Bucharest the capital of Romania and is one of the largest
cities in Europe lying 64 km from the Danube. At first sight the city is a
chaotic jumble of traffic-choked streets, ugly concrete apartment blocks and
grandiose, but unfinished Communist developments.
Bucharest offers some excellent attractions and has the sophisticated, modern
edge that defines a European capital. The Arcul De Triumf is the Romanian
version of the famous Parisian landmark, built in 1936 in an era of French
influence to commemorate the battles fought in WWI by the Romanian Armies, then
led by King Ferdinand I, on the one side of the arch and on the other Queen Mary
of Romania. The Arch is 27 m in high and lies in a square in the northern part
of the city near the Herastrau Park.
Across the street from the University, in the centre of the city lies the
central headquarters of the Romanian Commercial Bank, the country's largest
bank. This 1887 building was originally the headquarters of a large insurance
company and now marks the entrance to the banking district lying in the streets
behind. Magheru Boulevard stretches from the Scala Cinema to Romana Square with
its special characteristic of being made to follow the models in Paris.