It is the second largest university centre in Romania. It has a population of just under half a million people, swelling greatly when the town's several universities are in session. Some of these hills have conspicuous churches perched on top, each of which provides a different view of the city. Ancient churches, old European style houses and communist apartment buildings compete for space in this crowded city, which is constantly expanding into the surrounding villages; the urban rush of communism replaced houses, pigs, chickens, and cherry trees with apartment buildings.
The land was confiscated from the peasants and they received apartments as compensation in the newly created common living spots. Factories sprung around the intensive urban effort, organized together in the industrial zone, only to be abandoned two generations later with the fall of the regime which gave them and the nation purpose.
Tourism in the city takes place around its heritage of archaeological sites, memorial houses, museums and historical and architectural monuments. Moreover, the folkloric and ethnographic heritage, the nature protection areas, natural mineral waters, and the vineyards in the surrounding countryside remain to be discovered. The city is on the border to Europe's poorest country and you may think that this location is shown off in the city.
That is though wrong. Although the borough is very poor and that you'll see horse carriage the outskirts of the city, the center is undergoing a renaissance. A mall has been opened and sidewalks and houses have been renovated.
On top of that, the thriving student community puts a young and trendy atmosphere as in any other European student city. It was a commercial privilege elaborated by Alexandru cel Bun after some rounds of negotiation with merchants from Lviv. The designation of the capital to Bucharest was met with a lot of grief by the local city dwellers. The Moldavian aristocracy moved massively to Bucharest, leaving the former capital devoid of some of its former shine and richness.
