Crâng park
Encyclopedia
Crâng Park is the largest and most important park
in the city of Buzău
, Romania
.
. The forest is made up mostly of local broadleaf plants, with rather few gymnosperm
s, and it is known for its oak
s, ash tree
s, lime trees, birches and maple
. The park area is also populated with some foreign species of trees and other plants.
The park features an artificial lake, named the Heleşteu lake (in Romanian
, heleşteu=pond
). The lake was created when the park was built, in order to provide boat rides. Its water is brought in from the Buzău river
via a small channel
that circles the city. It features three equally-sized islands, one of which is reachable via a bridge
, while the other two are reachable only by boat.
In 1976, an obelisk
was erected in the center of the park, marking 1,600 years since the earliest documentary attestation of Buzău.
Crâng's attractions also include discothèques, children's playground
s, a chess
and tables
players corner (used even during winter days by some enthusiastic players), and boat rides on the lake.
particularly populated by young trees. Ironically, nowadays, the forest, and the park in particular, contain many century-old oak
s.
, domn of Wallachia
gave the market's crâng to the bishopric of Buzău. At the time, the area was merely a forest located near Buzău.
The first time when the city's inhabitants used the forest for leisure and party purposes was in 1828 In 1850, a part of the Crâng forest was ceded by the Bishopric to the city, for use as public garden. In 1863, the Secularization of monastic estates
act was proposed by Alexander John Cuza
and adopted by the Romanian Parliament
. Thus, the Crâng forest was handed over by the Bishopric to the Romanian central government, while the city kept its part of the forest where the public garden was located. Later on, however, prime minister Ion C. Brătianu agreed to a request by the city council for the Buzău municipality to be given ownership over the entire Crâng forest:
After taking over the forest, the city took steps to enlarge the public garden and create a large park. In 1890, three sculpture
s were placed in the park, Lion and boar, Lion and deer and Horseman attacked by lion. In 1897, the Crâng Restaurant building was erected. The Restaurant is built in an architectural style inspired by peasant houses from the Chiojdu
region. At the same time, the lake was set up, with an island in the middle, and a bridge to provide access to the island. Also, a pavilion was prepared for a fanfare
band to perform. Near the lake, the municipality built a water tower, to provide the city with running water.
By 1898, the Park Boulevard was finished. The boulevard, nowadays named the Nicolae Bălcescu
Boulevard runs from the city center to the Crâng Park. At the time, it had five lanes, of which the center one was used by horse-driven coaches, two by pedestrians and the outer two were for horseback riders. Nowadays, the boulevard has two lanes for automobiles, and large sidewalks. The part of the boulevard next to the park is closed to the traffic on Sundays, to be used only by pedestrians.
In 1922, a small church, named the St. Filofteea church was built.
In 1957, the lake was expanded, and included two more islands, located East of the previous one. The initial island lost the bridge connection and became isolated. One of the new islands (the central one) is now connected to the mainland via a metal bridge.
The Buzău 1600 Obelisk, designed by sculptor Gheorghe Coman, was inaugurated in 1976, to celebrate 1,600 years since Buzău's first recorded historical attestation. The obelisk is 26.8 meters tall and has a foundation 14 meters deep.
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in the city of Buzău
Buzau
The city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Location
The park is located on the western outskirts of the city. It has an area of about 100000 square metres (24.7 acre). It represents only a part of a 1.89 square kilometre forest, named the Crâng forest, which is a remainder of the Codrii VlăsieiCodrii Vlasiei
Codrii Vlăsiei was the forest that once covered parts of southern Romania, including the territory of today's Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov County....
. The forest is made up mostly of local broadleaf plants, with rather few gymnosperm
Gymnosperm
The gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos , meaning "naked seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds...
s, and it is known for its oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s, ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
s, lime trees, birches and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
. The park area is also populated with some foreign species of trees and other plants.
Features
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, heleşteu=pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
). The lake was created when the park was built, in order to provide boat rides. Its water is brought in from the Buzău river
Buzau River
Buzău is a river in eastern Romania, tributary of the Siret River. Its total length is 302 km. Its source is in the south-eastern Carpathian Mountains, east of Braşov. The Buzău flows through the Romanian counties Braşov, Covasna, Buzău and Brăila...
via a small channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
that circles the city. It features three equally-sized islands, one of which is reachable via a bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, while the other two are reachable only by boat.
In 1976, an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
was erected in the center of the park, marking 1,600 years since the earliest documentary attestation of Buzău.
Crâng's attractions also include discothèques, children's playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
s, a chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and tables
Tables (board game)
Tables is a general name given to a class of board games similar to backgammon, played on a board with two rows of 12 vertical markings called "points". Players roll dice to determine the movement of pieces...
players corner (used even during winter days by some enthusiastic players), and boat rides on the lake.
Etymology
The park took the name of the forest in which it was built. In turn, the forest's name, crâng is a Romanian word which can be translated as young forest, which may suggest that at some point in time, the forest was a portion of the Codrii VlăsieiCodrii Vlasiei
Codrii Vlăsiei was the forest that once covered parts of southern Romania, including the territory of today's Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov County....
particularly populated by young trees. Ironically, nowadays, the forest, and the park in particular, contain many century-old oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s.
History
The first reference to this forest by the name "Crâng" dates back to 23 October 1568, when Alexandru II MirceaAlexandru II Mircea
Alexandru II Mircea was Hospodar of Wallachia from 1568 to 1574 and 1574 to 1577. He was the father of Mihnea II Turcitul. His parents were Mircea III Dracul and Maria Despina...
, domn of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
gave the market's crâng to the bishopric of Buzău. At the time, the area was merely a forest located near Buzău.
The first time when the city's inhabitants used the forest for leisure and party purposes was in 1828 In 1850, a part of the Crâng forest was ceded by the Bishopric to the city, for use as public garden. In 1863, the Secularization of monastic estates
Secularization of monastery estates in Romania
The law on the secularization of monastery estates in Romania was proposed in December 1863 by Domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza and approved by the Parliament of Romania. By its terms, the Romanian state confiscated the large estates owned by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Romania...
act was proposed by Alexander John Cuza
Alexander John Cuza
Alexander John Cuza was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician who ruled as the first Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia between 1859 and 1866.-Early life:...
and adopted by the Romanian Parliament
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
. Thus, the Crâng forest was handed over by the Bishopric to the Romanian central government, while the city kept its part of the forest where the public garden was located. Later on, however, prime minister Ion C. Brătianu agreed to a request by the city council for the Buzău municipality to be given ownership over the entire Crâng forest:
After taking over the forest, the city took steps to enlarge the public garden and create a large park. In 1890, three sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s were placed in the park, Lion and boar, Lion and deer and Horseman attacked by lion. In 1897, the Crâng Restaurant building was erected. The Restaurant is built in an architectural style inspired by peasant houses from the Chiojdu
Chiojdu
Chiojdu is a commune in the northwestern hill and mountainside region of Buzău County, Romania. Made up of six villages on the bank of the Bâsca Chiojdului River, a small tributary to Buzău River, it is the center of a region known for the good preservation of old traditions and folk art,...
region. At the same time, the lake was set up, with an island in the middle, and a bridge to provide access to the island. Also, a pavilion was prepared for a fanfare
Fanfare
A Fanfare is a relatively short piece of music that is typically played by trumpets and other brass instruments often accompanied by percussion...
band to perform. Near the lake, the municipality built a water tower, to provide the city with running water.
Nicolae Balcescu
Nicolae Bălcescu was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution.-Early life:...
Boulevard runs from the city center to the Crâng Park. At the time, it had five lanes, of which the center one was used by horse-driven coaches, two by pedestrians and the outer two were for horseback riders. Nowadays, the boulevard has two lanes for automobiles, and large sidewalks. The part of the boulevard next to the park is closed to the traffic on Sundays, to be used only by pedestrians.
In 1922, a small church, named the St. Filofteea church was built.
In 1957, the lake was expanded, and included two more islands, located East of the previous one. The initial island lost the bridge connection and became isolated. One of the new islands (the central one) is now connected to the mainland via a metal bridge.
The Buzău 1600 Obelisk, designed by sculptor Gheorghe Coman, was inaugurated in 1976, to celebrate 1,600 years since Buzău's first recorded historical attestation. The obelisk is 26.8 meters tall and has a foundation 14 meters deep.