Bucharest, Romania: “The Paris of the East”, Bucharest, Romania

Spent a full day and a half (accompanied by Mrs. Perez) in a city that, in the period between the two World Wars, was renowned as the “Paris of the East” for its luxurious restaurants, exotic nightlife and elegant architecture. And although buildings and districts in the historic city center were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and above all, former communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s program of systematization, the city is slowly regaining that title.

Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. It became the capital of Romania in 1862 and is the center of Romanian media, culture, and art. It is home to just under 1.9 million inhabitants, while its metropolitan area bulges up to 2.2 million. During my short day and a half there, I found it to be a city in transition, a city in the process of reanimating itself while still trying to maintain the historic charm of its glory days. A city that required more than just a day and a half to fully understand. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).