Botosani, Romania

Capital City

At just 90,010 residents, Botosani is a sleepy provincial capital that offers little to entice foreigners. The city's once-thriving Jewish community has dwindled to a mere 0.06% of the population, a testament to the area's declining fortunes. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the local government struggling to maintain the city's aging infrastructure. On the plus side, Botosani boasts a rich cultural heritage, producing luminaries like poet Mihai Eminescu. But for the average expat, this remote corner of Romania offers little beyond a quiet, uneventful existence.