Maybe when compared to other botanical gardens from other major European Capitals, Bucharest’s Botanical Gardens isn’t that big and doesn’t have such a rich history, but it has a great quality- it is a very unique and beautiful green landscape that emphasizes the natural charm of Romania’s Capital.
For those who haven’t visited yet Bucharest’s Botanical Gardens we must mention that it is a highly modern and beautiful green park that is cleaner and more modern than most parks in the city. It is the ideal place for spending a pleasant and relaxing Sunday with your family or with friends while discovering interesting and beautiful species of plants.
If you adore taking long walks in a green and lush scenery then you are simply going to love this place. It offers a diversified collection of greenery, ranging from decorative bushes, rare plants from the Balkans and the Mediterranean, flora from Dobrogea and alpine plants to an Italian inspired garden, a cascade scenery, rosary, small trees and exotic plants.
Among the rare plants that you can see here we mention the pagodas trees (ginkgo balboa). There are three of them located at just 200 meters from the main entrée. Not too far from it there is the lake with the cypresses which are protected by environmental laws. Also here you will find the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, which has beautiful large yellow flowers.
The foundation of the Botanical Garden was possible due to the great work of the professor Carol Davila who in 1869 donated to this project 7 hectares in the left side of Cotroceni. At that date, the garden belonged to the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, and the specialist who supervised the construction works was the botanist Ulrich Hoffmann.
The genetic database was soon enriched so that the first catalog included about 3,700 species and it was published only 6 years after its grand opening. Starting with 1870, the garden became a leisure park and the whole scientific base was moved on a land that belonged to the current Sutu Palace(Bucharest’s Museum). In 1874, Dimitrie Brandza started managing the Botanical Gardens. He was a famous scientist who brought many significant improvements to this important cultural institution and until this day the Botanical Gardens still carry his name.
Dimitrie Brandza succeeded in getting a larger land near the old location and he redesigned it as to host the current Botanical Gardens. The old establishment continues to be a part of Cotroceni Palace’s courtyard.
Bucharest’s Botanical Garden is an important tourist attraction that is visited by countless people every day. Its opening hours are between 08:00 and 20:00 in the summer and 09:00 to 13:00 in the winter. For students and retired people there is a 50% discount.
