Cișmigiu Gardens

"Cișmigiu Garden is the oldest public garden in Bucharest. It is located in the center of the city, it has an area of about 16 hectares. In 1779, the ruler of Wallachia, Alexandru Ipsilanti, ordered the construction of two boots in Bucharest. The first cismea was made on the place where the garden from Știrbei Vodă street is today. The resulting puddle was a hotbed of infection in the middle of the city. Dumitru Siulgi-basa, the head of the works over the city's chimneys, also called "the great chimney" (from chimney + the suffix giu) built a residence in the vicinity of this chimney. His main task was to supervise the flow of water. Gradually, in urban folklore, the "Lake of Dura Neguțatorul" disappears from the toponymy and that of "Cișmegiului" appears. The city did not expand much to the West due to the almost annual floods that swelled the Cișmegiu lake (its level rose up to today's Military Circle). In 1830, General Pavel Kiseleff ordered the draining of the swamp and the transformation of the land into a public garden. This only happened during the reign of Gheorghe Bibescu, in 1847, when the landscape gardener Wilhelm Mayer, the former director of the Imperial Gardens in Vienna, was called and tasked with transforming the unsanitary land into a beautiful garden. Mayer was assisted by the gardener Franz Harer. After the abdication of Gh. Bibescu in 1848, the new ruler, Barbu Știrbei, decides to dig a ditch and a connecting canal with Dâmbovița. The most important year for the transformation of the garden was 1852. For the first time, the fence was made with hedges, a hundred "sofas" (benches) without armrests, made of oak wood and one cubit long, were installed. The beautification works ended in 1854, when the Cișmegiu garden was officially inaugurated. In 1856, part of the lake dried up thanks to the shoemakers around who had thrown here the remains of materials specific to their trade. In the winter of 1883, the lake in the garden froze over and ice competitions were held. The city hall bought a plot of land from the former garden of the Crețulescu family, thus increasing the area of Cișmegiu garden by 15,000 square meters. Swans and pelicans were brought. In 1943, in the part facing Schitu Măgureanu, the Writers' Rotunda was set up, where the busts of the great Romanian writers are exhibited: Mihai Eminescu, Alexandru Odobescu, Titu Maiorescu, Ion Luca Caragiale, George Coșbuc, Ștefan Octavian Iosif, Ion Creangă, Alexandru Vlahuță, Duiliu Zamfirescu, Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, Nicolae Bălcescu and Vasile Alecsandri."

"Cișmigiu Park is the oldest and one of the most beautiful parks in Bucharest, offering a peaceful retreat in the heart of the city. Its charming landscape features winding pathways, picturesque lakes, and lush greenery, making it a favorite spot for both locals and visitors. One of the park’s popular activities is renting a paddle boat on the serene lake, perfect for a relaxing afternoon on the water. You can also stroll through the well-manicured gardens, visit the Roman Garden, or relax at one of the park’s cafes. With its tranquil atmosphere, Cișmigiu Park is an ideal escape from the city's bustle."

"If you're looking for a European thing to do, a stroll in the park should be high on your list and this park is a great place to check that off! "