Călărași, Romania

🇷🇴 Călărași, the capital of Călărași County in the Muntenia region, is situated in south-east Romania, on the banks of the Danube's Borcea branch, at about 12 km (7 miles) from the Bulgarian border and 125 km (78 miles) from Bucharest.

The city is an industrial centre for lumber and paper, food processing, glass manufacturing, textiles, medical equipment production, and heavy industry, the last one represented by the Călărași steel works. The city is known colloquially as "Capșa provinciei" (the Capșa from the provinces).

History The site of a medieval village, called Lichirești from the time of Michael the Brave. Călărași appeared for the first time in 1700 on a map drawn by Constantin Cantacuzino. It got its name after it was made by the Wallachian princes, in the 17th century, a station of "mounted couriers' service" on the route from Bucharest to Constantinople. The service was operated by horseback riders (the călărași). It expanded into a small town, and in 1834 became the surrounding county's capital.

Transport Călărași is connected by National Roads DN3, DN21, DN31, and DN3B. Also A2 ("The Sun's Motorway") has 3 exits for Călărași, at Lehliu Gară (about 50 km (31 mi) NW), Dragalina (about 30 km (19 mi) N) and Fetești (about 40 km (25 mi) NE). The city lies on the seventh pan-European corridor of transport (the Danube river) and is next to the fourth pan-European transport corridor (Dresden–Constanța) at 26 km (16 mi). The Călărași train station serves the CFR Line 802. The nearest major cities are: Bucharest 120 km (75 mi), Constanța 148 km (92 mi), and Varna 155 km (96 mi).

Education The city features seven middle schools and several high schools, including • Barbu Știrbei National College • Mihai Eminescu Theoretical High School • Ștefan Bănulescu Technical High School • Danubius High School • Sandu Aldea Agricultural College • Călărași Economics College

Sport The city is currently represented by Dunărea Călărași in the Romanian Liga II football league.