Bucharest

Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is a city of contradictions — grand Belle Époque boulevards running alongside brutalist Soviet-era apartment blocks, excellent restaurants operating beneath crumbling stucco facades, and a vibrant young population creating one of Eastern Europe's most energetic nightlife scenes. The city was once called the "Paris of the East," and while the comparison requires some imagination, the ambition behind it is still visible. The Palace of the Parliament — built by Nicolae Ceaușescu in the 1980s and the second-largest administrative building in the world by floor space — is the most extraordinary monument to communist megalomania in Europe. Guided tours are available and deeply fascinating. The Old Town (Centrul Vechi) has been gentrified from a near-ruin into a dense cluster of restaurants, bars and clubs. The Village Museum (Muzeul Satului) in Herăstrău Park is one of Europe's finest open-air folk architecture museums. The Romanian Athenaeum concert hall is a magnificent Neo-classical building. Calea Victoriei, the main boulevard, passes through the heart of the historical city, lined with palaces, museums and grand hotels. The Carturesti Carusel bookshop, in a beautifully restored Belle Époque building, is among Europe's most beautiful bookshops. Bucharest's food scene has exploded in quality and creativity. Romania is very affordable. Day trips to Sinaia (mountain resort and royal castle) and the Prahova Valley are excellent.