Lake Băneasa: the 40-Hectare Lake on the Colentina and the Planned Lakeside Promenade
Lake Băneasa covers 40 hectares and is 3 kilometers long. It was built in the 1930s on the Colentina River, between Lakes Grivița and Herăstrău. Its shore is part of Sector 1 City Hall’s “Green Promenade” project.
A lake on the Colentina, in Sector 1
Lake Băneasa (Lacul Băneasa) is an artificial lake built on the Colentina River, in Sector 1 of Bucharest. Lake Grivița lies upstream and Lake Herăstrău downstream. It covers 40 hectares and is about 3 kilometers long. Its width varies between 50 and 400 meters and its depth between 1 and 3 meters, according to Wikipedia.
How it came about
The lake is part of the program of lakes built in the Colentina valley in the 1930s, during the reign of Carol II. The works were led by engineer Nicolae Caranfil of the Bucharest Municipal Works (Uzinele Comunale București), and their aim was to drain the marshes. We do not state the exact year the lake was finished: the sources we read do not agree.
The Green Promenade
On October 29, 2021, the Bucharest General Council approved a partnership between ALPAB (the Bucharest Lakes, Parks and Recreation Administration) and Sector 1 City Hall to build a pedestrian and bike route, the “Green Promenade” (Promenada Verde). The first stage covers Lakes Băneasa, Grivița and Străulești. On the shore of Lake Băneasa, the route is 4.8 kilometers long, according to Spotmedia. The land passes from ALPAB to Sector 1 for five years, with the option of extension.
In November 2022, Spotmedia wrote that the improvements on the Băneasa shore amounted to benches, trash bins and gravel sections, along Aleea Mateloților and Strada Gârlei and Strada Madrigalului. The promenade was not lit, and the concrete curbs that support the banks were broken in many places. The tender for the feasibility study had been published in September 2022. We did not find the current status of the project in the sources we read.
Frequently asked questions
How large is Lake Băneasa?
It covers 40 hectares, according to several sources. Its length is about 3 kilometers.
Who built Lake Băneasa?
The lake was built in the 1930s, in the Colentina lake program led by engineer Nicolae Caranfil.
Can you walk along the shore of Lake Băneasa?
On some sections there are paths and benches, such as Aleea Mateloților and Strada Gârlei and Strada Madrigalului, according to Spotmedia in November 2022. The full promenade was not finished at that time.
