Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania

Capital City

With a population of just 32,793, Sighetu Marmației feels like a sleepy backwater, even by Romanian standards. The town's industrial heritage has faded, and its economy struggles to move beyond a handful of wood processing plants. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, and the long, frigid winters can be brutal. Yet the city retains a sense of history, from its 11th century origins to its role as a center of Jewish life tragically cut short by the Holocaust. Those seeking an authentic, if challenging, Romanian experience may find Sighetu Marmației to their liking, but it's hardly the stuff of postcard fantasies.