Bucharest

 Bucharest

Bucharest lies on the Dambovita River which joins the Arges River which is a tributary of the Danube so we would be getting there by coach from the Danube. We moored at Turnu Margurele and it was three and a half hour drive to the capital.

The city was first mentioned in documents dating from 1459 and became the capital in 1862. Its architecture is a mix of historical, neo-classical, Art Deco, Communist and modern. Despite war, earthquakes, (the last two big ones were 1914 and 1977) and Nicolae Ceausescu's program of redevelopment, many have survived. 

We didn't go on a walking tour but sat on the bus and were driven around the centre on a whistle stop tour and often photos were spoiled by reflections on the glass or I was on the wrong side of the coach to get a picture. But some came out alright.

The house of the People, also the Parliament, hosting both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and it is the largest building in Europe and the second largest in the world. It also houses the National Museum of Contemporary Art and a convention centre.

The Memorial of Rebirth, unveiled in 2005 to commemorate the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 which overthrew communism.

The Arcul de Triumf, based on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris built in 1935 and like in Paris, it stands at the centre of several major thoroughfares.