Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is located in the center of the Romanian Plain, equidistant from the Subcarpathian hills and the Danube.
Bucharest is located at a distance of 60 kilometers from Ploiesti, 175 kilometers from Brașov, 65 kilometers from Giurgiu and 220 kilometers from Constanța.
At the same latitude as Bucharest are also the cities of Yalta (Crimea), Genoa (Italy), Bordeaux (France), Belgrade (Serbia), Minneapolis (USA) and Harbin (China).
Bucharest is a city located in a region rich in water. The Argeș and its tributaries Dâmbovița, Ciorogârla, Sabarul, Neajlovul, Glavaciocul, the climate and soil conditions, as well as the high level of groundwater allowed the development of a rich tree vegetation in the surroundings.
Wide meadows with rich vegetation are ideal for walking and relaxing. Zavoaiele offers opportunities for recreation and leisure. Cool oak forests provide a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. Beautifully landscaped lakes are places of relaxation and recreation for residents and tourists.
The climate of Bucharest is temperate-continental, with large variations between seasons. Summer is hot, with average temperatures of 30-35°C, and winter is mild, with average temperatures of -3°C. Extreme temperatures were 51.1°C in 1945 and -30°C in 1942.
The city of Bucharest is surrounded by a series of water mirrors that have a total area of 2500 ha. They have a positive impact on the microclimate, especially on summer days, by reflecting sunlight and helping to reduce the temperature.
Bucharest is a city with a rich history, dating back to the most distant times.
In several places in Bucharest, including on the banks of the Colentina, at the Bucur Church, at Mihai Vodă and in Bucurestii Noi, flint tools and weapons have been found, suggesting that people from the Paleolithic era lived in the area.
In Dudești, Tei and Giulești, huts, flint tools, decorated clay vessels and hearths were discovered.
At the beginning of the 1st millennium AD, the Geto-Dacian tribes, who were a branch of the Thracians and who developed a particularly complex civilization and culture, settled on the territory of Bucharest. The Geto-Dacians had trade relations with the Greek and Roman world.
Trajan conquered Dacia in 106 and turned it into a Roman province. Dacia remained under Roman occupation for almost 170 years, during which there was a fusion between Dacian and Roman culture. This fusion gave birth to the Romanian people.
In recent years, archaeologists have discovered 16 evidences of Roman-era life on these lands, including pottery, coins, jewelry and household items.
Bronze statuettes depicting the deities Venus and Apollo, an inhumation tomb (Lake Tei); a sword, an axe, a bronze plate from an armor and one from a harness as well as Roman coins (Giulesti); 13 rectangular links that belonged to a Roman armor (Militari) and a small hoard of bronze coins (Cățelu-Nou)
The first documentary mention of the city of Bucharest dates from 1459, when the ruler Vlad Țepeș issued a charter by which he strengthened the rule of some boyars from Oltenia over some estates. In this charter, the city is mentioned as the Bucharest citadel, ...it was written on September 20 in the Bucharest citadel in the year 6968 (1459)
The conflict with the Turks in the summer of 1462 led to the removal of Vlad Țepeș, after which Radu cel Frumos took over the reign and settled in Bucharest. On October 14, 1465, he designated the city as his official seat.
Vlad Țepeș chose Bucharest as his residence to be closer to the Danube and to be able to repel Turkish attacks more easily. Radu the Fair, who was an ally of the Turks, also chose Bucharest as his residence to be closer to his masters, who were in Giurgiu Citadel and with whose help he occupied the throne.
Bucharest and Târgoviște were in turn princely residences. Although Târgoviște, located closer to the mountains, was less exposed to attacks, most voivodes preferred to settle in Bucharest.
During the 16th century, during the reign of Mircea Ciobanul (1545-1554), an important economic and political growth of the city took place. During that period, the Royal Court was built together with a royal church, which represents the oldest historical monument in Bucharest preserved to this day. The Old Court was the nucleus around which the medieval city developed.
In the Middle Ages, Bucharest, like other cities in Europe, was subject to calamities such as destruction, fires and epidemics. However, the city has shown a remarkable capacity for recovery.
Towards the end of the 16th century, Bucharest experienced a period of decline due to the destruction of the city by Sinan Pasha's army.
The Turks, despite the defeat at Calugăreni, managed to occupy Bucharest. However, they were soon forced to leave the city by the offensive of Michael the Brave. Before leaving, they looted the city and set it on fire. An eyewitness reported the following: Today, the traveler barely sees a house here and there.
The people of Bucharest quickly began to rebuild their houses made of wood and reeds. However, in the fall of the following year, the Tatars attacked the city and burned it.
For political and strategic reasons, Mihai Viteazul decided to move his residence again to Târgoviște, where he remained for almost three decades.
In the second part of the 17th century, in Bucharest, economic activity developed intensively. The permanent change of rule (in 1659) and the transfer of the Metropolitanate from Târgoviște to Bucharest contributed to the consolidation of the city's importance in the economic, cultural and political fields.
Ottoman rule, the feudal system, and especially high taxes, caused deep discontent among the population.
In the year 1655, a revolt of the Seimen and Dorobants broke out in Bucharest. This revolt was caused by the dissatisfaction of the military with the measures of ruler Constantin Șerban. The riot spread quickly and included the surrounding townspeople and peasants. The revolted masses devastated the houses of the great rulers.
During the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714), Bucharest experienced a period of prosperity with significant sums allocated for construction projects, thus improving the appearance of the city. In addition to this, he established an institution of higher learning and supported printing.
The development of trade and the diversification of crafts led to the expansion of the city through the inauguration of new access roads, including the Mogoșoaiei Bridge (currently Calea Victoriei) and the Târgului din Afară Bridge (today Calea Moșilor). At the same time, inns were built to accommodate merchants.
During the Phanariot period (1716-1821), which represented the most pronounced stage of Ottoman rule, the city experienced continuous growth, maintaining itself as an important economic, political and cultural center in the Balkan region. This was also influenced by the direct interest shown by Turkey, Austria and Russia, who were fighting for supremacy in the Danube area. The establishment of foreign consulates in Bucharest (Russian, Austrian, Prussian, French, English), reflecting the new balance of power at the international level, contributed to the development of trade and the consolidation of Bucharest's political position on the European stage.
Medieval cities in Western Europe developed within a citadel, with a strictly parceled urban plan. This led to the appearance of cities with cramped houses, with a single central square, where the town hall and cathedral were located. Bucharest, on the other hand, had a different urban development.
Craftsmen gathered around the royal court, organizing themselves into guilds, each with its patron and its church, thus forming the commercial sector of the city. Beyond this area, either on the side of the roads or on the land of the estate they owned, the boyars built their own courtyards, with a household adapted to the medieval lifestyle. These included the manor house, church (family chapel) and related outbuildings. Over time, only the church buildings survived from these constructions.
For the same reason, numerous monasteries were built near the royal court on the current territory of Bucharest, with some buildings still present today, while in others only the church has been preserved. These are the reasons why there are currently a considerable number of churches in Bucharest.
In Bucharest of old, inns were important places for travelers, merchants and residents. These were stopping places where travelers could rest and eat and merchants could store their goods. The inns of Bucharest contributed to imprinting an oriental character on the city, which was noticed by all the foreign travelers who passed through Bucharest over the centuries.
Over time, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, the city developed, with representative buildings being built that gave birth to today's city center. In the 20th century, modern constructions defined the profile of the modern city, but many neighborhoods preserved the tradition of small houses with extensive gardens.
The number of architectural monuments in the city is relatively small and is mainly due to two causes: the intervention of occupation troops or communist authorities and natural calamities. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, there were 6 earthquakes that destroyed a number of objectives, and between the 16th and 19th centuries, 18 large fires struck Bucharest. The most powerful was the fire of 1847 which lasted three days and destroyed a quarter of the city (12 churches, 13 slums with 2000 houses).
In the first half of the 19th century, Romania experienced two important revolutions, the one of 1821 and the one of 1848. These marked the beginning of the country's modernization process and led to important changes in all areas of social, political and economic life.
On March 31, 1821, Tudor Vladimirescu arrived near Bucharest with his army made up of peasants from Oltenia and established the base at Cotroceni. On April 2, surrounded by his troops, he solemnly enters Bucharest. On horseback, accompanied by a priest carrying a cross and a pandur with a white silk flag, Tudor did not hold a sword in his hand, but a huge loaf of bread, a symbol of prosperity and peace. In April, Tudor took control of strategic places in Bucharest, including Mihai Vodă Monastery, Bellio's Garden (Bellu), Mitropolia, and Antim Monastery. Worried about the scale of the revolutionary movement, the boyars requested the intervention of Turkish troops. When the Turkish troops were approaching Bucharest, Tudor and his 4000 pandas decided to leave the city, thus avoiding its destruction in possible confrontations. Unfortunately, following an act of betrayal, Tudor was killed.
Even if shrouded in blood, the revolutionary movement led by Tudor Vladimirescu ended the era of Phanariot reigns, deeply affected the feudal system and marked the beginning of Romania's modern history.
Bucharest became the epicenter of the revolutionary ideological and political movement from the middle of the 19th century, with the participation of numerous intellectuals. The Fratia secret society, founded in 1843, played a significant role in coordinating the revolution of 1848.
On June 11, 1848, at the call of the revolutionary committee led by Nicolae Bălcescu, 6000 inhabitants of the city gathered on the Mogoșoaiei Bridge. They surrounded the royal palace and caused the ruler Gheorghe Bibescu to sign a Constitution that included important social reforms. A provisional government was established, and its first decree saw the establishment of the national flag, consisting of three colors: red, yellow and blue.
On June 15, citizens gathered en masse on Filaret Square, then known as Freedom Square, swore to defend the Constitution. This event marks the transformation of Bucharest into the epicenter of the Paşoptist revolution in Wallachia.
After four months of revolutionary rule, in which the great boyars tried several times to overthrow the government, the involvement of foreign armies was resorted to.
On January 29, 1859, Bucharest became the witness of a significant moment in the history of the Romanian people - the Union of the Principalities. On January 24, 1862, ruler Al. I. Cuza solemnly proclaims the definitive unification of the Principalities, thus establishing Bucharest as the capital of the country.
The city of Bucharest, said Mihail Kogălniceanu, has been made for centuries to be the capital of Romania. Nowhere, in any other city of Romania, is there a center of greater lights, a people with more national and liberal aspirations, a more unshakable public spirit.
In Bucharest, Alexandru Ioan Cuza and his close collaborators developed reforms aimed at contributing to the modernization of Romania, among which agrarian reform was central, encountering strong resistance from a part of the bourgeoisie and landlords. As a result of this opposition, in 1866, ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza was forced to abdicate, and the leadership of the country was taken over by Prince Carol de Hohenzollern de Sigmaringen, who continued to reign until 1914.
As a result of the economic, political and social changes at the national level, Bucharest occupies a leading place in the promotion of new capitalist production relations. Various industrial enterprises were established in this city, and in 1866, the Bucharest branch of the bank of the Ottoman Empire became the Bank of Romania. Within a year, the first monetary law was promulgated, adopting the leu as the monetary unit.
In the urban area, the city is experiencing remarkable growth. In 1857, Bucharest became the first city in the world to be lit with oil lamps, with Vienna introducing lighting two years later in 1859, starting with the train station and large shops. In addition, in 1869, the Bucharest-Giurgiu railway was opened.
The first railway station in the city, Filaret, was located on the heights of the same name and is currently one of the capital's bus stations. The Northern Railway Station was opened in 1872. In the same year, in Bucharest, the first horse-drawn tram line was put into operation, and in 1882 electric lighting was introduced. In 1894, the first electric tram appeared on the streets of the capital.
On May 9, 1877, the Assembly of Deputies declared, amid cheers from the thousands of citizens gathered in front of the parliament building, the breaking of ties with the Gate and the recognition of Romania's independence. Romania's independence was acquired through Romania's participation in the Russian-Romanian-Turkish war of 1877.
During the First World War, Romania entered the conflict alongside the Entente powers, after maintaining neutrality for two years.
As Romanian forces crossed the Carpathians, embarking on a successful campaign in Transylvania, German troops moving from south of the Danube occupied Muntenia.
Between November 16-20, 1916, one of the largest military actions took place on the Romanian front, taking place on Neajlov and Argeș. This represented the last attempt to defend the capital against the occupation. After a promising start, the Romanian army, numerically and technically outnumbered, was forced to retreat to Moldova. On November 23, 1916, German-Austro-Hungarian troops occupied Bucharest, establishing a military administration in the city the following week.
As a sign of appreciation for the defense of Bucharest, Italy and France awarded the capital the War Cross.
The Government of the French Republic, Marshal Joffre showed among others in the speech given in Bucharest in August 1920, did himself the great honor of instructing me to come to deliver the French War Cross to the city of Bucharest by citing the capital of Romania in the army agenda. France desired to express in flattering terms her admiration for your city which bore with such coolness and manliness the harsh trials of war. Thus, your noble population showed itself worthy of the heroes of Trajan and Michael the Brave.
The end of the First World War signaled at the same time the establishment of the Romanian national unitary state through the integration of Transylvania in Romania. Therefore, on December 1, 1918, Bucharest became the capital of the new unitary national state, Romania.
On August 23, 1944, the Antonescu government was arrested in the royal palace and taken to a secret residence located in the Vatra Luminoasă neighborhood. The Romanian armed forces and civilian groups immediately proceeded to disarm the German troops present in Bucharest.
Towards the end of August 25, Romanian military forces and groups of civilians, who had engaged in battle for two days under the intense attack of German aviation, liberated the city from the occupying Hitlerite troops.
The Romanian soldiers and the inhabitants of the capital engaged in an intense battle, causing the Hitlerite occupiers significant losses in both human lives and material resources. About 7000 Hitlerite soldiers, including 7 generals, were captured. Therefore, after 5 days and 5 nights of armed confrontations, Bucharest was completely liberated.
Communist architecture had a negative impact on Bucharest. It destroyed important historical monuments, alienated residents and led to a series of urban planning problems.
During the period 1947-1989, the communist regime in Romania used architecture as a tool of propaganda and control. For this purpose, a series of monumental buildings were built, which symbolized the power and prosperity of the state, as well as a series of blocks of flats, which aimed to uproot the inhabitants and transform them into the "new people" of communism.
In the early period (1947-1960), Bucharest architecture is strongly influenced by the Soviet model. A series of monumental buildings are built, such as Casa Scânteii (1952-1957), which symbolizes the power of the new regime, and Sala Palatului (1960), which is an example of socialist realist architecture. Also, the first blocks of flats are built, which are mainly located on the outskirts of the city.
In the 1960-1970 period, Bucharest architecture begins to differentiate itself from the Soviet model. More modern buildings are built, such as the Intercontinental Hotel (1965-1971) and the Television Center (1966-1972). Also, new blocks of flats are being built, which are denser and taller than those of the previous period.
In the period 1970-1989, Bucharest architecture is dominated by the personality of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Ceaușescu has a megalomaniac vision for Bucharest, which he calls "the capital of the third millennium". To this end, a series of grandiose projects are planned, but which will never be completed. Among these projects are the House of the People (1984-1989), which is the largest administrative building in the world, and the Civic Center, which was supposed to be a major axis of circulation and urban development.
Communist architecture had a profound impact on Bucharest. It radically changed the appearance of the city, destroyed many historical monuments and created a number of urban planning problems.
In the name of modernity, the communist regime destroyed a number of important historical monuments, such as the Cotroceni monastery (1984), the Vacaresti monastery (1986) and the church of St. Spiridon Vechi (1987). These destructions were condemned by the international community and represent a major damage to the Romanian cultural heritage.
The communist buildings, especially the blocks of flats, were designed to ease the regime's control over the population. They are compactly sited, with little green space, and have repetitive architecture that does not stimulate creativity or imagination. As a result, the residents of these buildings often feel isolated and without identity.
