The monasteries from Bistrita valley are well known for being old religious settlements that stand through time as symbols of our faith and human hope. These cultural and religious places represent true national treasures built in medieval times. Tourists that visit Neamt County can take a trip to see these monasteries.

Bistrita Monastery – located at a distance of 8 km on the west of Piatra Neamt, on the national road number 15 to Bicaz, in Alexandru cel Bun village, Bistrita monastery lasted for over 600 years despite the hardships of history. Bistrita monastery has a great historical and archeological value because it’s one of the oldest monasteries of Neamt County and Romania.

Here we can find the tombs of some great Romanian princes. At Bistrita monastery there is The Icon of St. Ana – this is the holy icon that was a gift from the emperor Manuel II Paleologul to Alexandru cel Bun in 1407.The museum of Bistrita monastery was inaugurated in 1932 and it has coins of the era, icons from the centuries XVI-XVIII, sculptures, fresco, remains of royal clothing and other objects founded in the royal chapel.

Bisericani Monastery – is placed in the area of the mountain Pietrosu, at an altitude of 650 m, and at 12 km west from Piatra Neamt, on the national road that links Piatra Neamt with Bicaz. The road goes up in a series of serpentines, while you discover the whole splendor of the valley of river Bistrita. At one point you’ll discover the towers of the monastery, almost hidden behind the trees. At first, the place where we find today the monastery, it seems that there was a hermitage of Bistrita Monastery.

Only in 1498, Joseph left the monastery from Bistrita and together with other monks began to build a church here. Among the founders of this monastery we can also find Alexandru cel Bun (Alexander the Good), Stefan cel Mare (Stefan the Great), Stefan Voda (Prince Stefan), Petru Rares and Alexandru Lapusneanu.

The church of the monastery is well known for the wall that separates the altar from the rest of the church which is decorated with very beautiful icons and where the rich chromatic of the ornaments is in contrast with the icons painted on more plain colors. Another feature of this wall is the beauty of the holy doors that are sculpted in a very beautiful way on the part facing the church.

Pangarati Monastery – is located near the road DN15 (National Road number 15) that links the towns Piatra Neamt and Bicaz, near the hydroelectric from Stejaru.Pangarati Monastery is first mentioned at the beginning of the XV century in the year 1460 when the monk Simeon, which was one of the advisers of ruler Stefan cel Mare, built here the first wooden church.The name of “Pangarati” comes from a monk named Pangratie, thinks the historian Nicolae Iorga.

The old church from Pangarati is built from stone. The big proportions from the outside are lost when you enter the building. The thing that makes it unique is that in fact there are two churches built one on top of the other. The church from Pangarati Monastery has a unique architecture: the windows are from wood with an iron grate. The exterior walls of the church are whitewashed.