Address Bucharest, Romania | ||
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Văcărești Nature Park (Romanian: Parcul Natural Văcărești) is a nature park in Bucharest, Romania, containing the wetlands surrounding Lake Văcărești.
History
Having 190 hectares, the area where the park stands was part of a large swampy area on the outskirts of Bucharest. To its west was the area known as the "valley of weeping" that was the rubbish dump of interbellum Bucharest.
Much of the swampy area surrounding the park was drained by Socialist Romania, building a neighbourhood of apartment blocks, while the "valley of weeping" became Tineretului Park.
President Nicolae Ceaușescu wanted to build a reservoir which was supposed to be filled from the Argeș River via the Mihăilești Lake. As such, a concrete dam was built to surround the lake. The few modest houses located in this area were bought by the state and demolished.
In 2003, the Ministry of the Environment concessioned the area for 49 years to Royal Romanian Corporation for a $6 million. The company was supposed to invest over a billion dollars in a sports-culture complex, however it did not honor its part of the contract.
On June 5, 2014, the Lake Văcărești zone was declared protected zone and named Văcărești Nature Park by the Government of Romania.