Free entryWhere the city goes when it is 38 degrees
Parks and gardens in Craiova
Craiova sits in the Oltenian plain, which means some of the hottest summers in Romania and a centre with very little shade. Romanescu — ninety-six hectares of mature trees, a lake and a wooded valley — is not a nice extra here. It is the answer to the weather.
- Free entry
Free entry
Free entry
Romanescu is the one
If you have one afternoon, this is where it goes.
The park was laid out at the turn of the twentieth century to a design by the French landscape architect Émile Redont, commissioned while Nicolae Romanescu was mayor, and it won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. That is not local pride talking: the plan is genuinely unusual for Romania — it works a natural valley rather than flattening it, so the park has slopes, a lake, a suspended bridge across a ravine and an artificial grotto, instead of the avenue-and-flowerbed arrangement most Romanian city parks got.
What that means in practice is shade and relief. On a day when Calea Unirii is unwalkable after eleven in the morning, the valley floor under the trees is several degrees cooler and the lake keeps the air moving. The zoo is inside the park, which makes the whole thing a half-day with children rather than a walk.
The botanical garden, which people forget
The Alexandru Buia Botanical Garden belongs to the university and sits much closer to the centre than Romanescu. It is smaller, quieter, and much better if what you want is forty minutes of shade rather than an expedition — glasshouses, collections, and almost nobody there on a weekday.
The rest
Parcul Tineretului and the National Theatre park are the central green spaces — useful rather than destinations, which is exactly what you want when you are between two things in the centre.
Lunca Jiului is the river meadow on the western edge: flat, open, good for running and cycling, with none of Romanescu's design and none of its crowds.
Water Park Craiova is the other answer to August, and the one families actually choose. It is not a park in the sense the rest of this page means, but on the days the plain hits 38 °C it is the honest recommendation.
When to go
Morning or late afternoon from June to September — the middle of the day in a Craiova summer is for indoors, which is what the Art Museum is for. Romanescu is at its best in October, when the valley turns and the crowds have gone, and genuinely good in winter under frost.
Frequently asked
Why is Romanescu Park famous?
It was laid out around 1900 to a design by the French landscape architect Émile Redont, commissioned under mayor Nicolae Romanescu, and it took a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. The plan uses a natural valley rather than levelling it, so it has slopes, a lake, a suspended bridge and a grotto — unusual among Romanian city parks, which are mostly avenues and flowerbeds.
How big is Romanescu Park?
About ninety-six hectares, which makes it one of the largest city parks in Romania and large enough that the valley floor stays noticeably cooler than the centre on a hot day.
Is the zoo inside Romanescu Park?
Yes. Craiova's zoo sits within the park, which is what turns a walk into a half-day out with children.
Where do you go in Craiova when it is very hot?
Romanescu for shade, the Botanical Garden if you only have forty minutes and want to stay near the centre, and Water Park Craiova if you want water. The centre itself has very little shade — avoid Calea Unirii between about eleven and five in July and August.
Is the Botanical Garden worth visiting?
Yes, and it is consistently underrated. It belongs to the university, sits much closer to the centre than Romanescu, and is quiet on weekdays — the better choice when you want shade rather than a destination.
Before you go
Brâncuși day tripsThe Art Museum here holds his early work; the ensemble he laid out in 1937–38 is 110 km north at Târgu Jiu, on the UNESCO list since 2024. With a driver it is one day; by public transport it is two.Compare day trips →Monasteries of OlteniaHurezi has been on the UNESCO list since 1993 and Tismana is the oldest monastic foundation in Wallachia. Neither has useful public transport from Craiova, and neither publishes reliable visiting hours.See monastery tours →Castle ticketsFor the Art Museum and the Oltenia Museum, an entry booked ahead skips the desk — and matters most on a wet winter afternoon, when everyone has the same idea.Check tickets →Old Town walking toursGuided walks along Calea Unirii and through the Old Town lanes — the Belle Epoque facades carry a century of the city's history and almost none of it is written on them.Browse walking tours →
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