Did you know that Bucharest is often called Little Paris or the Paris of the East? As you walk along Calea Victoriei, take a look at the architecture, and you'll quickly understand why. In eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, Moldavia and Wallachia elected the same ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, uniting into a fledgling Romanian state. Seeking a model of modernity, Romania looked to France for inspiration. The Romanian elite spoke French fluently, sent their children to study in Parisian schools, and immersed themselves in French literature and philosophy. French became the language of diplomacy, culture, and high society—so much so that Romania’s eighteen hundred and sixty-six constitution was drafted with direct assistance from Napoleon III’s advisors! In eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, Romania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, later crowning King Carol the first of the German Hohenzollern dynasty. During the eighteen hundred and eighties, Bucharest underwent a radical transformation. Inspired by Baron Haussmann’s redesign of Paris, Romanian architects and urban planners introduced wide, tree-lined boulevards and elegant neoclassical buildings. One striking example is the Romanian Athenaeum, a grand concert hall reminiscent of Parisian opera houses. Other landmarks, such as Bucharest’s own Arc de Triomphe, further cemented the city’s reputation. Because of this French influence in architecture, culture, and lifestyle, Bucharest earned the nickname Little Paris or the Paris of the East.