Vanatori Neamt Nature Park

In this feature we are traveling to the northern part of Romania, to a newly set up park.

Daniel Onea, 25.02.2016, 14:26

The Vanatori Neamt Nature Park was set up 17 years ago, in 1999, and although tourists come here mostly in summer or during the winter holidays, it is actually the perfect destination for all seasons. In the area at the foot of Stanisoara mountains, in the north of Neamt County, it stretches over more than 30,000 ha, and has four protected areas, biodiversity and wild animals which are on the verge of extinction in other places. Among them, the most important is the auroch.

Sebastian Catanoiu, managing director of the park, told us that there are a lot of theme trails in the area: “They all have to do with the points of interest in the park area. The trails actually link places of worship. Some are famous, like Neamt, Agapia and Varatec monasteries. Others are lesser known, but no less important: Vovidenia, Sihla and Daniel Sihastru monasteries. They are places hidden in the wild, where spirituality abounds and where tourists can have truly special experiences. These places have spectacular scenery, enriched by the human element, like Neamtu Fortress and the monasteries. The southern part of the park is truly wild, and the human element is minimal. That is where you find most of the aurochs that roam free. We have a cabin with a generator supplying electricity, but there is no mobile coverage. This is a great area to just lose yourself in the wild.”

There are several tourist programs on offer. One of them is called “On the Trail of Aurochs”. It is a one-day, low difficulty trekking trail, starting at 8:30 in the morning and ending at 7 p.m. with dinner at the guesthouse and a bonfire. “Nature and Holiness” is the second program proposed by the management of the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park, as a four-day trip with low difficulty. Transportation is by rental cars and takes tourists to the most beautiful monasteries and nature objectives in the park area. Each day ends with a bonfire. There is also a tour specifically aimed at those who want to visit monasteries.

The price depends on the number of tourists, according to Sebastian Catanoiu: “Generally, there is a tax only for objectives you can visit. Access to the park is free of charge. The Vanatori Neamt Nature Park is, without exaggeration, the only place in Europe where you can see aurochs in captivity, in a zoo near Neamt Monastery, and in half captivity, near the Visitor Center of the park, where there is a 180 hectare fenced area. However, if you want to see the free roaming aurochs, our recommendation is to go there with a park ranger. The animals wear GPS collars, which makes them easy to find.”

Once in the area, you’ll have no problem finding accommodation there. The 50 guesthouses in the park area, as well as the monasteries, are always ready for receiving tourists.

If you want informative material in several world languages, you can find it at visitor centers, and you can find plenty of them, according to park manager Sebastian Catanoiu: “There is a tourist information center in the town of Targu Neamt, recently set up, you have the Visitor Center of the park, then there is another one in the village of Vanatori. Foreign tourists are fascinated by the experience of finding aurochs based on their GPS location collars. We’ve had Dutch, Italian and German tourists. In the Wild Carpathia documentary, in episode three, they talk about the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park. People who come here to seek out the aurochs are a particular kind of tourists. Others are delighted by monasteries. Even now there are monks in the forest who live like in the olden days, in a crevice, in a mud hut, totally isolated, continuing the Orthodox monastic tradition. Tourists can have a wide variety of experiences here in the park.”

This is the invitation we extend to you today, urging you to put the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park on your list of must-visit destinations.