Place · Calea Victoriei & Revolution Square
Cișmigiu GardensGrădina Cișmigiu
The oldest public park in the centre, laid out around a lake in the 1840s: a free, shaded loop with benches and a boat hire in summer — the rest stop between Victoriei and the Old Town, not a destination on its own.
Key facts
- Time on site
- 30–45 min
- p95 75 min
- Price
- free
- adult, 2026 estimate
- Hours
- 07:00–23:007:00 AM–11:00 PM
- verified
- Best time
- unknown
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Calea Victoriei & Revolution Square: painful
- Getting there
- Walk in from any of the gates around Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta or Calea Victoriei
- Oldest park in the centre
- Free
- Step-free
- Free entry
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 11Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…Mine-suspected land still exists in Bosnia and Herzegovin…The Palace of the Parliament is visited on a booked guide…Old Town streets are partly pedestrian and cobbled
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Balkans ↗Mine-suspected land still exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in pockets of Croatia's former front line: outside towns keep to tarmac and waymarked paths, and treat red triangle signs and taped-off fields as absolute.
- Balkans ↗Serbia refuses onward entry to travellers who reached Kosovo from a third country and then try to cross straight into Serbia; route Kosovo–Serbia legs through North Macedonia or Montenegro, or start the loop in Serbia.
- Balkans ↗Hire cars need written permission from the rental company and valid insurance for every country on the line; Kosovo sells its own border insurance and some contracts exclude Albania, Kosovo or Bosnia outright.
- Romania ↗Romania is in the EU and the Schengen area; the EU Entry/Exit System applies to non-EU visitors. Check the official EU and Romanian sources for your passport.
- Romania ↗Drivers need an electronic road vignette (rovinieta) on national roads; rental cars normally include it, but check.
- Romania ↗Brown bears live in the Carpathians and sometimes enter towns and roadsides: never feed or approach them, and follow local warnings.
- Bucharest ↗The Palace of the Parliament is visited on a booked guided tour only: bring your passport or ID card and book ahead on the official site.
- Bucharest ↗Old Town streets are partly pedestrian and cobbled: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Bucharest ↗Use a ride-hailing app or a taxi booked by phone; unbooked airport and station taxis overcharge.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours 07:00–23:00Hours 7:00 AM–11:00 PM
- Crowds
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Quietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: free
- Time to spend
- 30–45 min · up to 75 min if you linger
Know before you go
- Laid out in 1845–1860 on drained marshland by the German landscape architect Carl Meyer; it is the oldest public park in central Bucharest.
- A small open-air theatre and a chess pavilion sit inside the park; retirees play chess most afternoons.
Weather here, next 7 days
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Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
20min
Worthwhile
30min
Typical
45min
p95
75min
Public park, no gate; open from early morning to late evening year-round.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Park entry | free | — |
| Rowing boat hire, per hour | RON 20–40 (2026 estimate) | Summer only; check the kiosk. |
Inside, in order
A central lake with an island and a small bridge
Mature plane and chestnut trees, formal flower beds near the gates
In the park
On here this week
- Opening hours
- Open 07:00–23:00.Open 7:00 AM–11:00 PM.
- Gates close overnight; exact times vary by season.
- Gates and entrances
- From Walk in from any of the gates around Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta or Calea Victoriei.
- Enter from the north gate near Calea Victoriei if you are walking down from the Athenaeum.
- Mature plane and chestnut trees, formal flower beds near the gates.
- Walking and running loops
- Walk the lake loop; rowing boats are for hire at a kiosk in the warmer months (check price and hours on the day).
- Quiet mid-morning on weekdays; busy with families and joggers on weekend afternoons.
- Exercise, tai chi and dance
- A small open-air theatre and a chess pavilion sit inside the park; retirees play chess most afternoons.
- Toilets and water
- Public toilets near the main gates (small coin fee common).
- Shade and benches
- Use the benches as a sit-down break between the Victoriei and Old Town clusters, not as a half-day stop.
- Kids and playgrounds
- Flat gravel and paved paths throughout; one of the easiest walks in the centre for a wheelchair or stroller.
- Events and seasonal blooms
- Summer evenings: Open-air concerts and film screenings some weeks; check local listings.
- Summer terrace season (About May to September): Outdoor seating everywhere; beer gardens open in the parks.
- Romanian Athenaeum · about 9 min on foot
- Revolution Square memorial · about 5 min on foot
- Romanian Athenaeum garden · about 9 min on foot
- Cișmigiu Gardens north gate · about 1 min on foot
- National Art Museum courtyard · about 6 min on foot
- Bulevardul Bălcescu shops (field-verify) · about 9 min on foot
- Calea Victoriei café row (field-verify) · about 5 min on foot
How to do it well
- 1Enter from the north gate near Calea Victoriei if you are walking down from the Athenaeum.
- 2Walk the lake loop; rowing boats are for hire at a kiosk in the warmer months (check price and hours on the day).
- 3Use the benches as a sit-down break between the Victoriei and Old Town clusters, not as a half-day stop.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Walk in from any of the gates around Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta or Calea Victoriei
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- None on the main paths; a few steps near the amphitheatre.
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Quiet mid-morning on weekdays; busy with families and joggers on weekend afternoons.
- Sensory load
- 1/5
- Exposure
- low
Bailouts
heat
Shaded paths under the mature trees
rain
Covered benches near the lake pavilion
Nearest rescue anchor: C — Cișmigiu Gardens north gate
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yesNone on the main paths; a few steps near the amphitheatre.
- Wheelchair: yes · yes
- Stroller: yes · yes
Flat gravel and paved paths throughout; one of the easiest walks in the centre for a wheelchair or stroller.
Combine with
- 8 minRomanian Athenaeum
- 10 minNational Art Museum (Calea Victoriei)
Walk the Calea Victoriei & Revolution Square area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
| Spot | When | Rule on the spot |
|---|---|---|
| Lake and island bridge | check | — |
More on the groundFacilities · Seasons · Who it suits · Skip it if
Facilities on site
| What | Status | Where / note |
|---|---|---|
| Public toilets near the main gates (small coin fee common). | ||
| A café-kiosk by the lake. |
Seasons, festivals and night openings
| When | What happens | Effect on your visit | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer evenings | — | Open-air concerts and film screenings some weeks; check local listings. | |
| Winter | — | Bare trees and a quieter park; the lake sometimes freezes at the edges. |
“Check” rows move every year; confirm dates on the official calendar before you plan around them.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A rest stop | good | — |
| Families | good | — |
| Step-free walking | good | — |
Skip it if
- You are pressed for time and have already seen a city park elsewhere — this is a pleasant stop, not a must.
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
Is there an entry fee?
No, it is a free public park with gates open from early morning to late evening.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Can I hire a boat?
Yes, from a lakeside kiosk in the warmer months; hours and price are seasonal — check on the day.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Is it safe in the evening?
Generally yes and well used by locals; stick to the lit main paths after dark like anywhere else.
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterCalea Victoriei & Revolution Squarenearest point: Cișmigiu Gardens north gate10 m · 1 min walk
- EatLacrimi și Sfinți140 m · 2 min walk
- Sleep areaCalea Victoriei & Cișmigiu240 m · 4 min walk
- PlaceRevolution Square350 m · 6 min walk
- ClusterOld Town (Lipscani)nearest point: CEC Palace steps480 m · 8 min walk
- PlaceRomanian Athenaeum570 m · 9 min walk
Sources
- officialBucharest City Hall (official)
- secondaryWikivoyage — Bucharest