We have good news for all those who love Neamț County, with all its beauties, as it is among the finalists in the Destination of the Year 2024 competition, being nominated five times in four categories:

Historic and picturesque Neamț in the Lands with Tradition and History category: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/previzualizare/NeamtulIstoric/

Bison Land, Neamț in the Eco-Tourism Regions category: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/previzualizare/tinutulzimbruluineamt/

Piatra-Neamț in the Inspiring Cities category: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/previzualizare/PiatraNeamt/

Dimineți in Cerdac House, Neamț County, in the Epic Boutique Accommodations category: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/previzualizare/CasaDiminetiinCerdac/

Valley of the Twelve, Neamț County, in the Epic Boutique Accommodations category: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/previzualizare/ValeacelorXII/

Find all the competition finalists from this edition here: https://destinatiaanului.ro/destinatii/

This year’s edition is remarkable, say the organizers, with over 100 finalists from 36 counties in Romania.

Here’s what’s next:

Step 4: Public voting and judging (April 15 – May 8)

Finalists will receive points from the Jury, points from the Public, and points from the Destination Research.

Get involved in the competition by voting for your favorite destination!

Be careful how you vote, following all necessary steps for your vote to be validated and counted! Click in at least three categories and vote only once within a single category, then press to validate the vote (at the bottom of the page), enter your email address and check the box “I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions”, then confirm the vote via email and receive the successful completion message of the voting process.

Step 5: Announcement of winners at the Destination of the Year Gala (May 21)

The winners of the fourth edition of the Destination of the Year competition will be announced at the 2024 Destination of the Year Gala, which will take place on May 21 at the Romanian Athenaeum! Join us to celebrate tourism in Romania together! For more information, visit the organizers’ website directly: https://destinatiaanului.ro/

Why is Neamț historic and picturesque? Here are just a few reasons we’ve selected to describe our county in the Lands with Tradition and History category:

Neamț is the place where all the fundamental myths and most of the Romanian legends are found. The myth of the shepherd and the flying creature, that of foundation, sacrifice, and creation, because Neamț, not at all coincidentally, is the most evoked Romanian land in the pages of Romanian and universal literature. Spiritual and traditional symbols, sacred space of the ancient Dacians, cradle of Romanian ethnogenesis with many legends and myths, with a history and roots referring to the most brilliant and studied prehistoric civilization of Europe, belonging to the Precucuteni-Cucuteni-Tripolie Cultural Complex, a land of monastery villages, of the holy mountain Ceahlău, of the “Sea between the Mountains”, of welcoming people, with much charm, of the world-famous bisons are just a few reasons to embark on a journey to Neamț.

And only by traveling in this space you will discover why this land is so special and impressive. A Tourist Destination of Excellence at the European level, Neamț is currently one of the most appealing destinations in Romania, through its impressive history and traditions, the attractiveness of its landscapes, tourist attractions, cultural events, and recreational opportunities.

In Neamț, the “Stone Kingdom” of Bicaz Gorge is an irresistible temptation for those who love grappling with the mountain, Şugău Gorges have the longest Via Ferrata mountain trail in Romania, the lakes are known as the paradise of swans and ducks, the museums display remarkable collections. Here, Cuejdel is the lake with the appearance of a submerged forest, with numerous tree trunks piercing the water’s surface, perhaps the most “photogenic” beauty of Neamț, renowned beyond the country’s borders.

Neamț is the destination where folk art holds a special place. To convince yourselves, it’s enough to step into the impressive Nicolae Popa Museum or the Universal Childhood Space at Humulești, the Ion Creangă Memorial House, the most beloved storyteller of Romanians. Also in Neamț County, you can discover how folk artisans bring Creangă’s characters to life and pass on the secrets of each craft.

Neamț Fortress can be a joy for any tourist, discovering here a valuable medieval monument from the time of voivode Ștefan cel Mare and the stories within its walls that speak of numerous sieges over time.

Neamț connects with important cultural and historical routes, traveled by pilgrims since ancient times, towards ancient monasteries and churches, which impress with their architecture, the mastery of wood carving, or the varied and unique iconography that beautifies them. Renowned Romanian painters Nicolae Grigorescu and Nicolae Tonitza left their mark in Neamț, alongside others who created valuable works, but whose names have been lost to time.

Equally fascinating might be to discover that Romania’s Athos is in Neamț, through the Romsilva Area – Vânători-Neamț Natural Park, which hosts over a quarter of Romania’s plant species and is home to around a thousand monks and nuns in the six monasteries and ten hermitages in the area, with the monastic villages of Văratec and Agapia together representing the largest Orthodox monastic settlement in the world. The area known as “Vânători-Neamț Cultural-Monastic Landscape” was included in Romania’s UNESCO tentative list in 2021.

All Moldavian rulers have left enduring traces in the Neamț Land, so here you’ll find the most monasteries in the country and 537 historical monuments, very old buildings, places of worship, numerous museums, and memorial houses, holding valuable collections, some dating back to 1210, such as Neamț Monastery, considered the “Jerusalem of Romanian Orthodoxy.”