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The reservoirs in the valley of the Ciric River were created from the desire of the city’s inhabitants to have a leisure area. The chain of lakes had the role of regulating the flow of water downstream and also they became the ideal place for recreation in Iasi.
Rich flora specific to wetlands, the presence of lakes, surrounding forests, as well as leisure facilities, create the premises for various recreational activities.
The five lakes totalize 120 hectares of water. The northernmost and largest lake is Dorobanț with an area of 70 ha. Here we find the nautical basis for canoeing that hosts the National Olympic Youth Center and is the place where national and international canoe competitions are organized. The second lake, Aroneanu, has 23 hectares and is known for sport fishing.
The two Ciric lakes (I and II), located downstream of Aroneanu lake, constitute the Ciric Entertainment Zone. It is approximately at a 6 kilometres distance from the city centre and was set up in the 1960s. Successive dams were built, together with a new camp for children and a camping site, a boating dock and a hotel -restaurant, known as “La Ciupercă” (“At the Mushroom”) due to its circular shape. Some lands on the left bank of Lake Ciric I were administered by the large state-owned enterprises as recreational places for “working people”. Children’s playgrounds, beaches, picnic areas and sports fields were arranged. On the opposite bank there is an island connected by the shore through a footbridge.
With the collapse of the communist regime, most areas around Ciric lakes have fallen into disrepair or were closed. Being a popular place for leisure time for the inhabitants of Iasi city, this wonderful area entered between 2011-2014 in a rehabilitation process to increase its attractiveness. Thus, near the Lake Ciric I, there are sports grounds (football, tennis, minigolf), a chairlift, a bicycle track, a modern beach with swimming pool, boats for renting boats or motorbikes, picnic areas and car parks. The surrounding forest offers a perfect setting for practicing activities such as paintball, tree climbing (adventure park) or climbing on the wall. The offer of restaurants has grown, as does the number of people who spend their summer weekends here. The proximity to Iasi International Airport makes this area quite crowded during the summer.
The southernmost lake set up on the Ciric River is the wildlife Venice Lake with reed and bird nests. Here it was arranged a small beach, a floating swimming pool, birdwatching sites, and a couple of boats were brought in as part of a project to revitalize and conserve the natural state of the lake. Tiki Village is a place of leisure inspired by Asian and American culture (TIKI = the first man). The materials used are natural: the reed from the Danube Delta, the Black Sea sand and the river Prut, and the totems are carved by craftsmen from the region.
The Ciric Forest is crossed by dozens of bicycle paths that lead to the village of Aroneanu or the airport. Every winter, the Iasi Bike Club organizes the Ice Wheels contest in the Ciric Forest, the most famous part of which is the “Giant’s Tunnel”. Our route coincides with this vegetation tunnel that takes us to the village of Aroneanu, where the Aroneanu church and then the village of Şorogari can be visited, on the way to the hill of the same name.
9. Șorogari Hill