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Bucharest

Capital of RomaniaBucharest lies in the centre of the Romanian Plain in south-eastern Romania, on the Dâmbovița river, which flows into the Argeș, a tributary of the Danube.

Why it's the capital

First mentioned in 1459, it became the residence of Vlad the Impaler, ruler of Wallachia, and after 1698 the permanent seat of the Wallachian court. In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia had united to form Romania, Bucharest became the new nation's capital.

Fun facts

  1. Legend links the city's founding to a man named Bucur, who was a prince, an outlaw, a fisherman, a shepherd or a hunter, depending on the story.
  2. Its grand buildings and cosmopolitan culture once earned it the nickname 'Paris of the East'.
  3. The huge Palace of the Parliament was ordered by Nicolae Ceaușescu, and a whole historic district was knocked down to make room for it.

Finding it on the globe

Aim at the south-east of Romania, in the plain north of the Danube, the river that forms most of Romania's border with Bulgaria.

Easy to mix up

Do not mix it up with Budapest, the capital of Hungary on the Danube. Bucharest is the capital of Romania, farther to the south-east.

Sources: Wikipedia: Bucharest, Wikipedia: Palace of the Parliament, Wikipedia: Bulgaria–Romania border