We started and finished our tour of Romania in Bucharest, staying in two different areas of the city.
Hotel Herăstrău, located in the park of the same name, sounded ideal as it would provide a gentle unwind after a busy four weeks. It was also close to the airport, bearing in mind we had an early morning flight.
Although it was officially renamed King Miahi I Park in 2018, the name Herăstrău Park still persists. It covers 187 hectares, and surrounds Lake Herâstrâu, which was known to be a favorite place of leisure for the people of Bucharest. By the beginning of the 18th century the ruler was enjoying strolling on the lakeshore accompanied by ladies of the court. By the next century, the town’s common people began enjoying the fresh air, and now it’s a mecca for joggers, cyclists, families and anyone wanting to escape the buzz of the city.
The main entrance to the park is Piaţa Charles de Galle where we found a large bronze statue of the man, which was once apparently voted ‘ugliest statue in the city’. A map revealed 60 busts dotted around the park, many of them famous Romanian authors. However, there were more familiar names like Charles Darwin, and a very attractive one of Uri Gagarin. Searching for these provided a little focus to our wanderings.
Whilst there was a plethora of outlets selling ice-creams and other snacks, we only came across one restaurant, Biblioteca Herăstrău. Although the casual place was still setting up, and the pizza oven was yet to crank up, they were welcoming, and we were grateful for a comfortable seat, a cold beer and use of the loo, as we’d not seen any public toilets
An island, Insular Trandafirilor, was connected to the mainland by short bridges. Here we found a circle of five huge heads of famous Romanian authors, as well as lots of rose beds. Walking across the island led us to the western shore of the lake where boats of all description were moored up. However, as it was a weekday just before the summer season began, it was very quiet although we at last found several restaurants with a livelier vibe.
Whilst this is a park, rather than gardens, there were some patches of flower beds and pools with fountains and although we spotted signs for a Japanese Garden, our legs were weary.
Whilst we enjoyed exploring the park, our stay at the Hotel Herăstrău was less successful and you can find out why, by reading the review – https://silvertraveladvisor.com/reviews/sadly-lacking-the-peace-and-tranquility-we-hoped-for/
