Bucharest geography

Position

Bucharest is situated on the banks of the Dimbovita River, which flows into the Arges River, a tributary of the Danube. Several lakes - the most important of which are Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei and Lake Colentina - stretch across the city, along the Colentina River, a tributary of the Dimbovita. In addition, in the centre of the capital there is a small artificial lake - Lake Cismigiu - surrounded by the Cismigiu Gardens. The Cismigiu Gardens have a rich history, being frequented by famous poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect Carl F.W. Meyer, the gardens are currently the main recreational facility in the city centre.

Besides Cismigiu, Bucharest contains several other large parks and gardens, including Herastrau Park and the Botanical Garden. Herastrau is a large public park located in the north of the city, and the site of the Village Museum, while the Bucharest's botanical garden is the largest in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants, many of them exotic; it was once a pleasure park for the royal family.

Bucharest is situated in the south eastern corner of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlasiei forest, which, after it was cleared, gave way to a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to have seven hills, in the tradition of the seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Voda, Dealul Mitropoliei, Radu Voda, Cotroceni, Spirei, Vacaresti and Sf. Gheorghe Nou.

Shape and dimension

The city has a total area of 226 square kilometres (87 sq mi). The altitude varies from 55.8 metres (183.1 ft) at the Dimbovita bridge in Catelu, south-eastern Bucharest and 91.5 m (300.2 ft) at the Militari church. The city has a relatively round shape, with the centre situated approximately in the cross-way of the main north-south/east-west axes at the University Square. The milestone for Romanian's Kilometre Zero is placed just south of University Square in front of the New St. George Church (Sfantul Gheorghe Nou) at St. George Square (Piata Sfantul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from about 10 to 12 km (6.25-7.5 mi).

Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, new suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding Ilfov county. Further urban consolidation is expected to take place when the Bucharest metropolitan area is formed in 2006, which will incorporate various communes and cities of Ilfov and surrounding counties.

Climate

Bucharest has a continental climate, characterised by hot dry summers and cold winters. Due to its position on the Romanian Plain, the city's winters can get windy, even though some of the winds are mitigated due to urbanisation. Winter temperatures are often below 0 C (32 F), even though they rarely drop below -10 C (14 F). In summer, the average temperature is approximately 23 C (73 F) (the average for July and August), despite the fact that temperatures sometimes reach 35 C (95 F) to 40 C (104 F) in mid-summer in the city centre. Although average precipitation and humidity during summer is low, there are infrequent yet heavy and often violent storms. During spring and autumn, temperatures vary between 18 C (64 F) to 22 C (72 F), and precipitation during this time tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain.

Parks

Cismigiu Garden is a lovable small park, the oldest in the city (designed 1845-1860), located in its very center. Has boat rental in summer, ice skating in winter time, a reasonable restaurant and several bars.
Herastrau Park (the largest of several parks around man-made lakes on the Colentina River running through the city's north and east side) houses the Village Museum, an open-air theater, various sports grounds, something like an amusement park and numerous restaurants and clubs. Has boat rental and boat-trips in summer.
The Botanical Garden, established in 1884 near Cotroceni Palace, displays a variety of plants from all over the world, including an indoor tropical plants exhibition. Small entry fee.
Carol Park (designed in 1906), a quiet oasis not so far from Piata Unirii, has an open-air theater replicating a Roman arena and another construction replicating a medieval fortress. It houses the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as an infamous mausoleum built for the Communist nomenclature.
Tineretului Park, just one subway station south of Piata Unirii, has a large multipurpose building (Sala Polivalenta) used for various concerts, sporting events, exhibitions etc., an amusement park for children, boat-rental, several restaurants and bars.
Titan Park (also known as IOR Park), a green oasis amongst Communist era high rise apartment buildings in the eastern part of the city (Titan subway station), has a charming wooden church as well as several lake-side clubs.