Călărași (Romanian pronunciation: [kələˈraʃʲ] ⓘ), 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 kilometres (7 miles) from the Bulgarian border and 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Bucharest.

[3] The site of a medieval village, called Lichirești from the time of Michael the Brave.

[dubious – discuss] 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 surrounding communes (Modelu, Ostrov, Roseți, Grădiștea, Cuza-Vodă, and Ștefan Vodă) together with Călărași number almost 100,000 inhabitants.