VEGOUTBROOKLYN.COM

Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is also the country’s largest city. With a population that tops two million, no other city in the nation comes close to Bucharest in scope and scale and, as a result, it has become Romania’s cultural, artistic, and financial epicenter. Bucharest’s economical prowess extends beyond the country’s borders, though, making it one of the most important industrial cities in all of Eastern Europe.

What is surprising about Bucharest is that it is a remarkably wealthy city considering its large urban area and sizable population. It certainly helps that the city is home to such financial powerhouses as the Rasdaq Electronic Exchange and the Bucharest Stock Exchange. All the same, it is rare that a town with two million people should have such a high cost of living and, upon realizing that the unemployment rate is lower than three percent, it is clear that Bucharest is a city that certainly has control of its growth. The most fascinating aspect about this abnormal metropolis, though, has got to be the demographics: Ninety seven percent of Bucharest’s population is of Romanian descent. This is even stranger considering the internationality of the majority of cities in Eastern Europe.

Despite Bucharest’s homogenized makeup, the city’s cultural scene is surprisingly diverse. The performing arts of the city incorporate elements from many different nations and there is a vast amount of French-inspired architecture to be found everywhere you look. This curious trait has earned Bucharest the nickname “Little Paris”. Among the Parisian influences scattered about Bucharest, one of the most notable is the Arcul de Triumf. This beautiful arch is based on Paris’ own Arc de Triomphe.

Many other beautiful buildings and sculptures draw countless visitors to Bucharest each year, including the Romanian Athenaeum and the Memorial of Rebirth, but none of these landmarks can come close to the Palace of the Parliament in terms of size and breadth. This astonishing structure was built very recently in the 1980s but its glory is not lost in its youth. It is the largest building in all of Europe and only one building in the entire world, Boeing’s Everett Factory, is bigger than the Palace. Lest you think all of Bucharest’s grandeur lies on the outside of its buildings’ facades, the city is also home to some of the most incredible art museums ever seen. The National Museum of Art of Romania, for instance, is filled with rare Medieval paintings and sculptures that thrill thousands each year. The Zambaccian Museum is similarly revealing, with classics by Picasso among others. The National Museum of Contemporary Art houses some of the more recent masterpieces but no matter where you look you’ll see museums and buildings that will thrill your senses. No other city in Romania even comes close to Bucharest in terms of beauty and design and there are very few places in the entire world that can compare with this slice of heaven in Eastern Europe. If you get the chance to backpack through some of the more notable countries in the Western World, make sure you don’t pass up Bucharest. You’ll regret it every day for the rest of your life if you do.

Find your next Bucharest hotel here.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/bucharest-romania-1600026.html

In North Germany, not far from Denmark, lies Hamburg, the second most populated city in Germany after Munich. The Hamburg Metropolitan Region boasts almost five million citizens and has been a home to Germans for over a thousand years. The citizens, known as “Hamburgers”, are an interesting mix of Turkish, British, and Polish backgrounds although a large amount of people (over twenty-two thousand) are of Afghanistan descent, giving Hamburg the highest population of Afghans in all of Europe. This statistic is made even more interesting when one finds that nearly half the city is Christian and the second largest religion is Islam. All the same, it is rare to find culture clashes of a large scale in Hamburg.

Hamburg is one of the most historically significant areas in Germany. Long before the word “fuehrer” ever reared its ugly head, Hamburg was the home of Emperor Charlemagne in the 800s. Throughout the years the city has been home to Protestant refugees, Portuguese Jews, and Catholic bishops. The city has withstood air raids against the Nazis, Viking attacks, Polish occupation and even the decimation of eighty percent of the population during the Black Death. Few cities in the world have seen and experienced as much as Hamburg and, to this day, the city is a virtual bevy of wonder for historians and archeologists alike, as well as for anybody interested in the beauty of German craftsmanship.

Like many old German cities, there is a wealth of historic churches that are not only fascinating but beautiful as well. Chief among these is the legendary St. Nicolas’ Church, which for a time was the tallest building in the continent! As opposed to many modern cities and rebuilt German burgs like Frankfurt, there are very few skyscrapers in Hamburg. Despite this, there is still a beautiful skyline in Hamburg because of the many tall and beautiful churches in addition to St. Nicolas’. St. James’, St. Peter’s, and St. Catherine’s all display tall, gorgeous steeples that bestow upon Hamburg a touch of classic grandeur unrivaled in many parts of Germany.

Adding to Hamburg’s stately appearance is the vast amount of canals that run through Hamburg and bring to it evocations of Venice at sunset. Interestingly enough, a visit to Hamburg may in fact make Venice pale in comparison as the twenty-three hundred bridges in the city make Hamburg the most bridge-filled city in the entire world! With all this outdoor beauty to marvel at, one may forget that Hamburg also has a slew of indoor entertainment as well. With over three dozen theaters, more than fifty museums, and over one hundred clubs, Hamburg’s tourism rivals that of many of Germany’s most popular towns. There were over seven and a half million overnight hotel stays in Hamburg last year. In addition, the Hamburg State Opera has been home to some of the finest performances on Earth and plays a large part in the over eighteen million concert attendees each year.

Hamburg is a fascinating melting pot of culture, religion, and history that should be seen by anybody with the means to get there. Visiting the second most populated city in Germany is a boon to anybody interested not just in history, though, but in humanity and

Find your next Hamburg hotel here.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hamburg-germany-1600034.html