Meet the City of Joy: București
*Why the city of joy?
Actually that's kinda what it means. "Bucurie" is the Romanian word for joy. So enjoy getting to know it! The capital city of a land in eastern Europe called RoMania. :) We'll look for all the reasons to make it worth your while.
According to the local legends, once upon a time, there was this shepherd named Bucur. He settled here with his flock, and that is how his name baptized the surroundings. A lovely, innocent story for a city whose first historical documentation dates back to count Dracula, 558 years ago - probably 666 would sound more dramatic, but you’ll have to become a vampire to witness that!
But the joy of living in the city of Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) is not by far all of it. This city went through a lot and is still standing. Earthquakes, fires, plague, world war bombings, 3 dictators: a vampire, a playboy monarch and a communist, revolutions and extensive demolition, as well as ambitious projects to rebuild it, reshaped the city numerous times. Quite of an unbelievable journey bringing it together to its current form. Extremely eclectic and irregular, even messy, the city has a charm of its own.
It was compared to the most glamourous capital of Europe, getting the nickname of the little Paris of the East during the time of the monarchy. Nowadays people compare it more to Ibiza or Berlin because of the party scene or post-communist vibes. Truth is you can find anything you are looking for around the 6 districts of this lively city.
Amongst its attraction, the city is bragging with locals who don’t smile a lot, unless they know you and crack jokes with you, crazy Latin traffic, loud parties that last until the morning and chaotic surroundings. Seems a bit too much? It is not even half of it, but once you will discover the reasons behind all of it you might get a bit charmed with these mystical places. Contrasts are everywhere to be found, from clashing styles of houses to communist blocks. Art is making it's way through most of its corners, from street art to original events
Since this article’s main purpose is only to shallowly introduce you to this underdog capital city of an eastern European country, probably the best way to do it is to show you the numbers, so here you go:
Bucharest in numbers:
6 districts
Population aprox. 2 million
46% Men, 54% Women
2 rivers crossing the city + lots of lakes
46 parks
min temperature can get to minus 20 °C (4 °F) – cold winters with lots of snow
max temperature often reaches 35 °C (95 °F) to 40 °C (104 °F) in mid-summer – canicular summers
For cost of living check this out: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Bucharest
Since everyone is asking opinions now online, let's find out what the ultimate Guru thinks about the city of joy:
Just welcoming you in the local language: Bun venit!
xoxo