One of the largest natural parks in an urban area in Europe evolved from a former artificial basin in Bucharest (HU). Since it was abandoned in 1989, nature has taken over the area without any human intervention, resulting in a range of different landscapes. The northern edge is a grassy meadow with nut trees, poplars and elms. At its heart, there are three big lakes with characteristic wetland vegetation, such as willows, Johnson grass and water lillies. The Văcărești wetland area is thus emblematic of the resilience of nature.