Voyager Tourism

Cismigiu Garden is the capital's oldest public garden. Its unique charm has won the hearts of the inhabitants of Bucharest who have strolled along its paths throughout the years. The main entrance into the park is along Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, guarded by the imposing building of the City Hall. Cismigiu has yet another entrance along Stirbei Voda Boulevard, near Kretzulescu Palace, whose stone steps descend into the park. Around 1779, the Prince Alexandru Ipsilanti, desirous of good drinking water, ordered the construction of two fountains. The first was built near today's entrance on Stirbei Voda Boulevard, behind which the construction foreman and the great manager of public fountains (“cismigiu” in Romanian), Dumitru, built a house. Here comes from the name of the park that is still used today. Cismigiu was known as the Garden or Pool of Dura, the Merchant, until the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, and it was far greater then than it is today. Here was a mud pool, with subterranean springs, that never dried up. In it grew reeds and rush that provided protection for wild ducks. When it rained heavily and the Dambovita River over flowed, the waters of the Cismigiu ran as far as the walls of Sarindar Monastery, the site of today's National Military Circle. Around 1830, General Pavel Kiseleff, ordered Baron Borroczyn to dry up the pool and make a public garden. This project was completed later, during the reign of Gheorghe Bibescu, by the Viennese landscape architect Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer. The talented and hard-working architect fought a battle with Cismigiu swamps, subduing these and managing to transform this unsightly place into a veritable jewel. Meyer used the pool, transforming it into a beautiful lake, with full canalization to allow for easy drainage and cleaning, and installing an artesian well in its midst.
In winter, to the great delight of the people of Bucharest, the lake becomes a huge ice skating rink. It was the same man who carved out the paths, using every elevation for a more beautiful view of the whole. There are over 30.000 indigenous trees, some very rare ones. Artificial grottoes, floral carpets, and bridges were created, and benches were installed. Cismigiu was not created all at once, but rather in phases. Its size was increased with a parcel purchased from the Kretzulescu Family Garden. Exotic fish, swans and pelicans were brought in. Much later a small zoo was established with bears, wolves, foxes and beavers. In 1852 the entire park was enclosed. The Inner Minister took special care of this garden, issuing a series of provisions. Walks along the paths were permitted from sunrise to 10 p.m., and on bright nights until midnight. No one was allowed to enter the park on horseback or in a carriage, nor were dogs and other beasts permitted access. Street vendors were also prohibited, and fines were issued for anyone walking on the grass or picking the flowers. Even excessive noise was sanctioned. One of the capital's first newspaper stands was established at the main Cismigiu entrance, opposite City Hall, at the end of the 19th century. Today, this kiosk can still be admired on the right-hand side of the Park.