Piata Unirii Webcam – Central Bucharest’s Largest Square

The Piata Unirii Webcam looks down on Union Square in Bucharest, the largest square in the center of Romania’s capital. From a rooftop on the edge of the square, it takes in the fountain park at its heart, the roads that loop around it and a wall of tall apartment blocks behind, several of them topped with big advertising signs. For now the picture is a building site. The fountains are drained, diggers work between the empty basins, and the concrete slab that carries the square over the Dambovita River is being rebuilt. That makes the camera a day-by-day record of the works as well as a view of the weather over central Bucharest. A strip along the bottom of the picture shows the local time, the temperature and the day’s sunrise and sunset times, labeled in Romanian.

About Piata Unirii

Piata Unirii means Union Square. The name dates from 1959, when the square was renamed to mark 100 years since the union of the Romanian principalities. It had several names before that, starting as Piata Mare in the 19th century and becoming Piata Natiunii after 1918. Today it is the largest square in central Bucharest and one of the largest public spaces in Europe, set in Sector 3 where Unirii Boulevard, Ion C. Bratianu Boulevard and other main roads meet. Unirii Boulevard was laid out under the Communist regime as the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism and renamed after the 1989 revolution.

Much of the square is in fact a bridge. The Dambovita flows beneath it, covered by a reinforced concrete slab known as the Union Floor (Planseul Unirii), built around 1935 and measuring 32 meters (105 feet) wide by 360 meters (1,181 feet) long. Engineers have warned that repeated earthquakes and the action of the water have weakened the structure, now close to 100 years old. A rebuilding project worth 1.1 billion lei, about 800 million from the national government and 300 million from European funds, began in the park and fountain area in October 2024 and is planned to run over several years. It also covers the river bed, the utility networks under the square and the park in front of the Unirea store.

The fountains were the square’s big draw before the works. After they reopened in 2018, their Water Symphony shows became a major tourist attraction. Apa Nova, the city’s water company, shut the ensemble down so the slab beneath it could be rebuilt. The Unirea Shopping Center and the Cocor department store line the east side, and Manuc’s Inn, built in 1808 by the Armenian merchant Manuc Bei, stands near the northeast corner.

Weather and Climate in Bucharest

Bucharest has hot summers and cold winters. Ten years of modeled data for the square (2015 to 2024) give July and August afternoon highs of about 30°C (86 to 87°F) and nights near 19°C (66°F). June is the wettest month, with about 81 millimeters (3.2 inches) of rain. Spring warms quickly, from about 12°C (54°F) in March to 18°C (64°F) in April and 22°C (72°F) in May, when the trees around the basins fill out.

Autumn cools steadily, from about 25°C (77°F) in September to 18°C (65°F) in October and 11°C (53°F) in November. Winter is properly cold. January averages a high of 4°C (39°F) and a low of about -4°C (25°F), so snow can settle on the open ground of the square and on the roofs of the blocks behind it. December and February nights also hover around freezing.

Things to Do Near Piata Unirii

The Old Town (Centrul Istoric) begins just north of the square. Manuc’s Inn, on Strada Franceza (French Street), is about 270 meters (890 feet) from the middle of the square, and a few steps further along the same street are the ruins of the Old Princely Court (Curtea Veche), now a museum. Stavropoleos Monastery lies about 600 meters (0.4 miles) to the northwest, in the lanes of the Old Town.

To the southwest, about 450 meters (1,480 feet) away, the Patriarchal Cathedral stands on Metropolitan Hill (Dealul Mitropoliei). Following Unirii Boulevard west for about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) leads to the Palace of Parliament, which closes the far end of the boulevard.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More city and Romania views on the site:

• Brasov Webcam
• Budapest Webcam
• Bran Castle Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Piata Unirii located?

Piata Unirii is in the center of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, in the city’s Sector 3. It sits over the Dambovita River, which runs beneath the square under a concrete slab, just south of the Old Town and about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) east of the Palace of Parliament.

What can you see on the Piata Unirii Webcam?

The camera holds one wide view over the fountain park in the middle of the square. The round central fountain sits left of center, with curved and rectangular basins across the foreground and to the right. Behind them are the roads around the square and a row of tall apartment blocks with signs on their roofs. During the works the basins are empty and the ground between them is a construction site, with diggers, a crane and parked site vans.

Is this the Piata Unirii webcam in Cluj, Iasi or Timisoara?

No. Several Romanian cities have a square called Piata Unirii, including Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Timisoara, Oradea and Focsani. This camera shows the one in Bucharest, with its large fountain park and the boulevards around it.

Why are the Piata Unirii fountains not working?

The fountains were switched off and drained so the Union Floor, the slab that carries the square over the Dambovita River, can be rebuilt. The Water Symphony shows stopped with them. Apa Nova has said the central fountain will be restored to its previous form once the works are finished.

Can you see the Palace of Parliament from the Piata Unirii Webcam?

No. The Palace of Parliament stands about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) west of the square at the far end of Unirii Boulevard, and it is not in the camera’s frame. The view stays on the square itself and the apartment blocks around it.

What is the weather like in Bucharest?

Summers are hot, with July and August highs of about 30°C (86°F). Winters are cold, with January highs of 4°C (39°F) and lows around -4°C (25°F). June is the wettest month. The overlay at the bottom of the stream shows the current temperature.

Does it snow in Bucharest?

Yes. Nights drop below freezing on average from December to February, with January lows of about -4°C (25°F), and snow can cover the square and the rooftops behind it.

Which metro station is at Piata Unirii?

Piata Unirii metro station lies under the square. Lines M1, M2 and M3 meet there, in two halls joined by a passage: one for M1 and M3, the other for M2.

Source: UltraVision Consult