Botanical Garden: serenity and beauty right in the city center

By Bucharest Team
- Articles
Bucharest is a colorful city, a mosaic of old and new, a place of dance between historic brick buildings and glass skyscrapers. It's a city where past and future shake hands on a street corner, and in the midst of this contrast, nature and greenery make their place in a space created more than 150 years ago - the Dimitrie Brandza Botanical Garden!
Botanical Garden - a brief history
Founded as an institution in 1860 by Dr. Carol Davila and under the signature of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Botanical Garden has undergone various transformations and expansions over the years. In all this time, it has not only been relocated to the city center, but has also become an important center for botanical research and education, attracting both nature-loving visitors and researchers from all over the world.
In 1874, the institution was headed by the remarkable professor Dr. Dimitrie Brandza, a botanist after whom the garden was later named. The unsuitable conditions for the development of a botanical garden prompted the great professor to take numerous steps to obtain suitable land for the redevelopment of this institution, in accordance with the mission it was to fulfill, and these efforts were, after much effort, crowned with success. The development of the new premises, which correspond to the current site of the Botanic Garden, involved the construction and stocking of the first greenhouses (based on the model of the greenhouses of the Botanic Garden of Liège), the construction of the Botanic Institute, which housed the Plant Biology, Herbarium and Botanic Museum until the bombing of April 4, 1944, as well as the main tree and shrub plantations.
In 1932, the Botanical Garden passed under the administration of the Bucharest City Hall, which led to its estrangement, for a while, from its natural purpose and its natural purpose. The Second World War also caused substantial damage to the Botanical Garden, heavily affecting the existing buildings.
The situation of the Botanical Garden changed radically, however, starting in 1954, when it came back under the management of the University of Bucharest, a position it still holds today. The revitalization process was marked by the construction of a complex of production greenhouses, the new Botanical Institute (1960 - where the Botany, Microbiology and Genetics disciplines, as well as the General Herbarium, are currently housed), and the exhibition greenhouses (1973-1976).
In 1994, together with the first National Session of Botanical Scientific Communications, the Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest was named after Professor Dr. Dimitrie Brandza, who worked so hard to restore it to its present location.
The Botanical Garden - Why it's worth a visit
With an impressive surface area and a variety of plant collections, the Botanical Garden is home to thousands of species, both native and exotic. Visitors can discover a diverse range of natural landscapes, from theme gardens and tropical greenhouses to conservation areas for rare and endemic plants.
Among the main attractions, however, are the tropical greenhouses, where visitors can explore plant habitats from regions such as Central America, Africa and Asia. Here you'll find a spectacular variety of exotic plants, including orchids, bromeliads, ferns and palms, all in an authentic tropical setting.
The botanical gardens also house special areas dedicated to medicinal and aromatic plants, providing information on their traditional uses and health-promoting properties.
In addition to the permanent plant collections, the botanic garden also hosts various temporary exhibitions, which aim to present a variety of botanical, conservation and environmental themes. These exhibitions may include displays of rare or endangered plants, photographic exhibitions, art installations or interactive events that invite the public to discover more about the fascinating world of plants and nature.
In addition, the Botanic Garden regularly organizes special events such as flower festivals, plant fairs, hands-on workshops and themed lectures by botanical experts. All these activities help create an engaging and educational experience for visitors of all ages.
Botanica Garden - Visitor Information
Address. Cotroceni nr. 32 sector 6 Bucharest
You can reach the Botanical Garden by Bus, Metro, Trolleybus, Tram
By bus: 123, 236, 336, 601
By trolleybus: 61, 62, 69, 90, 91, 93, 96
By tram: 1, 10, 11, 35
By metro: M1, M3, M5