Address: 4 Vadul Moldovei street, district 1 – direct RATB line: 301. Visiting hours (daily): summer 8-20 / winter 9-17
The Zoological Garden of Bucharest, located in the Baneasa area, was founded in 1959. It was arranged and opened in 1962. It spreads over a surface of almost 6 ha and has a collection of 149 species, reptiles, birds, mammals from the Romanian and exotic fauna, pools with exotic fish species and endangered animals.
CISMIGIU PARK
It is one of the oldest parks in Bucharest, inaugurated in 1854 right in the heart of the city, in front of the headquarters of the Capital’s City Hall. The lake located in the Cismigiu Park is formed by natural sources, being called in former times “Merchant Dura’s Pond”. In 1779, on the spot where we now have the Cismigiu Park there was one of the water cisterns that ensured the drinking water for the city.
The park, arranged by the Viennese landscapist Carl F.W.Meyer, shelters secular trees, protected by law.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
A true museum of nature, the Botanical Garden was inaugurated in 1885 in the Cotroceni Palace area. Inside it there are over 10.000 species of plants from all the continents, many of them being protected by law because they are endangered species. The plants are arranged in sectors, depending on the type of relief they originate from.
HERASTRAU PARK
The Herastrau Park was arranged between 1936 and 1939, in the north part of Bucharest, on the spot of a marshy area. Even in 1806, the elegant people of Bucharest used to go for a walk on the strands of the Herastrau lake.
The lake, spreading over a surface of 77 ha, continues to be the main attraction of the Park, where sailing sports can be practiced, and during summer on can make tours on the little ship. Also, inside the Park there is the Village Museum and the Elisabeth Palace, as well as an amusement park for children, a wharf for little ships and boats, sport lands and centers, “ExpoFlora”, and many restaurants.
The arrangement of the largest park of Bucharest was designed by the architects Pinard and Rebhun, and the alleys were designed by the architect Octav Dobrescu.
TINERETULUI PARK
The Tineretului Park, with a surface of over 80 ha, is very close to the center of Bucharest, in an area known as the “Grievance Valley”, with significant level differences of up to 16 m.
Although a blueprint existed since 1935 for the transformation of this green area into a recreation place, it was only in 1965 that started the works for the arrangement of the Park, which lasted until 1974, under the guidance of the architect Valentin Donose.
Just like the Herastrau Park, the Tineretului Park also has a natural lake, arranged with a wharf with piers for boats.
Inside the park was built the Ioan Kunst Ghermanescu Hall (formerly the Polyvalent Hall), meant for certain cultural actions and sport competitions.
The main attraction of the Park is the “Children’s Borough”.
CAROL PARK
Designed in 1900 by the architect E. Redont, the Carol Park was inaugurated in year 1906, at the feet of the Filaret Hill.
The park, arranged on approximately 40 ha, on an old vineyard plantation, also has a small lake of 2 ha, crossed by a bridge plated with marble slabs.
Even if the Carol Park is smaller, it has many attractions: the Tower of Vlad the Impaler that shelters a water reservoir, and the “Monument of the unknown soldier”, brought in 1991 from Marasesti. Then the “Giants” statues, made by the sculptor Dumitru Paciurea, and the “Cantacuzino Fountain”, an art monument in the neoclassical style, built in 1870, decorated with bas-reliefs and ceramic plates representing medieval knights and blazons on the façade and sides. Inside the Carol Park are the “Roman Arenas”, with a capacity of 5500 places in the open air, a place for shows attracting many visitors.
Also, here is the Technical Museum “Prof. Eng. Dimitrie Leonida” that was inaugurated in 1909 and reorganized in 1954.
A specimen of “Sequoia Gigantea”, a tree declared a monument of nature, cannot remain unnoticed.
The Carol Park is different from the other parks in Bucharest due to its arrangement: the central alley of the park is in a geometrical style, while the alleys of the rest of the park have a sinuous layout.
ICON’S AND IOANID PARKS
Located in the center of the Capital City, at a very short distance one from the other, the two parks, Icon’s and Ioanid (this latter being also known as the Ion Voicu Parcu) are some of the oldest in Bucharest. The name of the Icon’s Park is tightly connected to that of the nearby Icon’s Church.
The Ioanid Park opens to the Dacia boulevard, which is famous for the headquarters of the many embassies located there. The Ioanid Park was arranged on a marshy area by the bookseller Ioanid in 1870. The park was designed according to the pattern of the English squares and of the French parks (Monceau Park).
In 2003, the name of the Ioanid Park was changed into the “Ion Voicu” Park, in memory of the violinist Ion Voicu.
