Welcome to Neamt County, Romania – #priNeamt

I don’t think Romania is on most people’s radar as far as a travel destination is concerned, and to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t on mine until probably a year or so ago when I started seeing other bloggers’ photos of the beautiful country popping up. Amanda, Pete and Dalene, and Erick had all spent quite a bit of time in various parts of the country and every time I saw a post or a photo, Romania jumped a bit higher on my places to see. So, when the opportunity to be a part of a group of 60 bloggers (50 Romanian/Moldavian and 10 foreign) exploring Neamt County came up, I jumped at the chance.

One of my favorite parts of being a blogger is getting to highlight lesser-known regions or cities in various countries. There will always be the Parises and Londons of the world, but what about those smaller areas that are oozing with charm and lacking tourists? Those are the places I truly get excited about–the places relatively untouched by foreigners, where you can still see how people live their everyday lives and where you can still get that sort of insider’s perspective. That was one of the reasons I was most excited about this trip: we weren’t going to Bucharest or Transylvania (undoubtedly two of the biggest draws to Romania), but we were visiting an area that is relatively untouched and unknown.

The goal of this trip was to visit a variety of places in Neamt County to get a feel for what it’s like there and for what it has to offer. We based ourselves in two different places, and two entirely different atmospheres: Piatra Neamt, the capital city of Neamt County, and in Durau, which is situated at the base of the Ceahlau Mountains. While I would typically identify myself as a city gal, I was pretty nonplussed by Piatra Neamt. Aside from the magnificent view from the rooftop of our hotel, the film festival that was going on while we were there, and the gorgeous views from the top of the mountain after a gondola ride up there, I wasn’t blown away. Sure, it’s lovely, but it’s what came after that impressed me the most.

Just getting outside of Piatra Neamt and starting to explore more of Neamt County was perfect. The natural sites and landscapes along the way to Durau were more than I could’ve hoped for–expansive views of mountains, lakes, and farmland; climbing rocks in an enormous gorge; and passing innumerable horses, cows, and horse-drawn carts.

For probably the entirety of my trip, I was wondering how much it’d cost to buy a house there–in the middle of nowhere. The seclusion appealed to me and the beautifully decorated houses were so charming with their ornate woodwork and hanging flower baskets, that I envisioned what it’d be like to spend a couple of weeks a summer there, getting back to basics and living like a local. And while the landscapes were gorgeous and the weather was more than I could’ve ever asked for, my biggest takeaway from this trip was how amazing the Romanian people are.

At times, I felt like I was sort of interviewing Romanians around me, wanting to learn as much about the country, the region, and the people as possible. But what blew me away is how friendly everyone was, and how much they love their country, despite any of its flaws. They were so accepting and so helpful on so many counts in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in another country–and that, to me, speaks volumes.

I’ll be writing a bit more about my time (and the food!) in Neamt County, but I think it’s safe to say that I loved my time there. By the end of my trip, I was already trying to figure out how and when to come back.

Between 5 and 11th of September I traveled #priNeamt – the third edition of the most important event dedicated to promoting in the online environment of a county from Romania. Organizer: Eventur Bucharest. Powered by Petrom Romania. Main partners: Autoritatea Națională pentru Turism, CJ Neamț, City Hall of Piatra Neamț, Bistrița Hotel from Durău, Blue Air and AutoBoca Rent-a-car.