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BUCHAREST - ROMANIA
Bucharest (population 2.3 million, Romanian: Bucuresti) is the capital
city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania, located in the
southeast of the country, on the Dâmbovita river.
Geography
Along a small tributary of Dâmbovita, named Colentina, several lakes
stretch across the city, the most important being Lake Floreasca, Lake
Tei and Lake Colentina. In addition, in the center of the capital there
is a small artificial lake - Lake Cismigiu. Surrounded by gardens and
parks, it has a rich history, as it was frequented by famous poets and
writers .
The city has a total surface of 226 km2 and it is divised in 6
administrative sectors.
Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural areas,
but after 1989, new suburbs were started to be build around Bucharest, in
the Ilfov county.
History
The legend says that Bucharest was founded by a shepherd named Bucur,
another variant, more likely, is that it was established by Mircea cel
Batrân in the 14th century after a victory won over the Turks (bucurie means
joy in Romanian, for this reason Bucharest is often called "The City of Joy.").
Like most ancient cities of Romania, its foundation has also been ascribed
to the first Walachian prince, the half-mythical Radu Negru (1290-1314).
More modern historians declare that it was originally a fortress, erected on
the site of some Daco-Roman settlements, then it was used to command the
approaches to Târgoviste, formerly the capital of Walachia.
Bucharest is first mentioned under its present name as a residence in 1459
of the Walachian prince Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler). It soon became the
summer residence of the court. In 1595 it was burned by the Turks; but,
after its restoration, continued to grow in size and prosperity, until, in
1698, Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu chose it for his capital and of the
united provinces of Walachia and Moldavia from February 1859 (renamed
Romania in December 1861 while still nominally subject to the Ottoman Empire).
During the 18th century the possession of Bucharest was frequently disputed
by the Turks, Austrians and Russians. In 1812 it gave its name to the treaty
by which Bessarabia and a third of Moldavia were ceded to Russia. In the war
of 1828 it was occupied by the Russians, who made it over to the prince of
Walachia in the following year. A rebellion against Prince Bibescu in 1848
brought both Turkish and Russian interference, and the city was again held
by Russian troops in 1853-1854. On their departure an Austrian garrison took
possession and remained till March 1857. In 1858 the international congress
for the organization of the Danubian principalities was held in the city;
and when, in 1861, the union of Walachia and Moldavia was proclaimed,
Bucharest became the Romanian capital. Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruler
of the united provinces, was driven from his throne by an insurrection in
Bucharest in 1866.
In the second half of the 19th century, the population of the city increased
dramatically. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of
this period won Bucharest the nickname of The Paris of the East (or Little
Paris, "Micul Paris"), with Calea Victoriei as its Champs Elysées or Fifth
Avenue, but the social divide between rich and poor was described at the
time by Ferdinand Lassalle as "a savage hotchpotch."
On December 6, 1916 the city was occupied by the German forces, the capital
being moved to Iasi, but it was liberated in November 1918, becoming the
capital of the new united Kingdom of Romania.
Bucharest suffered heavy loses during WWII due to the English and American
bombardments. On November 8, 1945, the king's day, the communists suppressed
pro-monarchist rallies.
During Nicolae Ceausescu's leadership, most of the historical part of the
city, including old churches, was destroyed, to be replaced with the
grandomanic socialist buildings of the Centru Civic, notably the Palace of
the Parliament. Some historic districts remain, but Bucharest is certainly
no longer the Paris of the East.
Economy
Although it accounts for around 9% of Romania's population, Bucharest
produces around 21% of the country's GDP, being obviously the most developed
area and industrialized area of Romania. The weak status of the Romanian leu
in international exchange rates makes it difficult to compare economic
product of Bucharest to that of the European Union countries. Based on local
purchasing power, Bucharest has per capita GDP about about 50% that of the
EU, nearly twice the Romanian average (but still very close to other urban
areas in the rest of Romania). Based on the fact that Bucharest produces
around 21% of Romanian GDP for a population of around 2 milion, the GDP (PPP)
per capita would be US$16,300.
Transport
Bucharest boasts the largest transport network in Romania, and one of the
largest in the Central and Eastern Europe region. Transport can be divided
into three major fields:
A metro (subway) system, run by Metrorex
A surface transport system run by RATB that is made up of buses, trams and
trolleybuses
A private taxi system
Bucharest Metro
The subway system consists of four lines: M1, M2, M3 and M4. In total, the
network is 63km long and has 45 stations, with 1.5km average distance
between stops.
Lines
M1: Pantelimon-Dristor-Piata Unirii-Dristor
M2: Pipera-Piata Unirii-IMGB 2
M3: Industriilor-Piata Unirii-Pantelimon
M4: Gara de Nord-1 Mai
Future Development
The Bucharest Metro is currently in a period of renewal. In 2002, new high-quality
trainsets were introduced, manufactured by Canadian maker Bombardier. They
are air-conditioned. Also, lines are being extended. Line M4 was opened as
recently as 2000, and it is currently in the process of extension from 1 Mai
to Pajura, in the city's north. Also, in 2004, a branch to Line M1 will be
opened from Nicolae Grigorescu to Linia de Centura via Policolor. This will
extend the network to 50 stations with 70.8 kilometres length.
There is also a plan for line M5, which will run to the large district
Drumul Taberei in the city's southwest from Colentina quarter via the city
center. As well as this, in the future, the Metro might be extended to the
Henri Coanda International Airport, in the town of Otopeni and Baneasa
Airport, which is currently only serviced by RATB bus.
RATB Surface Transport
Despite many comments in the 1990s about the poor state of Bucharest's
transport system, RATB is a reasonably efficient and a very frequent way to
get around Bucharest. As with the Metro, the system is going under a period
of renewal, making it one of the most modern and comfortable in Eastern
Europe, especially with the introduction of new acoustic station
announcement in the trolleybuses.
Taxis
Taxis, which are run by a variety of companies, are cheap and affordable and
service all parts of the city. However, there are also a large number of
less reliable taxi companies. Make sure your taxi has a posted rate per
kilometer.
CFR Trains
Bucharest is served by a commuter railway network operated by CFR, the
Romanian national railways. This network is not very efficient and is
infrequent, because trains run nationally. There are trains from Bucharest
to Snagov.
There are no urban trains (similar to RER lines in Paris) in Bucharest.
Getting to and from Bucharest
Air
TAROM, the national air carrier, has good flights from a large variety of
world cities, including Paris, Madrid, Munich and Rome, to Otopeni, the main
international airport. Also, Angel Airlines, the new Romanian private
airline, has domestic flights of good quality from Baneasa airport.
Train
Train services into and out of Romania are of very high quality, especially
those trains that are operated by Romanian railways, Hungarian railways or
Polish railways. There are quality EuroCity and EuroNight trains to Budapest
via Arad, as well as to Belgrade via Timisoara. Tickets are inexpensive by
Western standards.
Sights & Landmarks
Palatul Parlamentului
The Palace of the Parliament was built by the communist dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu (then known as the Palace of the People) and it is the second
biggest building in the world after the Pentagon.
The Village Museum
Established in 1936, the Village Museum is an open air ethnographical museum,
extended on 10 hectares, containing 272 authentic buildings and peasant
farms from all over Romania.
Arcul de Triumf
The first, wooden, triumphal arch was built hurriedly, after Romania gained
its independence (1878), so that the victorious troops could march under it.
Another temporary arch was built on the same site, after World War I. The
current arch was built in 1935.
Cismigiu Gardens
The Cismigiu Gardens were built as a public garden in the center of
Bucharest in 1847 after the plans of the German architect Carl F.W. Meyer.
National Museum of Art
Located in the former royal palace, the museum features notable collections
of medieval and modern Romanian art, as well as the international collection
assembled by the Romanian royal family. The modern Romanian collection
features sculptures by Constantin Brâncusi and Dimitrie Paciurea.
Museum of the Romanian Peasant
See main article Museum of the Romanian Peasant A beautifully displayed
collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics, and other
artifacts of Romanian peasant life. This institution received the "European
Museum of the Year 1996" prize.
Other landmarks
The Athenaeum (Ateneu)
The Museum of Romanian History
The Museum of Art Collections
Herastrau Park, site of the Village Museum
Botanical Garden
University Square
Lipscani area, including Manuc's Inn (Hanul lui Manuc) and the Old Court
(Curtea Veche)
Zambaccian Museum
Theodor Pallady Museum
Kretzulescu Palace
Cotroceni Palace
Obor Market (Piata Obor)
Education
The first Romanian higher education institution was opened in 1694 (the
Academy of Saint Sava), and in 1864 the Bucharest University was
established; today there are 21 higher education institutes with nearly
100,000 students in the capital.
Colleges and Universities
Academia de Studii Economice
Universitatea Bucuresti
Universitatea Politehnica Bucuresti
Sports Teams
Football (soccer)
FC Rapid
FC National
FC Steaua
FC Dinamo
Sportul Studentesc
Notable Natives
Henri Coanda
Mircea Eliade
Ilie Nastase
Nicolae Paulescu
Edward G. Robinson
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