Titan (IOR Park)

Titan is one of Bucharest's large residential districts, in the east of the city — sprawling, full of apartment blocks, yet surprisingly green. For a sight-ticking tourist it doesn't offer much, but for anyone wanting to see a lived-in, airy neighbourhood, it's a good choice. It grew rapidly in the socialist decades around the area's old industry, and the wide boulevards and generous green spaces are part of that planned-from-scratch character.

What to see

The heart of the area is Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, which everyone still calls IOR, after the nearby Întreprinderea Optică Română (Romanian Optical Enterprise) factory. Laid out between 1965 and 1970, it spreads over roughly 85 hectares and is one of the largest parks in the city. Its Titan lake, of natural origin, is split into two basins by the Liviu Rebreanu bridge, with several small islands. There are walking and jogging paths, playgrounds and quiet corners where you genuinely forget you're in a district of tower blocks. The park has been at the centre of a long, painful public dispute after about 12 hectares were retroceded in 2005; the case drew Romania's largest protest in defence of a park, which is worth knowing if you read about it locally. It remains the main reason a stop in Titan is worthwhile.

The vibe

Quiet, family-oriented, normal — in the best sense. Titan is everyday Bucharest: people strolling in the park, neighbourhood terraces, shops on the ground floors of the blocks, weekend crowds around the lake. No glamour, but no false pretensions either. On a sunny afternoon the park fills with families, joggers and anglers, and you get an honest picture of how the eastern city relaxes.

Getting there

The big advantage is the metro: the district is well served by the line that crosses the city's east, with several stations, so you reach it quickly from the centre. See public transport for surface lines too, which thread through the blocks. To compare with other areas, the neighbourhoods page gives an overview, and for a bite the restaurants lean local and casual.