Bucharest welcomes a new golden age

Back in the 1930s Bucharest was lauded as the Paris of the East. Then the city was ravaged by the Second World War, and the Ceausescu era that followed did little to restore its human face. Much of the splendour of old Bucharest survives, however, and there is even something brutally fascinating about the pompous excesses of the communist period. This is in any case a city of glaring contrasts: mediaeval horse-drawn carriages fight for the streets with modern luxury sedans.

All the same, Bucharest remains a worthwhile place to visit in spite of (or maybe even because of) these contradictions. Both Romania and Bucharest are on the verge of a new golden age, and the pace of progress is quite breathtaking.

A city for lovers of fine food and wines
In the Romanian language Bucharest stands for city of enjoyment, and visitors are sometimes pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a culinary paradise. The prices are very reasonable and there is plenty of choice across the board. The ethnic restaurant scene in particular is a delight for the taste buds.

Romanian food, heavy though it may be, has also been influenced by Greek and Turkish cuisine. Common local delicacies include mititei, or ground beef sausage seasoned with garlic, and sarmale, or stuffed vine leaves. Mamaliga, or cornmeal mush, is to all intents and purposes the same as Italian polenta. The local wines are also a wonderful experience for even a fastidious travelling gourmet.

High culture 
Anyone interested in culture will find that one human life is simply not long enough to experience everything on offer in Bucharest: this major metropolis has more than three hundred churches alone. There is likewise an abundance of theatre, ballet and concert entertainments, and a very wide range of films is also screened.