"Bucharest" a Bucharest Travel Page by mvtouring

It was with great expectations that I landed in Bucharest. Having been told it was the Paris of Eastern Europe, I expected a lot from this city, but unfortunately I have been dissapointed. Maybe I expected too much and thought it might be like Praha, and the lesson here is - do not expect anything but make up your mind when you there. That way you will not be dissapointed. Legend has it that a simple peasant named Bucur settled on the site where Bucharest now stands. True or not, the name Bucuresti was first officially used in 1459, by Vlad Tepes, the real-life Dracula (known as Vlad the Impaler for his bloodthirsty habit of impaling unfortunate victims on wooden stakes). Two centuries later, this citadel on the Dîmbovita River became the capital of Walachia, and after another 200 years, it was named the capital of Romania. The city gradually developed into a place of bustling trade and gracious living, with ornate and varied architecture, landscaped parks, busy winding streets, and wide boulevards. After decades of neglect, Bucharest no longer can claim the title "Paris of the East," though hints of its past glory remain.