The Colentina Lake Chain: the Lakes of North Bucharest
The Colentina River has 15 lakes built between Buftea and Cernica, 10 of them within Bucharest. The ones in the north of the city are Băneasa, Herăstrău, Floreasca, Tei and Plumbuita.
A river with 15 lakes
The Colentina River is about 101 kilometers long. Along its course, 15 lakes were built between Buftea and Cernica, and 10 of them are within Bucharest, running northwest to southeast. The chain is commonly called the “necklace of lakes” (salba de lacuri).
In the order the water flows, the lakes in Bucharest are Grivița, Băneasa, Herăstrău, Floreasca, Tei, Plumbuita, Colentina, Fundeni, Dobroești (also called Pantelimon I) and Pantelimon (also called Pantelimon II). Surface areas differ from one source to another, so we do not give them lake by lake here.
How the northern lakes came about
The lakes in the north of the city were built in the 1930s, during the reign of Carol II. The hydraulic works were led by engineer Nicolae Caranfil of the Bucharest Municipal Works (Uzinele Comunale București), and their purpose was to drain the marshes of the Colentina valley. Work at Floreasca began in 1936.
The chain was not finished then. According to Wikipedia, only 7 of the 15 lakes were complete in 1940, and the rest were built after 1968. By 1970, the whole chain had its current form.
The six lakes in Sector 2
Lakes Tei, Plumbuita, Colentina, Fundeni, Dobroești and Pantelimon are in Sector 2. In 2024, the Romanian Order of Architects and the Sector 2 City Hall held a design competition for developing their banks as a “green-blue corridor” with a recreational promenade.
The winner was the Pelinu Projects – Beros Abdul Arhitecți Asociați partnership, announced on September 17, 2024. According to Spotmedia, the design contract is worth €6,847,645 and covers almost 105 hectares, divided into three lots. Construction is not included in this amount. The mayor at the time, Radu Mihaiu, estimated about ten years for design and construction together.
The northern lakes in detail
The guide has separate pages on Lake Tei, Lake Plumbuita, Lake Floreasca, Lake Băneasa and King Michael I Park (Herăstrău).
Frequently asked questions
How many lakes does the Colentina River have?
There are 15 lakes, built between Buftea and Cernica. Ten of them are in Bucharest.
Who built the lakes in northern Bucharest?
The works of the 1930s were led by engineer Nicolae Caranfil of the Bucharest Municipal Works. The lakes are artificial: they were built in the marshy Colentina valley.
Are the lake banks being redeveloped?
For the six lakes in Sector 2, the design of the promenade was awarded in 2024 to the Pelinu Projects – Beros Abdul partnership. Construction is not included in the design contract.
