Southern Bucharest is today one of the busiest and most dynamic parts of the capital, stretching from the old Șerban Vodă and Giurgiului arteries toward Berceni, Văcărești, Olteniței and the neighborhoods built during the communist period. Beyond the apartment blocks, shopping centers, boulevards and metro stations, however, this part of the city hides a history far older than its present-day appearance might suggest. Roads that once led toward villages and estates, craftsmen’s neighborhoods, vineyards, gardens, inns, railway stations, factories, vanished monuments and even a spectacular natural area are all part of the story of southern Bucharest. Some of the capital’s most important urban transformations can be traced precisely here.

1. Calea Văcărești began as a road toward Oltenița

One of the oldest connections between Bucharest and the southern part of the country is represented by what would eventually become Calea Văcărești. In old descriptions, the road appears in connection with Drumul Olteniței, a route that provided an exit from the city toward the south and the Văcărești area. Later, the name Drumul or Calea Văcăreștilor became associated with the village and, above all, with Văcărești Monastery. Historical and geographical research shows that the road was part of Bucharest’s old radial network, linking the Princely Court area with the southern outskirts of the city.

During the 19th century, the area still had a distinctly peripheral character. In the second half of the century, numerous Galician Jews also settled along Calea Văcărești and in the surrounding area, contributing to the social and commercial diversity of the neighborhood. Over time, the old rural road became an urban artery, while southeastern Bucharest evolved from an area of vineyards, gardens and scattered homes into one of the capital’s major residential districts.

2. Calea Șerban Vodă was once known as Podul Beilicului

Another fundamental artery of southern Bucharest is Calea Șerban Vodă, whose history is connected to the old Podul Beilicului. The name came from the Beilic Inn, an important accommodation and transit point intended for envoys of the Ottoman Empire. In 1823, the inn was destroyed by fire, and the route subsequently underwent several transformations. In 1835, the old wooden bridge was replaced with a structure built using river stone.

After the War of Independence, the names of several Bucharest streets and roads were changed, and in 1878 Podul Beilicului received the name Calea Șerban Vodă. Around this artery, the southern part of the city still had the appearance of a peripheral area, with narrow streets, gardens and scattered houses. Historical sources describe the presence of Greek, Turkish and Armenian communities near Calea Șerban Vodă, illustrating the diverse character of the population in this part of Bucharest.

3. Bucharest’s first railway station was in the southern part of the city

One of the most important moments in the modernization of Bucharest took place in the south, at Filaret. On August 26, 1869, the Bucharest–Giurgiu railway line was opened to traffic, and it is regarded by CFR as the first railway line built on the territory of what was then Romania. The official inauguration took place later that year, while Filaret Railway Station became the first railway station in Bucharest.

The railway radically changed the importance of the area. The connection with Giurgiu gave the capital access to the Danube port and to commercial networks in the southern part of the country. The station remained in operation until 1960, when railway traffic was transferred elsewhere and the building was converted into a bus terminal. Over the years, industrial activities also developed nearby, including the Match Factory, the State Mint and other enterprises, reinforcing the economic character of the Filaret area.

4. Filaret was spectacularly transformed for the 1906 exhibition

Today, Carol I Park appears to be one of the capital’s established green spaces, but the Filaret area underwent a spectacular transformation at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906, the Romanian General Exhibition was organized here, an event marking the 40th anniversary of King Carol I’s reign and the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania. The choice of location was not accidental: the Filaret grounds were to be transformed into a large park designed specifically for the anniversary event.

Work began in May 1905, and the exhibition was officially opened on June 6, 1906. Covering approximately 41 hectares, it featured around 165 pavilions, while approximately 575,000 cubic meters of earth were moved during the landscaping process. The exhibition showcased Romania’s development in the fields of economy, culture, the military and administration, while the architecture of its pavilions drew inspiration from historical monuments such as Cozia Monastery, Hurezu Monastery and churches from Moldavia.

5. Strada Abagiilor preserves the memory of a vanished craft

The name Intrarea Abagiilor, located in the Șoseaua Giurgiului area, preserves the memory of an occupation that has almost completely disappeared from the urban landscape. “Aba” referred to a thick woolen fabric traditionally used especially for making clothing. Those who produced or sold this material were known as abagii.

The name is also recorded in the official documentation concerning Bucharest’s street nomenclature, where Intrarea Abagiilor is explained through its connection with the manufacturers and sellers of aba. The present-day entrance corresponds to an old dead-end street and opens onto Strada Anghel Nuțu.

The name is important not only because of its age, but also because of what it reveals about the economic organization of old Bucharest. Many streets and neighborhoods were named after the trades practiced there, and such names sometimes remain the only evidence of occupations that disappeared as the city industrialized.

6. The brickmakers gave their name to an entire area

In southern Bucharest, the name Cărămidarii refers to an activity that was essential to the development of the city: brickmaking. According to historical traditions preserved in works dedicated to old Bucharest, the Cărămidari neighborhood was associated with the production of bricks used in the construction of the city. Today, the name survives in Strada Cărămidarii de Jos.

However, modern historical documentation recommends a degree of caution when it comes to very early dates. Studies conducted by the Museum of the Municipality of Bucharest distinguish between Cărămidarii de Sus and Cărămidarii de Jos and show that these neighborhoods are documented, in the forms identified by researchers, from the 18th century. Cărămidarii de Jos is mentioned in 1782 and was located on the outskirts of the city, in connection with the Dâmbovița River.

7. Bellu Cemetery was established on the site of an old garden

The area now dominated by Bellu Cemetery looked very different during the first half of the 19th century. The Șerban Vodă Garden was located here and was considered one of the places where Bucharest residents went for walks and recreation. The land was later transformed into a cemetery, and Bellu Cemetery, also known as Șerban Vodă Cemetery, began operating in 1859 on property belonging to Baron Barbu Bellu.

The transformation says much about the evolution of the capital. A recreational area once located on the outskirts of the city became one of Bucharest’s most important burial grounds. Over the decades, numerous politicians, writers, artists and cultural figures were buried here, while the funerary monuments turned the cemetery into a veritable open-air museum.

8. Văcărești Monastery was one of the capital’s great lost monuments

In southeastern Bucharest once stood one of the city’s most valuable monumental complexes: Văcărești Monastery. Built in the 18th century during the reign of Nicolae Mavrocordat, the monastery became an important religious and cultural center. The complex covered approximately 18,000 square meters and included the church, princely palace, chapel, monks’ cells, abbot’s residence and bell tower.

Its fate changed dramatically after the secularization of monastic estates, when the complex was turned into a prison. During the 20th century, the monument underwent a long process of deterioration, despite attempts to restore it. After a demolition decision was made, the complex was destroyed in December 1986, despite protests from specialists and cultural figures.

9. Southern Bucharest is home to a natural park that emerged from an abandoned construction site

One of the most spectacular contrasts in the capital can be found in Văcărești. At the site where a large artificial lake was supposed to be built, construction work begun during the communist period was eventually abandoned, allowing nature to gradually reclaim the area. Over time, an unexpected urban ecosystem developed here, now known as Văcărești Natural Park.

The park was officially established in 2016 and covers approximately 183 hectares, making it Romania’s first urban natural park. The area contains a variety of habitats as well as plant and animal species that have adapted to the environment that developed around the lake.

The story is particularly fascinating because this natural landscape emerged in a space that had been profoundly altered by human intervention. From the undeveloped outskirts with gardens and scattered houses that existed before the 1980s, through the abandoned hydro-engineering project, and finally to the protected natural area, Văcărești represents one of the most remarkable examples of Bucharest’s urban transformation.

10. Southern Bucharest evolved from vineyards and outskirts into large housing estates

The present-day appearance of the Berceni and Olteniței neighborhoods is relatively recent. During the first half of the 20th century, the areas south of the old city limits still contained vineyards, gardens, orchards and scattered houses. Studies devoted to the development of Văcărești show that large-scale urbanization south of this area accelerated after 1960, when major apartment-block neighborhoods began to be built along Șoseaua Olteniței and later in Berceni.

This transformation completely changed the landscape of southern Bucharest. Old roads leading toward villages became major boulevards, agricultural land and vineyards were replaced by residential developments, and the former outskirts were absorbed into the expanding city. One example is the Sergent Nițu Vasile housing estate, built near the intersection of Șoseaua Olteniței and Calea Văcărești, one of the first major apartment-block areas developed in this part of Bucharest.

Southern Bucharest therefore cannot be reduced to the image of crowded neighborhoods and major boulevards. Beneath the contemporary city lies an impressive succession of trade routes, craftsmen’s neighborhoods, vineyards, gardens, railway stations, factories, monuments and urban projects that radically changed the geography of Bucharest.

From Drumul Olteniței and Podul Beilicului to Gara Filaret, Calea Șerban Vodă, Cărămidarii, Văcărești and Berceni, the southern part of the capital preserves traces of several different cities layered on top of one another. Some can still be seen today, while others survive only in maps, photographs and historical documents. It is precisely this combination of what has survived and what has disappeared that makes southern Bucharest one of the most fascinating areas for discovering the history of the city.

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