Bucharest Battles Tough Reviews

Bucharest may be blossoming in many aspects of its cultural and tourist realms, but in some other ways, the city continues to struggle with tough reviews from European-wide critics. The Romanian capital has just been dealt a new blow, with the VerticalNews.com website declaring Bucharest the "ugliest capital in Europe" according to its users.

The Mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, has dismissed the claim, saying "They are making charts just to discourage us". However, the website has presented the city as a town with "damaged roads, piles of garbage irregular supply of hot water". However, the city has also been called one of the cheapest cities for expats, ranking 74th in the 2011 edition of a study by ECA International.