About Carol I Park
At a glance: Parks and gardens in București. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 11 October 2026.
Carol I Park is one of the great historic parks of Bucharest, climbing Filaret Hill in Sector 4. It was made for the General Romanian Exhibition of 1906, held for the 40th anniversary of King Carol I's reign, to plans by the landscape designer Édouard Redont, with Constantin I. Istrati as commissioner-general of the exhibition. The ground was reshaped on a large scale (about 575,000 cubic metres of earth moved for the lake and terraces), and the park was given a mixed style: landscaped around the edges and geometric along the Central Avenue. Its area is given in the sources as anywhere from about 29 to 41 hectares, depending on how it is counted. After 1948 it carried the name Liberty Park for many years, and in 1991 it became Carol I Park again. The whole is a listed historic monument (LMI code B-II-a-A-19016).
What you can see
The Central Avenue climbs from the entrance by the Zodiac Fountain, past the lake and a bridge, to the upper plateau, where the Heroes of the Nation Memorial stands, the former communist mausoleum of 1963, a 48-metre structure with five arches of red granite. In front of it is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, placed here in 1923, taken to Mărășești in 1958 and brought back in 1991; its present location dates from 2006. The Zodiac Fountain, from 1934, stands at the main entrance. The park also has the Cantacuzino Fountain of 1870, the "Giants" statues, the Roman Arenas (an open-air concert venue), the "Dimitrie Leonida" National Technical Museum (opened in 1909) and the Astronomical Institute of the Academy, with the Bosianu observatory. The former water tower, "Vlad the Impaler's Citadel", is now the seat of the National Office for the Cult of Heroes and can be seen from the outside.
Good to know
The park is open to all, but the interior of the Memorial is not normally visited: it was opened for a single day, on 6 June 2026, for the 120th anniversary of the park's inauguration, and the city hall has said publicly that on an ordinary day even the steps are off limits. The monument needs extensive works and has no utility connections. A rehabilitation project for the park, worth about 47.6 million lei, was approved in 2022, but there is no news showing that the works have begun; the paths and the lake banks are still in their old state.
- The Central Avenue, climbing beside the lake to the plateau of the Heroes of the Nation Memorial.
- The Heroes of the Nation Memorial, the former mausoleum of 1963, with its five tall arches of red granite.
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in front of the Memorial, the national place of commemoration for the war dead.
- The Zodiac Fountain, from 1934, at the main entrance to the park.
- The lake with its bridge, especially in spring, when the chestnut trees and the trees on the banks are in bloom.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the park is in the south of central Bucharest, at the end of Mărășești Boulevard; the main entrance, with the Zodiac Fountain, faces 11 Iunie Street. Traffic is often heavy, so it helps to leave the car further away and come on foot.
Public transport: on 11 Iunie Street and Mărășești Boulevard there are tram and bus stops named "Parcul Carol I". From Piața Unirii metro station it is ~1.5 km on foot (check the current routes on the STB website).
- Where to park
The park has no car park of its own. Spaces on the surrounding streets are generally paid, in meter or app zones, and fill up quickly on fine weekends.
- Fees & discounts
Entry to the park and access to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are free. The "Dimitrie Leonida" National Technical Museum and the events at the Roman Arenas have separate tickets; their prices are not listed here.
- Rules
Follow the signs in the park: pets only on a lead, do not pick the flowers or walk on the beds. Keep quiet at the Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; the monument is guarded around the clock by soldiers, so do not climb the steps or enter the enclosure.
- Facilities
paved paths · benches · playground · lake with a bridge · Technical Museum · Roman Arenas · tram and bus stops at the entrances
Frequently asked questions about Carol I Park
- How much is a ticket to Carol I Park?
- Admission to Carol I Park is free (public park, no ticket). Entry to the park and access to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are free. The "Dimitrie Leonida" National Technical Museum and the events at the Roman Arenas have separate tickets; their prices are not listed here.
- How long does a visit to Carol I Park take?
- A visit to Carol I Park takes about 1 – 1½ hours (a walk up to the Memorial).
- Can you visit Carol I Park with kids?
- Yes, Carol I Park is suitable for children (wide paths and a playground).
- Where can I park at Carol I Park?
- There is paid parking at Carol I Park (on the surrounding streets). The park has no car park of its own. Spaces on the surrounding streets are generally paid, in meter or app zones, and fill up quickly on fine weekends.
- How do I get to Carol I Park?
- Carol I Park is located at Entrance by the Zodiac Fountain (11 Iunie Street / Mărășești Boulevard), București. By car: the park is in the south of central Bucharest, at the end of Mărășești Boulevard; the main entrance, with the Zodiac Fountain, faces 11 Iunie Street. Traffic is often heavy, so it helps to leave the car further away and come on foot. Public transport: on 11 Iunie Street and Mărășești Boulevard there are tram and bus stops named "Parcul Carol I". From Piața Unirii metro station it is ~1.5 km on foot (check the current routes on the STB website).
- When is the best time to visit Carol I Park?
- The best season for Carol I Park: April – October (spring, with chestnuts in bloom).
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