A trip to Neamt County
Tourist assets in Neamt County
Daniel Onea, 10.09.2020, 13:00
Today we travel to Neamt County in north-eastern Romania. The numerous historical and religious sites and the beauty of the hills and mountains are attracting many tourists to this area. Moreover, the Dragos Voda Bison Reserve is the ideal place for families with children and for photography aficionados. Mentioned by documents as early as 1388, by the name of Piatra lui Craciun, the city developed especially after Stephen the Great, the ruler of Moldavia (1457-1504) had erected here his princely court, which today is the historical centre of the city. Piatra Neamt is an important starting point of many mountain routes leading to Durau resort, the breathtaking Bicazului Gorges and the town of Targu Neamt, on the monastery route.
Alina Ferent with the Piatra Neamt National Promotion and Information Centre:
“Piatra Neamt has a lot to offer in terms of cultural and adventure tourism and also in terms of vestiges. A lot of leisure activities are held in the area and there are numerous options for spending time both inside and outside the city. Tourists can opt for trips on the 40-km area around Piatra Neamt, they can visit century-old monasteries that have on display highly valuable cult objects, such as old books, or visit the workshops where nuns and monks work every day. Traditional meals are also served at the monasteries. People interested in ecumenical tourism also have a lot to choose from. Tourists passionate about nature and adventure should know that Piatra Neamt is surrounded by mountains. We also have some special nature reserves. Cuejdel Lake is a very young lake and a very good destination for a trip. Then there are the Bicazului Gorges, unique in Romania, with rocks over 300-m high all along the road, offering a spectacular view.”
Neamt County is also home to the Dragos Voda European bison reserve, close to the city of Piatra Neamt. It is the only county in Romania where bisons are roaming free or are held in semi-captivity, in an acclimatization compound as well as at the local Zoo. Free-roaming bisons can be spotted in a safari located only 30 km from Piatra Neamt. After taking a tour of the museums and historic centers, tourists visit the surroundings and return home in the evenings, to enjoy excellent accommodation facilities and the peace and quiet of a mountain town”.
One of the most visited monasteries in Neamt County is Agapia. It was built in 1647. What is particularly interesting about Agapia are the interior mural paintings and icons. The church was painted in Neo-Classic. The great painter Nicolae Grigorescu was 20 when he was commissioned the work. He employed black-and-white engravings patterned on Renaissance masterpieces.
Alina Ferent with the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion in Piatra Neamt:
“Piatra Neamt is also home to a public swimming pool which has become an attraction for the whole Moldavia in summer. We also have an aerial tramway which starts near the train station and takes tourists all the way to Cozla Mountain, offering a superb panorama of the city. People can actually see Ceahlau Peak as well. You can actually take a hike all the way there. Mountain lovers can also climb Toaca Peak and spend the night at Dochia Cabin. There are many reasons tourists can visit Piatra Neamt and Neamt County. The area combines well-preserved traditions with modern entertainment facilities. Also people can take Via Ferrata trails in Sugau and Bicaz gorges”.
Those who may take an interest in handicraft and ethnography objects should first visit the Ethnography Museum in Piatra Neamt.
Alina Ferent:
“It has been wonderfully arranged and has been recently refurbished. Here tourists can have a glimpse of Romanian traditions, structured according to the four seasons. Also, there are a great many village museums where such exhibits can also be found. There are a lot of traditional craftsmen who are still working. We have a festival themed the Dowry Chest, usually staged in late May, where craftsmen from all over the country meet. They gather in the city center, manufacturing new items, apart from all the objects they had manufactured already and which are on display for sale. In Neamt County, there is the Popa Museum, in the locality of Tarpesti, close by the house where Romanian prose writer Ion Creanga was born. There you can find a very special collection of handicraft items. Meeting the craftsmen is possible, also at the “Stone Sitting” with the Carmen Saeculare Culture and Arts Center. There, a group of women manufacture womens embroidered blouses faithfully using the patterns of their forefathers.”
Alina Ferent with the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion in Piatra Neamt told us the area can also be promoted from a culinary point of view.
“Everybody knows Moldavia preserves the old recipes. Some of them have been improved and reinvented. Among our traditional dishes, there is the Moldavian tochitura, a kind of Moldavian style deep-fried mixed meat platter, the broths prepared with fermented wheat bran brew made in a wooden barrel, just like our grandparents used to prepare it. Then we have the trout, which was smoked in fir-tree branches, so very typical for the mountain areas. It is available in the trout farms, which can be found in large numbers in the region. In the restaurants serving traditional food you can also have a taste of the mouth-watering Poale-n brau, a savory fluffy cheesecake. However, tourists who take an interest in modern cuisine can also be spoiled for choice. For instance, we have a generous offer of raw vegan produce.”
The invitation has been launched so that you can include this destination on your holiday agenda.
