Tourist In My Home Town #5 - The Crang Park
Have you ever viewed your hometown through the eyes of a tourist? When immersed in daily routines, it's challenging to adopt an explorer's mindset as familiar landmarks lose their allure when they've been part of your backdrop since childhood.
Back in 2011, I departed from Romania, returning each summer for brief visits. These stays were often consumed by administrative tasks and family commitments, leaving little room for leisurely exploration.
In the hills of Buzău County, history is buried not just in stone but in gold. The Buzău County Museum stands as the guardian of this heritage, weaving together the story of a land where Romans, Goths, and local tribes once crossed paths.
The Crang park has football pitches, a boating lake, the amazing Obelisk in the middle, activity area, and many pubs and restaurants. I made priceless memories when I was a child ....
Crâng Park is the biggest and most important park in Buzău, and it proudly sits on the western edge of the city like a green giant that refuses to be ignored. It's absolutely massive!
Spreading over about ten hectares, it’s part of the larger Crâng Forest, a leftover piece of the ancient Codrii Vlăsiei, which once covered huge parts of the region. I walked those paths many times!
Today, it’s packed with broadleaf trees, especially old oaks and lime trees that have clearly seen some things. For locals and visitors alike, it’s the go-to place to breathe fresh air, escape the city, or just walk dramatically under tall trees.
Later on as an adult, I learned that the flora of the bushes is made of roses, hyacinths, tulips, local peonies, petunia, grapevines Virginia creepers and sting-nettles. To be honest, I knew the sting-nettle since childhood... close contact every time the football gets hoofed out of the pitch.
The park has been around for a very long time, with records mentioning it as far back as the 16th century. It started out as church land, then slowly evolved into the city’s favorite leisure spot.
By the mid-1800s, it officially became a public garden, and since then it’s been upgraded with paths, plants, and plenty of space for strolling, chatting, and pretending you’re on a romantic promenade even if you’re just out for a casual walk.
One of the main attractions is Heleșteu Lake, an artificial lake fed by the Buzău River, complete with several islands because one island just wasn’t enough. Memories bring back memories!
Around the lake you’ll find boats, playgrounds, chess tables where silent rivalries unfold, and plenty of spots to sit, relax, and watch life go by. Endless fun day and night!
One island has a bridge, while the others require a boat, which instantly makes everything feel more adventurous. Winter time was lovely, as this turned into a huge ice rink!
The big island hosts a restaurant which back in the days was a night club. I was going there with my homies to drink beer and look for troubles. We always found it!
Another eye-catcher is the Buzău 1600 Obelisk, built in 1976 to celebrate 1,600 years since the city’s first documented mention. It stands tall near the main avenue, making sure everyone remembers just how old Buzău really is.
The park also features historic statues and a small church, St. Filofteea, built in the early 20th century, adding a touch of history to your afternoon walk. There are statues, and flowers, and places where we played "hide & seek"!
Today, Crâng Park is still very much alive, hosting walks, sports, events, and community gatherings throughout the year. It remains Buzău’s favorite green escape, offering shade, history, and just enough calm to forget you’re still in the city, at least until it’s time to head back.
Close to the lake is the "foisor" where in the age of communism the band will play music. In modern days, it's a place of meeting frens and hiding from the rain! This place seen more love stories than Paris!
Crâng Park does offer fun outdoor activities beyond just walking around the beautiful green spaces and lake. In the park there’s _Parc Aventura,_where children and adventurous adults can have fun!
You can try a series of tree-attached courses that are a bit like a mini zip-wire and ropes playground. It includes three different elevated routes of increasing difficulty, each ending with a short zip line descent. Participants are safely clipped in with harnesses and helmets, and the whole setup encourages confidence and balance as you make your way across planks and lines among the trees.
If you feel even more adventurous ... go off the grid! Leave the cement tracks and venture into the woods. I knew all the shortcuts when I was little, and all the romantic spots!
Often I was taking my girlfriends away from the crowded streets, and treat them with with a romantic picnic in the middle of a meadow. Strategic planned for being away from curious eyes!
The Buzău Water Tower in Crâng Park is one of those landmarks you might not notice at first, but once you do, it’s hard to ignore. Rising above the trees, it looks a bit mysterious, like it belongs equally to the city’s infrastructure and its urban legends.
Built to supply water pressure for Buzău, the tower has long since become more than just a functional structure. It adds a distinctive industrial touch to an otherwise very green and relaxing space.
Over the years, locals have come to see it as a familiar symbol of the park, a quiet observer of joggers, families, and long afternoon walks. The water faucet near the tower has the coldest water ever!
While it’s not always open to the public, the tower often sparks curiosity, with many people wondering what the view from the top must look like over the forest and the city.
It may not be as famous as the lake or the obelisk, but it’s very much part of Crâng Park’s identity, proving that even practical structures can become landmarks with a bit of time and personality.
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