Getaway places: Carol Park (Parcul Carol)
Before anything else you should know that "Liberty Parc" (the older name for Parc Carol) turns 100 this year.The former public place on Field Filaret, looking shabby and deserted, has always been (since the 1880s) one of the favorite outdoors of the people in Bucharest. The parc was designed at the begining of the 20th century following the blueprints of French architect Eduard Redont. In june 1906, at the official opening, when Romania was celebrating 40 days since the crowning of King Charles I, the parc had an area of 35ha, trees had been planted, ponds were drained, alleys were drawn and gazebos built all over the place.
It was a very valuable urban project and it was chosen for the opening and main location of the fair Bucharest Month, in 1935. It was also the year when the Fountain of the Zodiac was finished, following the projects of architect Octav Doicescu and drawings by Mac Constantinescu and architects August Schmeidegen and Dorin Pavel.
Like in a museum, every element in the parc is an art object, starting with the giant sculptures of Dumitru Paciurea...
...and ending with the 48 meter high mausoleum in the middle of the parc: Heroes' Monument. Erected in 1963, until the end of communism in 1989, it used to be called "Monument of the Socialist Heroes" and it was designed by architects Horia Maicu and Vasile Cucu.
The Monument of the Unknown Hero, symbolically guarded by two soldiers, was brought in 1991 from Marasesti. The alleys around it and way up to the mausoleum are favorite skateboarding and roller-skating places.
If you jog on the side alleys, you can reach the Technical Museum "Dimitrie Leonida", opened in 1909, where you can find a science, technical and phonogram library.
The alley leads to a concrete bridge, another architectural work of art from 1906, belonging to Gogu Constantinescu. Under the bridge there's a pub, with quite pleasant atmosphere, and quite rioty when there's a football match going on.
Another alley, on the right hand of the parc, goes past Fountain Cantacuzino. Built in 1870 by the mayor (in that year) and later prime minister Grigore Cantacuzino, the neo classic work was famous for the purity of the water. It was recently restored and it looks great, although today it's not the "drinking place" it used to be.
On the right side there are also the Roman Arenas, initially meant for sports and lately for cultural events.
The lake used to be one of the main attractions, with various floating devices. Even today, you can go for a row in one of the blue worn out boats. The bridge over the lake leads to the stairs of the mausoleum and it looks spectacular at night, when it's lit by lamp posts on both sides.
Carol Parc is one of the best places for bicycle riding, rollerskating, running, playing with your children or just walking. It's well maintained and kept safe from the pubs with questionable music and it's usually bum free, unlike other areas..
On our way out we ran into a car accident. Nothing serious, no one hurt, just a motorbike crumpled by a Dacia. Or the other way round :)
