The Horaița Monastery

The cave of Saint Pious Chiriac is located near the voivodeship church from Bisericani, located today in the premises of the sanatorium. Over the centuries, the place has been a place of prayer for many hermits, but it bears the name of Reverend Chiriac, a 17th-century resident, who lived in the cave for 60 years, in dire need. The Holy Hierarch of Dosofta himself, the Metropolitan of Moldova, worshiped at his head, as a sign of appreciation for his holiness. The first known hermit from the heights of Bisericani, however, is St. Joseph, considered the founder of the monastic hearth from Bisericani, in the 15th century. Born in a village in Neamț, Saint Joseph began his monastic life at the Bistrița Monastery, but from there he went to worship at the Holy Sepulcher and stayed for many years in the Jordan Valley where he founded the first Romanian spiritual community in the Holy Land. Because of the Arab invasion, he returned to Moldova together with his disciples, founding the first hermitage in Bisericani. Saints Chiriac and Joseph were canonized in 2008, and their relics are in the voivodeship church at Bisericani. They are commemorated on October 1, when the monastery's inhabitants and the faithful go in procession to the cave. Today's monks from the monastery say that there are several such caves in the area that have not yet been discovered, the very name of Bisericani being due to those who for centuries would have had to, sanctifying these places with their prayers and bodies .

The Bicaz dam is one of the most visited places in the entire Neamț county, impressing with its size. It is the first construction of this type erected in Romania through an immense human effort that lasted 10 years (1950-1960). The construction of a dam on Bistrița was the dream of the engineer Dimitrie Leonida, who set up the Stejaru hydropower plant project, a construction that was to produce electricity for all of Moldova, with the help of Bistriţa waters. More than 18,000 people, including soldiers, political prisoners or residents of the Bistriței Valley, forced by the communist regime, worked on the construction of the dam at Bicaz, the adduction tunnel and the electric plant at Stejaru. Shack-type housing was built in the Dodeni and Ciungi neighborhoods, canteens, but also a construction site hospital for those organized in labor colonies.   The heaviest and most dangerous jobs were assigned to priests, intellectuals, or to so called wealthy peasants and consisted of digging, dislodging and transporting waste with wagons, thus accidents occurred frequently during the work due to lack of experience and working conditions. At the foundation of the dam, approximately 1,300,000 cubic meters of rock were excavated to hold 1.2 billion cubic meters of water.   The Bicaz Dam is 127 meters high and is the largest gravity dam on the inland rivers of Romania, being surpassed by Porțile de Fier/Iron Gates I, and is the third highest dam in the country. It is the 9th highest weight barrier in Europe.   The construction consists of 30 plots (blocks) separated by joints sealed upstream with reinforced concrete and copper wedges. The body of the dam is crossed by galleries, ventilation shafts and niches for visiting. In the specially arranged rooms there are actuation and control installations, tracking equipment of the behavior of each element.   18,760 people (almost 2,300 households from 20 villages) were displaced to close the dam and build the reservoir. Some preferred not to leave their native places and dismantled their houses piece by piece, and where possible, rebuilt them higher up, away from the waters of the coming lake. The cemeteries were displaced and transported on the "Road of the Dead", the trees were cut and the buildings demolished, sometimes even by dynamiting.    In the nearby village of Hangu the only building that could not be completely dynamited was the Hangu Church (built of reinforced concrete with rails taken from a disused railway), the remains of which can be seen when the waters of the lake are dried up, in dry summers or frosty winters. It is said that those who tried to dynamite it were followed to death by a curse.   There is a high-precision seismograph inside the dam, which records the tiniest tremors of heavy machinery crossing the area. The body of the dam is crossed by galleries, ventilation shafts and visiting niches, and in specially arranged rooms there are actuation and control installations, tracking equipment of the behavior of each element. Designed to withstand an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale, the dam at Bicaz never faced any problems and survived the great earthquake of March 4, 1977. The scenario related to the breaking of the Bicaz dam in the event of an accident is equivalent to a disaster, with a breach of 75% in width and height, the flood wave would reach 19.5 meters at Piatra-Neamț (at the Bâtca Doamnei Dam).

Geological, botanical and landscaping reservation, natural park Cheile Bicazului (Bicaz Gorges) – Hăşmaş is climber's paradise, having the most spectacular canyons from Romania, Cheile Bicazului (Bicaz Gorges). Calcareous Peak of Hăşmaş Mountain allowed spectacular development of karsts phenomenon (Cheile Bicaz, Cheile Bicăjelului, Cheile Şugăului). National Park Bicaz Gorges presents a great scientific interest from a geological, geomorphologic, paleontological, landscaping point of view and from the point of view of the diversity generated by the wide variety of geoclimatic conditions. Bicaz Gorges are well known in Romania because of their impressive sizes. Also, Lacul Roşu (Red Lake), formed by natural barrage of waters from Bicaz stream (1837), offers picturesque landscape.

In Pângăraţi village is located an old orthodox monastery from Moldova, built by Ştefan the Great and Saint and Alexandru Lăpuşneanu. The name of the holy monastery is from Eremitul Pangrate, come from Athos Mountain, then local from this area. In Carol I times, monastery cellars was transformed in prisons and in 1914 here was installed a military hospital.

Bistriţa Monastery located in village Bistriţa was built before year 1407 by ruler Alexandru cel Bun of Moldova (1400-1432), that also had endowed with villages, estates and expensive scents. In year 1498, Ştefan the Great built a bell tower. In year 1546, Petru Rareş had restored the monastery and built a surrounding wall. In year 1554 Alexandru Lăpuşneanu had completely restored the monastery. In year 1418 is buried at Bistriţa Monastery Lady Ana (Neacşa) and beside her, in year 1432, is buried the ruler Alexandru cel Bun.

Neamţ Fortress is one of the most impressive medieval fortress from Romania. The fortress was part of the fortification system built in Moldova at the end of the 14th century, for defence against ottomans. This elegant and impressive fortress was built amongst Petru I and was fortified in 15th century by Ştefan the Great, giving orders that the fortress's walls to be raised with almost 6-7 metres and to build battlements and wide windows, through which fortress's defenders could watch and hit the enemies.

Entering in the city Târgul Neamţ it can be visited Memorial House of Ion Creangă from Humuleşti. Memorial house located on the street that has the same name with the great writer. The house was built in 1830 by Petre Ciubotariu, grandfather from mother side of the writer. For the moment, the house is closed for renovation until (approx.) the end of summer 2023. 

Neamţ Monastery is a monk orthodox monastery, located in village Vânători Neamţ. The monastery is certified in year 1407 but the roots are from 12th century. The monastery was built by Petru I Muşat(1375-1391), that built the first stone church, today vanished but on the same location existed a small wooden church, called White Church, built by monks a century before. The present church from monastery's precinct was founded by ruler Ştefan the Great at the end of 15th century.

One of the most loved attraction, especially for little ones, the Bison Reservation Dragoş Vodă, where you have the opportunity to see an animal disappeared from Romania but brought back: the bison.  Beside bison, there is also o small zoological garden where live a few Carpathian deer, paddle deer, deer, bears and different kind of birds. VISITING HOURS: Monday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm ACCESS FEES: Adults 15 RON and children 7 RON.  There are discounts for groups over 10 persons (adults 12 RON, children 5 RON).