The Valley of the Twelve

The settlement named after "The Change of Face" and "The Good Faithful Voivode Stephen the Holy and the Great" was built on a plateau of the Ceahlău Massif, being surrounded by large rocks. The small monastery is located in the immediate vicinity of the Dochia Hut.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION From the most remote times, around Mount Ceahlău there were numerous hermitages or caves with hermits, monks and nuns. Some were consumed by fire, snow avalanches, or rocks falling on top of them. Only Durău Monastery survived the times. The toponymy of the mountain and the places around it shows the presence of hermits and monks since ancient times and is recorded by documents since the 15th century. It is difficult to know when the first hermits came to these places and what was their origin. We can easily believe that they were native monks returned from Mount Athos or monks from the great monasteries of Moldavia. Some toponyms that remind us of them have been preserved, others have changed or disappeared. We remember: "The Foot of the Hermit", "The Pit of the Hermits", "Gideon's Cave", "At the cells", "Vucol's Cave", "Iosaf's Cell", "Mothers' Meadow", "Panaghia" (from the Greek, "The one in all Holy" - in honor of the Virgin Mary), "Monk Stream", "Ghenadie's Meadow", "Seraphim's Foot, "Gherman's Cave", "Altar Stone", "Gideon's Wide Stone", " Martin's Creek",  etc. There is also another kind of toponymy: "Shepherd's Stone", "The soldier’s hat", "Budu's Tower", "Pharaoh", "The Great Enclosure" ‒ also called "Throne of the Gods".

Trail no. 7 on the Ceahlău Massif is marked with a blue band and starts from the Stănile hill, located at an altitude of 1405m. The first part of the route is also the most difficult, being a 25-30 minute climb, but not very steep. Then, for 10-15 minutes, it continues on a level curve, after which there is a final gentler climb of another 10-15 minutes. Normally, in about 1 hour you should be up on the plateau, where this route intersects with the one from/to Cascada Duruitoarea and from where it continues under the red cross marker, for another 15-20 minutes, to Dochia Hut.  So, in total, the walking route, including breaks, should not take more than 2 hours. More info here: https://www.ceahlaupark.ro/en/portfolio-items/trail-number-7/ 

From the trout farm Bistra Montana turn right, following the forest road from the Bistra Mică River valley. It is 7km long, it is quite well maintained and can be climbed with almost any type of car (except very low ones). An SUV or a jeep is even more suitable. Take your time, this road takes about an hour. In the Stănile Glade there is an absolutely wonderful view of the Ceahlău Massif and its peaks. The entire natural setting is worth being admired in peace. It is good to know that in this glade there is also the hermitage with the same name, if you want to make a short detour to visit it. Most of those who climb Ceahlău park their cars in this glade. However, if you have a car with a high guard, the forest road continues beyond the barrier, another 2-3 km, to the "hiding parking place" point (you can find it on Google Maps).   Photo via https://samsara11.wordpress.com/

Born from the passion of an American and a Romanian, with a lot of work and effort, the trout farm Bistra Montana in Neamț wants to offer you moments of relaxation, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, being at the same time an oasis of peace and comfort. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION We are located in the locality of Telec in Neamț County, 12 km from the Bicaz road towards Chei and Lacul Roșu. We are at your disposal with 7 rooms with matrimonial beds, but also with a restaurant with 32 seats. It is good to know that we also sell trout fry on a firm contract basis. We also organize family reunions, sport fishing in our own trout ponds, hunting in the Ceahlău Massif forest, stays at monasteries in Neamț County, boat trips on Lake Bicaz.

The wooden church in Bicazu Ardelean was built in 1692 and bears the name of the patron saint "Saint Dumitru". It is located 1500 meters from the center of the commune, on the road Bicazu Ardelean Telec - Toşorog - Tulgheş. The beautiful little church is built of yew wood, and the beams are finished in a "dovetail" with the help of wooden nails. The plan of the church is in the shape of a cross, with a bell tower. The church is covered with thatch. The church is entirely painted in Byzantine style by an anonymous painter. The painting is made on linen canvas, glued with natural resin to beams, over which an emulsion made of milk, cheese and lime was applied. The scenes worth noting in the painting are: "the rapture of Elijah to heaven", "the hour of the seraphim", "the creation of humankind", "the face of death", etc. In the past, the church served to maintain the Romanian Orthodox spirit, being at the crossroads between Moldova and Transylvania.

The towns of Chirițeni, Hangu, Grozăvești, Buhalnița, Ruginești delimit an extraordinarily beautiful area in Neamț, along National Road (DN) 15, on the shore of Izvorul Muntelui lake. Here you will find numerous guesthouses for all tastes, as well as places to eat. There are also a few rest points set up, only good to stop and photograph the absolutely delightful landscapes, with the Ceahlău Massif in the background.

Piatra Teiului from Neamț is a calcareous rock located at the tail of the current basin of the Izvorul Muntelui reservoir on the Bistrița River, declared a natural monument since 1951, currently with the status of a geological reserve. The 23 m height rock, is located on a terrace 5-7 meters higher than the level of Bistrița. The protected area has an area of only 0.2 ha and is found at an altitude of 508 meters. The mysterious formation is a witness to the erosion of a Cretaceous coral reef. The composition of the rock includes a rich Sarmatian fossil fauna. Initially called the Devil's Stone due to its singularity, something that could only be explained by legends, it later got its current name after a linden tree grew on its top. According to legends, the Devil would have broken a piece of rock from the top of Ceahlău one night to stop the waters of Bistrița and flood the area. As he flew with the rock in his arms, he would have been surprised by the appearance of dawn and, fearing the sunlight, would have let it fall and run for cover in the darkness.

The Poiana Teiului viaduct, located near the Poiana Largului town, is a road viaduct on DN15 that crosses the tail of the Izvorul Muntelui lake. The viaduct was completed in 1961, having a length of 634 meters and a width of almost 10 meters.

Nicknamed the "Sea of the Mountains", Izvorul Muntelui from Neamț county is the largest human-made lake on the inland rivers of Romania and the only inland lake on which "Navy Day" is celebrated. The lake is about 35 km long, at the foot of the Ceahlău Massif, the volume of water supported by the impressive dam built in the 1950s-1960s can reach up to 1250 million cubic meters.