The local artisan Neculai Popa struggled all his life to transmit to us his passion and love toward Romanian traditions and customs. He was a great artist and a passionate collector of folkloric art that we can admire in his museum organized at his house from Tarpesti. Here, Neculai Popa shines a light over the old time Tarpesti area by exhibiting traditions and customs specific to different special moments from the life of the people living in these parts.

The flavor of old times surrounds tourists from the moment they enter Tarpesti commune. This is also the place where ruler Stefan cel Mare once stopped to dine with his army in his way to Razboieni.

The narrow streets of the village take you in a world with no technology where tourists are fascinated by the magic of folklore from this place. The fresh air that floats over the warm colors of the scenery, the traditional houses that speak about the people and their lives and the entire surrounding nature that seems to protect the uniqueness of this place transform tourists in spiritual treasure hunters. This is the atmosphere in which you’ll visit the museum house of Neculai Popa, a place where you’ll witness the history of a family and of the entire community.

Neculai Popa museum 2011, Neamt County

Tourists can visit the house with masks, built in the beginning of the XX century that hosts the majority of creations of Neculai Popa and his wife Elena Popa. Here you’ll see masks used in traditional dances of New Year’s Eve, wood and stone sculptures and traditional embroidered jackets. Near it you’ll visit the house of collections built in 1974 to host all the archeological collections and ethnographic objects.

Neculai Popa, together with his wife Elena dedicated their lives to collect these traditional objects and to preserve some of our traditional way of life. Their legacy is the history from Tarpesti and from Neamt County.