The Horaița Monastery
The Horaița Monastery

The Horaița Monastery

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About

During more than 150 years since the establishment of the monarchy in Romania, Neamţ county has been host to members of the royal family on numerous occasions, the first "royal" visit to Neamţ taking place only a few months after the arrival of Prince Carol I in the country, in August 1866. In a less pleasant context, Charles II arrived on the German throne.

In 1918, while he was in Târgu Neamţ in command of the Mountain Hunter Regiment, Prince Carol II fled to Odessa to secretly marry Zizi Lambrino. Because he deserted, he was arrested for 75 days at the Horaița Monastery, an isolated and difficult place to access at that time. At the monastery, there are still some furniture items that were brought from Bucharest specifically to make the prince's stay more comfortable. It is about a sofa with two armchairs and a table with six chairs that can be found today in the guest room intended for important visitors of the monastery.

The Horaița Monastery is located in the village of Poiana in the commune of Dobreni, in a particularly picturesque place, conducive to monastic life, but also to the meeting of pilgrims with God and nature alike. Today's church is a foundation of Archimandrite Ermoghen Buhuși from the 19th century (built between 1848-1867), in an old monastic hearth. A first wooden shelter would have existed here since the 15th century. In a document from July 1428, the ruler of Moldavia Alexandru cel Bun mentioned a church in Horaița in a row of 52 places, given to the care of the Bistrița Monastery.

The name of the monastery comes from the name of the family that owned many properties in the area, Goraeti. The only one in Moldova that is dedicated to the Baptism of the Lord, the church is also unique in its architecture that combines Romano-Byzantine elements with Russian influences, but also in its neo-Byzantine style painting, on a brick background made only in the period 1988-1993 by the painter Mihai Chiuariu. Of particular beauty is the tapestry, carved in baroque style, from linden wood, hair and thuja, decorated with gold and rich embroidery. The pulpit is 4 m above the royal doors, a fact that is no longer found in any Orthodox church in the country or in the world.

The church of the monastery houses the icon of the miracle-working Mother of God "the deliverer from drought", considered the most precious smell of the place. The people of the monastery say that the icon has saved the surrounding villages many times in times of drought by bringing, following processions organized by priests and believers, the long-awaited rains. It seems that this comes from the old wooden church, being made in the first half of the 18th century.

The monastic complex also includes the "Saint Hierarch Nicholas" Chapel, the "Descent of the Holy Spirit" Chapel from the Bell Tower, but also other more recent constructions, some intended for the monastery community, others for pilgrims or guests from among the high hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

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The Bisericani Monastery

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The Cross from Bisericani

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The monastery of Războieni

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Tazlau Monastery

Stephen the Great was the most important ruler of Moldavia, but also a prominent personality in the history of Romania. He ruled his country for 47 years, from 1457 to 1504, during which time he distinguished himself as a statesman, diplomat and military leader. He won the throne when he was not even 20 years old, out of a desire to avenge his father's death. Due to the large number of places of worship founded, but also to the battles against the pagans, he was called Athlete of Christ and defender of Christianity since his lifetime. He was sanctified in 1992, being marked in the Orthodox Christian calendar on July 2, with the name Righteous Voivode Stephen the Great and Holy. In Neamț there are 7 objects whose existence is linked to the name of the voivode: the large church from the Neamț Monastery, the Neamț Citadel, the Războieni Monastery, the Tower and the chapel of St. John the New from the Bistrita Monastery, the Royal Court Ensemble with the Nativity of St. John church The Baptist from Piatra Neamț, the New Roman Citadel and the Tazlău Monastery. ABOUT THE TAZLAU MONASTERY Located at the foot of Măguria Tazlău, in the center of Tazlău commune, the monastery is considered the most imposing in the entire Neamț county. Apart from the monastery church, here are still preserved the ruins of the princely house and the defensive wall built of river stone, which in some places still has the height of Stephen's time. Until recently, an extensive restoration project was carried out at the monastery, which involved both the rehabilitation of the buildings and the archaeological research. It is good to know that in the basement of the monastery there are several retreat tunnels that have never been studied.
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Lacul Veselaru

Lake Veselaru was formed in 1940, having a length of 72 m, a width of 55 m, a maximum depth of 12 m and an area of about 3000 sq m (0.3 ha). Of course, all these dimensions change depending on the amount of precipitation. Therefore, the lake is not very big, especially if we compare it with Cuiejdel Lake or the Red Lake, also natural dam lakes. But, even if it is small, it has a special charm because its appearance is very wild and, although there is no path, you can walk around it and you can see the trunks of trees coming out of the water, just like at the Red Lake. Directions Lake Veselaru is located in the commune of Piatra Şoimului, more precisely, in the immediate vicinity of the village of Neguleşti, approximately 23 km from Piatra-Neamţ. From the national road DN15, the one that connects Bacău to Piatra-Neamţ, at the roundabout in the town of Roznov, turn right towards Tazlău, but immediately after the bridge over the Bistriţa river, you must turn right again. There will be a bifurcation with a sign, towards Luminiş and Neguleşti to the left. The road to this lake is not marked, but it can be found quite easily. After you pass the village of Luminiş, after a wide curve to the left, you enter Neguleşti, and on the left is a wooden fence with horizontal slats that encloses a large area, without any construction. Immediately after the fence ends, go left into the meadow of the Iapa stream, cross the stream on a bridge and you will see a small stone house. A forest road goes up through the forest next to it. After a while, this road forks and you have to take it to the right. You will climb for about half an hour to the lake. The photos in the gallery should give you even more landmarks to orient and guide you to this natural attraction. Photo credit: Daniela Ursu
RC5G+35, Negulești, Romania
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The cave of Saint Teodora

Saint Teodora was born in the village of Vânători in Neamţ county, around the year 1650. She was one of the two daughters of Ştefan Joldea, a soldier at the Neamţ Citadel. Teodora's youth is marked by a tragic event: the death of her sister at a young age. For this reason, Teodora wants to retire at the monastery. But in order not to grieve her parents who had already lost a daughter, she gets married. After their death, however, she and her husband decide to go separately to the monastery. At the age of 30, Teodora will enter the Vărzăreşti-Vrancea Hermitage, and her husband will become a monk at the Poiana Mărului Hermitage. Because of the Turkish raids, Teodora retreats to more hidden places, on the border between the Buzău and Vrancea mountains. After a few years, she returns to Neamţ and lives near the Sihăstria Hermitage, in the cell next to the wooden Church, which still exists today. There he spent his time in prayer and contemplation, in poor clothes, feeding only on what the forest offered him: fruits, sponges, nettles, roots. At a new attack by the Turks, Cuvioasa was seen by them and chased. Then one of the greatest miracles in Teodora's life takes place. At her prayer, a rock split and formed a cave that sheltered the Saint, the stone wall closing in front of the Turkish invaders. Teodora will live until the end of her life in this cave that can still be seen today, located only 50 meters from her cell. Here the Saint lived for 10 years, unknown to the world, only in the care of God, alongside the beasts of the forest. It is even said that she blessed these places so that those who will arrive here will be protected for life from wild beasts. The time spent in this cave brings the Pious to the highest degree of asceticism. She receives the gift of "before-sight", and ends up not feeling the cold, thirst, hunger or sleep anymore. She was not eating for weeks in a row, and her clothes were only rags. The Saint begins to desire more and more death, but before that she wanted impartation. And her prayer was answered. Several birds went to the Sihăstria Hermitage at mealtime, took bread in their beaks and flew with it to Sihla. Seeing them, the abbot sends two disciples to see where the birds are going. They find the Pious Theodora in prayer, raised from the earth, like the Pious Mary of Egypt. She told them about her life, about her near end, and asked them to go to the monastery to bring her a priest so that she could be imparted. The next morning the saint was imparted and immediately afterwards she died. Her relics were placed in the cave, where they stayed for almost 100 years. In 1830, her miracle-making body was taken by the Sturza family to the church in Miclăuşeni-Iași. From there, in 1856, the relics arrived at the Pecerska Lavra in Kiev, where they are still today.
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The Serbesti Rock

The Şerbești Rock is located 17 km from Piatra-Neamț, in the commune of Ștefan cel Mare, on the Măgura Șerbești hill (512 m). Access is by road, via National Road/DN15D Piatra Neamț - Roman. Towards the end of the village of Girov, turn left on the County Road/DJ208G towards Hanul Ancuței (the Ancuței Inn) until the village of Ștefan cel Mare, where there is a signpost to the reservation. ATTRACTION DETAILS The Şerbești Rock, known by the locals as the "Hill with a Human Face" or the "Hill of the Dead", is a natural monument with the status of a geological and landscape nature reserve of category III IUCN. The element of uniqueness of this strange formation is given by the hard sandstones, which rose in an unusual way, following the tectonic movements, marls and conglomerates of Sarmatian age formed about 10 million years ago. On closer inspection, the steep incline of these formations resembles a human profile looking up to the sky. In 1972, the Şerbești Rock was declared a protected area on a surface of 5 hectares following the important geological and paleontological discoveries made in the area: fossil shells, fossil marine snails, and two species of oak. MYTHS AND LEGENDS The locals of these places talk about a myth of a fight between the "giants" who lived millions of years ago on the Ceahlău mountain. One of the giants chose his eternal place in this area, where he hid under a piece of hill. With the passage of time, his face has surfaced and we can see him resting in complete peace, looking up at the sky. The legend from the time of Stephen the Great says that the Rock from Şerbești was a place where the Grand Voivode hung the heads of prisoners from the battles with the Turks. The locals still call the place "The hill with the heads". According to this myth, the heads of the fallen warriors represented a sign for all those who traveled in those times in the area of Moldavia.
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The "Mihail Sadoveanu" memorial house

The "Mihail Sadoveanu" memorial house, located near the Vovidenia Hermitage and near the Neamț Monastery, was established in 1964, in the bishop's house built in 1937 for Metropolitan Visarion Puiu. Later, the building ends up under the administration of the Mitropoly, which makes it available to Sadoveanu to serve as his creative and recreational home. Here the writer spent his summers and holidays with his family members, friends and cultural and political personalities of the time. Among those who stayed at Vovidenia as guests of the writer are Maria Tănase, Emil Bodnăraș and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (former communist ruler). Today you can see in the museum numerous objects that belonged to the writer (clothing, hunting weapons, fishing tools, the entire Sadovenian work, which also includes the princeps editions). The museum is currently under the care of the inhabitants of the hermitage. 
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Cuejdel Lake

Lacul Cuejdel este cel mai mare lac de baraj natural din țară și unul din cele mai tinere, fiind format în urma unor alunecări masive de teren, pe o suprafață de aproximativ 35 ha în urmă cu aproximativ trei decenii. Alunecările de teren succesive s-au produs între anii 1978 -1991, cauzele fiind precipitațiile abundente și un cutremur de pământ. Date fiind structura rocilor din zonă și înclinația mare a pantei, nu este exclus ca în viitor să se producă și alte fenomene și să continue formarea de lacuri. Lacul are o suprafaţă de 12 ha, 1 km lungime, 102 m lăţimea medie şi aproximativ 7,5 m adâncime. Datorită formei sale mai este numit şi Lacul Crucii. Pitorescul peisajelor și sălbăticia locurilor fac din acest colț de rai o atracție pentru toți iubitorii de natură și de călătorii, dar mai ales pentru pasionații de fotografie. În anul 2004 zona a fost declarată arie protejată de interes național. Rezervația Naturală Lacul Cuejdel cuprinde luciul de apă și suprafețe forestiere adiacente. Rezervația se află pe teritoriul Ocolului Silvic Gârcina și este administrată de Direcția Silvică Neamț. E bine de știut că în rezervație sunt interzise camparea, focul deschis, pescuitul sportiv. De asemenea, în prezent nu mai este permis accesul auto până la lac, dar sunt posibile oricând drumeții pe jos sau cu bicicleta. Recomandările privind comportamentul turiştilor se regăsesc şi pe panouri informative. În cazul grupurilor organizate mai mari de 10 persoane trebuie solicitat un aviz de acces de la Ocolul Silvic Gârcina. (tel/fax: 0233242270 sau e-mail: gircina@neamt.rosilva.ro) La Lacul Cuejdel se poate ajunge pe cel puțin două trasee, distanţa de la Piatra-Neamţ până la lac fiind de aproximativ 25 de km. Cel mai cunoscut traseu este cel prin comuna Gârcina, sat Cuejdiu. De la bariera unde se poate lăsa mașina se ajunge la lac în aproximativ o oră – o oră și jumătate, traseul fiind marcat şi destul de ușor de parcurs. A doua variantă este prin comuna Crăcăoani, traversând satele Magazia și Cracăul Negru. Acest traseu poate fi parcurs atât pe jos cât şi cu bicicleta. 
Lacul Cuejdel, Romania