Izvor Park (Parcul Izvor) is an urban park on the southern bank of the Dâmbovița River, next to the Palace of the Parliament in central Bucharest.
History Of Izvor Park
On the site of the park used to be a hill with the Mihai Vodă Monastery and other buildings, but as part of the redevelopment plan of the city and the construction of the new presidential palace (now the Palace of the Parliament), the hill was flatened under the communist regime. The plan was to built a large conference and reception hall in this place.
The monastic cells and other buildings on the hill were demolished, but the Mihai Vodă Church was saved by moving it 290 meters in western direction. It is now hidden behind the large buildings opposite the park. In the northwestern corner of the current park, near the Hașdeu Bridge, there was also the Institute of Theoretical Chemistry of the University of Bucharest, but the building was destroyed by the earthquake of 1977 and was never rebuilt.
After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, the plans for the new construction were abandoned. Instead, the Bucharest City Hall laid out alleys and planted trees to create the Izvor Park. The park has a rectangular shape with a total area of 17 hectares.
In the past, several national and international artists have given concerts in the Izvor Park, including Faithless (2008), Bryan Adams (2008). and Madonna (2009).
Facilities And What To Do In Izvor Park
Izvor Park is a great urban green space for leasure activities by all ages. The length of all the paths in the park totals 3.2 kilometers, making it ideal for long walks or jogging. There are also several sports facilities, including fitness machines, a basketball court and ping-pong tables. For children there are multiple playgrounds with a total space of 2,400 square meters. The largest playground has a miniature castle called the ‘Children’s Parliament’.
In terms of facilities Izvor Park has public toilets, a few kiosks, and a dog park.
