Come spring, everyone is out in Herastrau Park and other beautiful parks of Bucharest. I went there on April 28, when we celebrated Palm Sunday. There was a crafts fair at the nearby Village Museum, so I walked about those grounds for a while under a blue sky with cirrus clouds, and then stepped into the park to find lilac shrubs and chestnut trees in bloom, green willows by the lake, and lots of flowers. I made several Full HD video clips, which I later edited into two video sequences. I also took some photos.

Photos and Videos of Herastrau Park in Spring
by Mira
By Mira at Wizzley. Two edited Full HD videos and several pictures shot on April 28, 2013 in Parcul Herăstrău in Bucharest. Info on Herastrau Park.
How the Park Came to Be
Herastrau Parc (Parcul Herăstrău in Romanian; renamed King Michael I Park in 2018) lies on what used to be marshland. The latter was drained between 1930 and 1935, and the park was opened in 1936, on the occasion of the second edition of Bucharest Month, meant to attract national and foreign visitors to the capital of Romania. The festivities included a main exhibit showcasing Bucharest, a book fair, art exhibits, sports activities, rally racing, circus shows, many public festivities, and so on.
Gorgeous Spring Day in Herastrau Park (Full HD Video #1). 1'23"
More from Parcul Herăstrău on April 28, 2013 (Full HD Video #2). 1'06"
Bucharest Month (1935-1940)
For the 1935 edition of Bucharest Month a Zodiac Fountain was commissioned from architect Octav Doicescu and artist Mac Constantinescu for Park Carol I, where the main exhibit was held, complete with photos, slides, dioramas, and models, including a 100 sq. meter model of what Bucharest was envisioned to become. There were also theater shows.
The second, 1936, edition of Bucharest Month was centered around the park girding Herastrau Lake, a park which received the name of King Carol II, becoming Parcul Regele Carol al II-lea. Several pavilions were built in the park, including the Regal Pavilion. All of them were again coordinated by architect Octav Doicescu. There were pavilions dedicated to the Little Entente, a Municipal Pavilion, a Cultural Pavilion, and so on. Chechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the other two members of the Little Entente, were invited to participate, and plans were made for Romania to participate in future editions of similar events (Prague Month and Belgrade Month) in those respective countries.
The 1936 edition also saw the inauguration of the Miorița Fountain, on the București-Ploiești Highroad, in the vicinity of what is now Herastrau Park. The monument was designed by arch. Octav Doicescu, and embellished with mosaics created by artist Milița Petrașcu. The imagery illustrated our folk ballad Miorița.
Bucharest Month was organized yearly until 1940, when it was discontinued. Herastrau Park, the Zodiac Fountain in Carol I Park, and the Miorița Fountain are its lasting legacies.
More about Herastrau Park and the Village Museum
If you want to learn more about Parcul Herăstrău and Muzeul Satului in Bucharest, see my previous article on the topic (it will open in a new tab). It includes photos of various constructions (including some interiors) in the Village Museum, and of scenic landscapes in the park, taken in the summer of 2012.
And Now Some Videos and Photos of Herastrau Park in Spring
Taken on April 28, 2013
![]() Relaxing on the Shore of Herastrau Lake © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() Photographing a Statue of Chopin © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() People by the Bridge in Herastrau Park © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() More People by the Lake © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() What are these flowers called in English? Update: They are forget-me-nots. © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() Lilac Blossoms in Herastrau Park © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() Ducks in Parcul Herăstrău © Mira at Wizzley |
![]() Making a Willow Wreath © Mira at Wizzley |
Canon PowerShot SX740 w/ 40x Optical Zoom, 4K Video, and 20.3 MP. Wi-Fi and NFC for easy image sharing
#commissionsearned
![]() |
Canon PowerShot SX740 Digital Camera w/40x Optical Zoom & 3 Inch Ti... |
Like these photos and videos?
They were shot with a quite capable small camera, Canon PowerShot S110.
It has a 24mm wide-angle lens with 5x optical zoom, 12.1 MP, and ISO of up to 12800, and shoots Full HD video wonderfully, as you can see above.
It's a great camera if you want to travel light and still be able to bring home nice photos and videos.
Update: I'm showing to the right a more recent model, Canon Powershot SX740.
Why the Willow Wreath
I took this photos of Herăstrău Park on Palm Sunday, also known as Branch or Willow Sunday. More about how we celebrate it here in Romania in another recent article of mine:
One of the Best General Travel Guides to Romania: The Rough Guide to Romania (2019)
#commissionsearned
![]() |
The Rough Guide to Romania (Travel Guide with Free eBook)... Only $21.31 |
My Favorite Travel Book in English on Romania's Arts and Culture. Written by a British Art Historian, Caroline Juler
#commissionsearned
![]() |
National Geographic Traveler: Romania |
The Little Book of Romanian Wisdom. Great Gift for Romania Fans
#commissionsearned
![]() |
The Little Book of Romanian Wisdom (English and Romanian ... |
My Favorite Book of Traditional Romanian Recipes, Complete with Tidbits on Romanian culure
#commissionsearned
![]() |
Taste of Romania |
You might also like
Cool Gadgets for Geeks and Travelers This Christmas, Many of T...Popular and very useful gadgets that make great Christmas gifts for geeks and...
My Favorite Brands for Comfy ShoesSome of the top brands for comfortable footwear for women. These are shoes ma...

Comments
Thank you :)
I really liked this article, so I'm pinning it to my "See the World" board.
Hi Derdriu,
I never heard of a chestnut blight here. In fact, chestnuts are quite common, and during Communist times, decades ago, we kids were out on the streets of Bucharest every fall to pick chestnuts (to be used as animal feed). Two buckets each, if I remember correctly. Mom helped. :) So chestnuts were always around and gloriously healthy, as far as I can remember!
When was this blight exactly? I'll have to look it up.
Glad you like chestnut trees and lilacs! I'll have to post some more photos from the Botanical Garden in Iasi (besides those from the article on wildflowers), now that you mention it. Lilac of all kinds and all colors, and chestnuts in bloom.
Mira, Did Romania's chestnut trees experience the blight? Italy's chestnut trees were allowed to develop their own reaction, and the survivors still carry the proud scars of successful hypovirulence against a milder form of the blight.
The chestnut tree is one of my favorite woody plants, and the lilac produces one of my favorite blooms. It must be quite a sight to be welcomed by such a helpful tree as the chestnut and such a fragrant beauty as the lilac.
It says a lot for the level of environmental consciousness and for the commitment to life's beautiful pleasures that so many people turn out to enjoy Herastrau Park.
Thank you for including natural beauty within the Internet's daily fare.
It was a beautiful day, too! Thank you for visiting, Shraddha!
The Herastrau park looks amazing and the images are the ones that pull you towards the greenery - very beautiful.
Thank you, ologinquito. It is, in fact!! There's so much natural beauty to start with. I just came back from a short trip to Iasi and have material for several articles. I loved the Botanical Gardens in Iasi, for instance. Plan to make an article with little-known flowers :).
Hi Mira,
Romania must be fascinating. This park looks beautiful.
Thank you, Belinda, for your armchair visit :). I am pretty much stuck in Bucharest too, so I think you'll be seeing a lot of this city in the future ;-)
Thank you, Nick, for visiting :)