Timișoara vs Mons

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Timișoara (UK: , US: , Romanian: [timiˈʃo̯ara] (listen); German: Temeswar [ˈtɛmɛʃvaːɐ̯], also Temeschburg or Temeschwar; Hungarian: Temesvár [ˈtɛmɛʃvaːr] (listen); Serbian: Темишвар; Turkish: Temeşvar) is the capital city of Timiș County, the third largest city in Romania and the main social, economic and cultural centre in western Romania. Nicknamed the Little Vienna or the City of Flowers, Timișoara is considered the informal capital city of the historical Banat. The country's third most populous city is the economic hub of the region, with 319,279 inhabitants as of the 2011 census. It is home to almost a half-million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, as well as ca. 50,000 students from over 50 countries.Today, Timișoara, like many other large cities in Romania, is a medical tourism service provider especially for dental care. It also offers excellent academic institutions, attracting thousands of international students annually, mainly at its medical school.

As a technology hub, the city has one of the most powerful IT sectors in Romania alongside Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Brașov, becoming a popular tech destination according to Financial Times. In 2013 Timișoara had the fastest internet download speed in the world. Along with Oradea, Timișoara is part of the Art Nouveau European Route.It was the first city in the Habsburg Monarchy with street lighting (1760) and the first European city to be lit by electric street lamps in 1884. It opened the first public lending library with a reading room in the Habsburg Empire and built a municipal hospital 24 years before Vienna. Also, it published the first German newspaper in Southeast Europe (Temeswarer Nachrichten). It has been an important centre for music in Europe since the 19th century. The Romanian Revolution began in Timișoara.The city will be the next European Capital of Culture in 2023.

Source: Wikipedia

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Mons (French pronunciation: ​[mɔ̃s]; Dutch: Bergen; German: Bergen; Picard: Mont; Walloon: Mont) is a Belgian city and municipality, and the capital of the province of Hainaut in the Walloon region. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. The population grew quickly, trade flourished, and several commercial buildings were erected near the Grand’Place. In 1814, King William I of the Netherlands increased the fortifications, following the fall of the First French Empire. The Industrial Revolution and coal mining made Mons a center of heavy industry. In 1830, Belgium gained its independence and the decision was made to dismantle the fortifications, allowing the creation of large boulevards and other urban projects.

On 23–24 August 1914, Mons was the location of the Battle of Mons. The British were forced to retreat and the town remained occupied by the Germans until its liberation by the Canadian Corps during the final days of the war. There are several memorial placards related to the WW1 battles. Today, the city is an important university town and commercial centre. The main square is the centre of the old city. It is paved in the manner of old cities and is home to many cafes and restaurants, as well as the town hall and belfry. It is forbidden to park in or drive through the centre. Together with the Czech city of Plzeň, Mons was the European Capital of Culture in 2015.

Source: Wikipedia