Bucharest, capital of Romania

Bucharest is the capital city, industrial and financial center of Romania. It is the largest city (approximately 2 million population) and is located in the southeastern part of the country on the banks of the Dambovita River. By population, Bucharest is the sixth largest city in the European Union and has administrative level of a county, being further subdivided into six sectors.

The founding of the city is linked with the name of Bucur, which was a shepherd according to the legend. The name of the city has an uncertain origin but in Romanian the word “bucur” means ‘glad’ or ‘joy’.

Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459, during the reign of Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Tepes), when the city became the one of the main cities of the Wallachian province. Vlad is perhaps most commonly known for inspiring the name of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.

The coat of arms:

In the following posts I will present to you a few main attractions of the city and describe other historic details.