Ciric Park and the Ciric Lakes

The Ciric leisure area lies in the north-east of Iași, about 6 km from the centre, in the valley of the Ciric, a 17 km left tributary of the Bahlui. Five lakes have been created on the river in the north-eastern part of the city: Dorobanț, Aroneanu, Ciric I, Ciric II and Ciric III. The leisure area comprises the chain of lakes Ciric I, Ciric II and Veneția, linked by canals and dykes, together with the surrounding forest; it covers about 300 hectares between Aroneanu village to the north, the airport zone to the east and the city's districts to the south. Lake Ciric I covers about 10.7 hectares. Between the two world wars the area had no forest: the slopes were land degraded by landslides and covered with steppe and forest-steppe grassland. Planting began in 1936 on the right side of the valley, towards the Tătărași district, and continued after 1942, into the 1960s, on the left side. After the Second World War the valley was closed by a series of dams, and the resulting lakes serve both for recreation and to regulate the flow downstream. Leisure facilities were built along their shores; many closed or fell into disrepair after 1989, and between 2011 and 2014 the area was rehabilitated with the support of Iași City Hall. The leisure base run by the city hall has beaches, swimming pools, five-a-side football pitches, a multi-purpose court, six clay tennis courts, a table tennis pavilion, minigolf, cycle paths, playgrounds, an adventure park and pedal boats and rowing boats for hire. A chairlift links Moara de Vânt with Strada Aeroportului. A hotel and the "Ciuperca" restaurant stand on the shore of Lake Ciric I. From the centre the area is reached along the airport road, via Strada Cucu, Bulevardul Alexandru Rosetti, Strada Moara de Vânt and Strada Ciric, and from Tătărași via Șoseaua Ciric. Ciric Forest is a planted forest, with native species (pedunculate and sessile oak, ash, silver linden, field maple, Norway maple) and dominant introduced species (box elder, black locust, honey locust). Reeds and bulrushes have colonised the lake shores. A 2023 study prepared for the designation of the area as an urban natural area recorded 179 species of vascular plants and 97 bird species, including woodpeckers, birds of prey, waterbirds and the common kingfisher. The area does not currently have protected-area status.