București

Bucharest was once called the little Paris of the East, and the wide boulevards, the Belle Époque villas and the white stone Arcul de Triumf are still there. Next to them stands the communist era's answer, the Palace of Parliament, a building of around a thousand rooms and one of the heaviest on earth. Music matters here: the Romanian Athenaeum, round and gilded, has hosted the national orchestra for more than a century. The old town fills every evening with terraces, wine cellars and bars open until dawn, at prices that still surprise people. The food is generous — grilled minced-meat rolls, sour soups, polenta with cheese and soured cream. North of the centre, Therme Bucharest gathers pools, slides and thousands of palm trees under vast glass domes. And the Carpathians begin two hours away, with the fairy-tale woodwork of Peleș Castle and the trails of Bucegi Natural Park.