In the summer months, the Zoom Beach Club sets up on the shore of a lake and is a great place to catch stylish locals at play. Elsewhere, The Office is one of Bucharest’s most exclusive haunts.
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