"Harido's new Bucharest Page" a Bucharest Travel Page by harido

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Bucharest (Bucuresti in Romanian), the capital of Romania, lies half-way between the river Danube and the South Carpathians mountains, on the banks of the Dambovita. It is Romania's cultural and economic center, as well as its largest city.

The first written appearance of the name Bucuresti dates from 1459, when it was recorded in a document of Vlad III the Impaler, the ruler of Walachia. Vlad

1900s Bucharest
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city streets were lit by electric bulbs and petrol lamps. In1904,the public trasportation system saw the introduction ofelectric street cars. The quality of this growth made many contemporaries call Bucharest by the endearing name of "Little Paris".

The modern city is characterized by a number of squares from which streets and boulevards mainly radiate. The two chief streets, running roughly parallel through the centre of the city, are Bulevardul Balcescu and Bulevardul Unirii; the latter, formerly called, under communism, Cretulescu Church (1722)--is one of the most

beautiful squares of the city. It is linked to Palace Square, which is surrounded by an imposing group of administrative, political, and cultural buildings including the massive Romanian Athenaeum, notable for its columned facade.