Timișoara, in western Romania, features on the list of the Best Second Cities in Europe to Visit in 2021 put together by British newspaper The Independent.

The list covers nine cities that can serve as “alternatives to bustling capital cities” or to crowded nature spots. “With beaches, parks, and even mountains now crowded with people looking for that sense of freedom, cities can be the perfect refuge,” the authors of the article, Qin Xie, Simon Calder, and Helen Coffey, write.

The Romanian city is noted for its Secessionist architecture, for which it is sometimes called “Little Vienna,” the mix of cultures that left their mark on its history and style, as well as its cultural offering, set to expand further as the city prepares to roll out the European Capital of Culture program in 2023.

Timișoara is one of the three European Capitals of Culture on the list, alongside Rijeka (Croatia), which held the title in 2020 and will keep it until April of this year, and Wroclaw (Poland), the holder of the title in 2016.

The full list of Best Second Cities includes Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Rijeka (Croatia), Wroclaw (Poland), Sète (France), Lahti (Finland), Cork (Ireland), Düsseldorf (Germany), and Braga (Portugal).

The list is available here.

(Photo: Conceptew/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com