# Nicolae Romanescu Park

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Dolj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/dolj) › [Craiova](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/craiova)

> A romantic park of nearly 100 hectares designed by the Frenchman Édouard Redont and inaugurated in 1903, with a lake, a suspension bridge, the Enchanted Castle and the zoo, in the south of Craiova.

**At a glance:** Parks and gardens in Craiova, Dolj County. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 2 – 2½ hours. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** A public park with free entry; I could not find an official opening schedule (a local guide gives 6:00–22:00, not confirmed by the operator). The zoo, the boat landing and the restaurants in the park have their own hours; check on the spot.
- **Ticket:** Free — entry to the park is free
- **Visit duration:** 2 – 2½ hours — estimate, with bridge, lake and zoo
- **With kids:** Yes — zoo, boats, wide paths
- **Parking:** Yes, free — on the boulevard, few spaces
- **Best season:** All year round — boating in summer, leaves in autumn
- **Address:** Nicolae Romanescu boulevard (main entrance, no. 1A), Craiova, Dolj County
- **Coordinates:** 44.2977, 23.8088
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Romanescu_Park
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2284372
- **Categories:** [Parks and gardens](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-si-gradini)

## About Nicolae Romanescu Park

Nicolae Romanescu Park is the largest urban park in Romania and the symbol of Craiova. It covers almost 100 hectares (sources give between 90 and 100) on the site of the former Bibescu family garden, where the people of Craiova had been strolling since the 19th century. The idea came from the mayor, Nicolae P. Romanescu, who entrusted the project to the French landscape architect Édouard Redont. The plans won a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900, the works ran from 1901 to 1903, and the park was inaugurated in 1903. Redont drew on the Buttes-Chaumont park in Paris: a lake with islands, cascades, cement "rocks", a gloriette and a suspension bridge. The ensemble is a category A historic monument (LMI code DJ-II-a-A-07924).

### What you can see

At the heart of the park is the lake of over 4 hectares, with water lilies, islands, stone bridges and a boat landing where boats can be hired. The **suspension bridge**, built at the start of the 20th century, links two hills above the lake and rests on crenellated stone towers. At its end, on the hill, stands the **Enchanted Castle**, a building in a Gothic Romantic style, with towers, now used as a restaurant with a terrace. There are also the Glorieta near the main entrance, the bandstand, the cascades, the Bibescu House and the Summer Theatre. More than 35 km of paths wind among old trees. The park also holds the **Craiova Zoo**, open since 1906, a separate attraction with free admission according to its operator.

### Good to know

The suspension bridge was closed in March 2017 because of its decayed timber deck, restored with European funds and reopened to the public in October 2020. I found no news of a new closure, but a local guide now lists it as "limited access", so ask on the spot whether you can cross. The hippodrome in the park, opened in 1903, is not part of the usual visit: today it houses an equestrian club, and its modernisation is only at the planning stage. Craiova City Hall has rehabilitated the park in recent years (paths, cascades, lighting, the Summer Theatre, the Bibescu House).

## Don't miss

- The suspension bridge, over the water-lily lake, between two crenellated stone towers.
- The Enchanted Castle, on the hill at the end of the bridge, with its Gothic Romantic towers.
- The lake of over 4 hectares, with islands and a landing where you can hire a boat.
- The Glorieta near the main entrance, inspired by the Buttes-Chaumont park in Paris.
- Craiova Zoo, right in the park, open since 1906.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the park is in the south of Craiova, on Nicolae Romanescu boulevard, a few kilometres from the centre; the main entrance is at no. 1A. Craiova is ~230 km from Bucharest, along DN6/A1 (check the current route).

**Public transport:** I found that the park is served by RAT Craiova lines, but could not confirm the numbers; look up the route in the local transport app. From the station or the centre a taxi takes ~10 minutes, and on foot from the centre it is about 25–30 minutes.

### Where to park

You can park on Nicolae Romanescu boulevard near the entrances, with no fee as far as I could find out; spaces are few at weekends and during events.

### Fees & discounts

Entry to the park is free, and the zoo has free admission according to its operator. Boats at the landing and meals at the restaurants are paid; I found no official boat tariff, so ask at the landing.

### Rules

A public park: follow the signs, do not pick the flowers, do not walk on the beds and do not throw anything into the lake. Pets only on a lead. On the suspension bridge cross with care, without jumping or swaying it, and respect any posted limits on the number of people.

### Facilities

paved paths · benches · boat landing · restaurants and terraces · Summer Theatre · zoo · cycle track

## Details

- **Year established:** 1903
- **Area:** 96 ha
- **Type of park:** landscape park

## Frequently asked questions about Nicolae Romanescu Park

**How much is a ticket to Nicolae Romanescu Park?**

Admission to Nicolae Romanescu Park is free (entry to the park is free). Entry to the park is free, and the zoo has free admission according to its operator. Boats at the landing and meals at the restaurants are paid; I found no official boat tariff, so ask at the landing.

**How long does a visit to Nicolae Romanescu Park take?**

A visit to Nicolae Romanescu Park takes about 2 – 2½ hours (estimate, with bridge, lake and zoo).

**Can you visit Nicolae Romanescu Park with kids?**

Yes, Nicolae Romanescu Park is suitable for children (zoo, boats, wide paths).

**Where can I park at Nicolae Romanescu Park?**

There is free parking at Nicolae Romanescu Park (on the boulevard, few spaces). You can park on Nicolae Romanescu boulevard near the entrances, with no fee as far as I could find out; spaces are few at weekends and during events.

**How do I get to Nicolae Romanescu Park?**

Nicolae Romanescu Park is located at Nicolae Romanescu boulevard (main entrance, no. 1A), Craiova, Dolj County. By car: the park is in the south of Craiova, on Nicolae Romanescu boulevard, a few kilometres from the centre; the main entrance is at no. 1A. Craiova is ~230 km from Bucharest, along DN6/A1 (check the current route). Public transport: I found that the park is served by RAT Craiova lines, but could not confirm the numbers; look up the route in the local transport app. From the station or the centre a taxi takes ~10 minutes, and on foot from the centre it is about 25–30 minutes.

**When is the best time to visit Nicolae Romanescu Park?**

The best season for Nicolae Romanescu Park: All year round (boating in summer, leaves in autumn).

## Nearby attractions

- [Craiova Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-craiova) — Zoos and aquariums · Craiova, DJ · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 1 km
  One of the oldest zoos in the country, opened in 1906 in Nicolae Romanescu Park, with its lions, tigers and bears, and free admission.
- [Craiova Art Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-de-arta-craiova) — Museums and memorial houses · Craiova, DJ · 30 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · 3 km
  The museum in the Jean Mihail Palace, built in 1898–1907 to plans by Paul Gottereau, holds six works by Brâncuși, including “The Kiss”, as well as Romanian and European art.
- [Căluiu Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-caluiu) — Monasteries and churches · Călui, OT · 45 min · 33 km
  A sixteenth-century foundation of the Buzești boyars, tucked into a valley in Olt County: a church with the votive painting of Michael the Brave, the Buzești tombs and a brick enclosure wall.
- [Brâncoveni Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-brancoveni) — Monasteries and churches · Brâncoveni, OT · ½ – 1 hours · 51 km
  A convent in Olt, in the village that Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu came from: defensive wall and bell tower of 1634–1640, a Brâncovenesc great church of 1699, and a museum with a lapidary.
- [Sucidava Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-sucidava) — Fortresses and fortifications · Corabia, OT · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 102 km
  The Daco-Roman and Roman-Byzantine fortress in Corabia, with its excavated walls and towers, a 6th-century basilica, the "secret well" and the northern pier of Constantine the Great's bridge over the Danube.

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Last updated: 10 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania