EVENTS, FESTIVALS AND SPORT COMPETITIONS IN NEAMŢ COUNTY

Below you can find a list of the most popular music festivals, sport and outdoors events, cultural festivals, national and religious festivals, and more. Keep up to date on what is happening in our beautiful, welcoming county by regularly checking our tourist website – www.visitneamt.com, our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/VisitNeamt/, our You Tube channel, and our Instagram account.

 

1. Snow Festival in Durău Resort – January

For ten days winter sports lovers will have the opportunity to spend unforgettable moments in Durău Resort, at the foothill of Ceahlău Massif. On the ski and sledging slopes in Durău Park, tourists can enjoy shows, contests, prizes and many other surprises. During winter, Durău Resort proposes visitors a fairytale like scenery whose splendor words cannot tell.

Durău Park is an ideal slope for sledding and skiing, both for amateurs and advanced skiers. With a length of 406 meters and a width of at least 62 meters, a level difference of 35 meters and an average degree of difficulty, the slope was reopened to the public in 2012. The ski lift system was upgraded in December 2018 consisting of a double cross chairlift system, with a total transport capacity of 1200 people/hour. There is also a slope (less than 200 meters) and platter lift for beginners, intended for use of children, beginners and for sledging. In the vicinity of the main slope there is a ski and sledging equipment rental center. Snow cannons, night lighting are also available. For those willing to learn practicing winter sports, skiing and snowboarding monitors are willing to offer assistance.

Durău Resort is a special and favorite place for tourists all year round. Here is the starting point for two routes leading to the plateau on Ceahlău Massif, the only holy mountain in the Romania, and the second in the Christian world, after Mount Athos, having its Dedication Day on the 6^th of August. Not few are the tourists who, once on top of Ceahlău Massif, hardly wait to come back again, as the mountain fascinates through the amazing panoramic views, the charming trails, and numerous rocks carrying stories and legends of their own.

Snow Festival includes ski and sledding competitions, spectacular slalom or speed skiing, laser light games, fireworks, music and disco party with well-known artists, and many other surprises.

For further details, please visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/partiadurau/

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2. Union Day – January

“The Romanian round dance for Union Day” (“Hora Unirii”) event is organized every year, on the 24^th of January, when Romanians everywhere celebrate the union of Moldavia with Wallachia, the first step in the early state formation of Romania as it is nowadays.

On this occasion, on the plateau of the Princely Court in Piatra Neamţ, in front of the City Hall, everyone is welcome to join the traditional “Hora of the Union”, and also attending a folk music show.

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3. “FLORILE CEAHLĂULUI” National Festival of Folk Music for Children and Young People – March

“FLORILE CEAHLĂULUI” National Festival of Folk Music for Children and Young People has a wide range of objectives, amongst which we mention:

– revitalizing and promoting the Romanian folk music and folklore, through vocal and instrumental music, and traditional Romanian folk costumes;

– promoting the collection and interpretation of traditional music, alongside with the reinterpretation of old pieces, of great value and representativeness, by young people;

– raising the awareness of young people of the fact that traditional music represents a fundamental cultural value, and is a priceless part of the intangible heritage, must be widely known and well-preserved.

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4. Princely Court Fest – April

Princely Court Fest in Piatra Neamţ is an annual event meant to celebrate the first documentary attestation of the Princely Court Ensemble in Piatra Neamţ, first celebrated on the 20^th of April 1491, later turned into a cultural and historical symbol of Piatra-Neamţ City.

The historical city center is dressed in medieval holiday “clothes”, and for one day the community enters the atmosphere during the reign of Stephen the Great. The event takes place every year around the 20^th of April, and various events promoting the main local cultural and historical values will take place.

The program is designed to meet the expectations of all age groups, ranging from street performances, craft workshops, combat demonstrations by reenactors, 15th-century armament and weapons presentations, flag juggling, street parade to plays that render the glorious historical past of Moldovia.

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5. B-Zone FOLK ROMÂNIA – May

“B ZONE FOLK ROMANIA” invites all music lovers to a special four days celebration, during which all across Ozana valley folk music accords will echo loudly. The event takes place annually in early May, in Târgu Neamț, and brings together famous Romanian artists, international guests and winners of national competitions who will perform on stage. It is, undoubtedly, the largest folk music festival in Romania. “B ZONE FOLK ROMANIA” serves to identify and encourage young artists, as well as to promote folk music among the young generation.

Talent shows, workshops and meetings with national and international famous folk artists, organizers of festivals and events, remarkable people in radio and TV, book and album launches, first audition songs, musical instruments fairs are just a few of surprises prepared for the participants. Everybody will enjoy live concerts and many other surprises, during the four days of the festival, wchich will be held in various locations in and around Târgu Neamţ.

“B ZONE FOLK ROMANIA” is organized by Neamț County Council in cooperation with Târgu Neamț City Council.

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6. “The Hope Chest” Folk Art Festival – May

”The Hope Chest” Folk Art Festival is an annual event organized in the center of Piatra Neamţ which aims to preserve and promote the folk art becoming, over the years, an important landmark for the popular craftsmen, the invitation to participate in the festival representing a recognition of the value of their works.

”The Hope Chest” Art Festival gathers at Piatra Neamţ more than 70 craftsmen from most of Romania’s ethnographic areas and from the Republic of Moldova. They come together to create an overview of traditional crafts: what has been preserved over time and what has been subjected to the influence of modern technologies. Among the objects that are exhibited, there are beautiful fabrics made in stands or embroidery frames, soft goods and traditional costumes, wooden objects engraved with old symbols, utilitarian or decorative ceramics, masks that remind us of the winter festivities, leather works and articles made from fur which are always present in the peasant’s clothing, glazed eggs, icons and naive painting, ornaments, braids, bone objects, glassware, musical instruments and toys, etc.

By annually organizing ”The Hope Chest” Folk Art Festival, both locals and tourists are provided with the perfect opportunity to remember, during the three days of the festival, the value of the simple things, and also the uniqueness of the national identity and thousands of popular creators, thanks to which we can speak today about authentic Romanian folk art.

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7. “Petrodava” Dacic Festival – May

In the last weekend of May, visitors to Piatra Neamţ are invited to embark on a journey in the ancient world of Dacian-Roman numismatics at Officina monetaria workshop.

Petrodava Fortress is an exemplary achievement of the Dacian civilization and one of the oldest human settlements in Romania, dating back to 2^nd century BC.

The program of the festival includes demonstrations of Dacian-Roman Military Techniques, ancient dances, night parade with lit torches, gladiator battles, craft camps and workshops where participants can witness the whole process of coin making (replicas), exactly as it was unfolded two millennia ago.

The festival will be attended by a numerous public while the largest reenactors groups in Romania (with staffs of over 100 individuals) will participate in reenactments of historical events.

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8. Bicaz Kayak Fest – June

Bicaz Kayak Fest is an event dedicated to kayak lovers, residents and foreigners, amateur or professional. Kaiak Fest takes place every year on Izvoru Muntelui Lake including marathon in Bicaz-Ceahlău area, or mini-marathon in Bicaz – Baicu and Bicaz Dam area- Bicaz Naval Port, as well as spectacular slopes of kayaking. The event takes place in a picturesque area, Ceahlău National Park, and the number of participants in the competitions is growing every year. Kayak Fest thus becomes one of the most significant events for Bicaz town.

To find out more about the programme of the event, please visit: http://bicazkayakfest.ro/

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9. Piatra Fest – June

By tradition, every year around the day when Christians commemorate the feast “The Nativity of St. John the Baptist” (who is also the spiritual patron of Piatra-Neamţ), the entire community in Piatra Neamţ joins in celebrating the city, for 4 days and 4 night, by participating in a series of cultural and artistic events.

Piatra Fest is organized annually and marks Piatra-Neamţ city days through street performances, various cultural, artistic and sports events, and also musical shows entertained by the most appreciated musical bands in Romania.

As part of Piatra Fest, Piatra Food Fest is also taking place in the Youth Park in Piatra Neamţ. The festival offers a wide display of dishes, both traditional and international ones, a true gastronomic delight that addressed all audiences.

Throughout the event, at the stage set up in Youth Park and Lido in Piatra Neamţ, teens enjoy listening to remixes by the best DJs in Piatra Neamţ.

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10. Medieval Festival ”Days of Neamţ Fortress” – June

 “Days of Neamţ Fortress” Festival is a much beloved event gathering thousands of people in Târgu Neamţ. Every year, the festival impresses its attendants through originality, authentic Romanian traditions and especially through recreating the medieval atmosphere that takes the visitors back in time, in ages of great historical significance. The event includes an extremely diverse program: from medieval music performances, combat demonstrations by large groups of reenactors, parades with princesses and knights dressed in antique clothes and dancing in medieval music accords, to folk art exhibitions, a popular culinary festival – “The Enchanted Pot” and various folk music and dances.

The evenings end with an impressive camp fire, departing from which the participants go to their houses holding lit torches in their hands.

The Festival takes place every year in Târgu Neamţ, in Neamţ County, between late June and early July. We are heartily awaiting for you to join us!

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11. Hard as Stone – July

“Hard as Stone” – the most awaited extreme sports festival in Romania-  takes place every July, in Piatra-Neamţ.

Piatra-Neamţ undoubtedly has one of the most spectacular downhill trails in Romania: a trail with a flow, offering much fun, amateur friendly, and technical enough to stimulate interest and competition.

The trail was especially designed and adapted to the natural conditions of the mountain region (provided the level difference and soil type), thus testing the resistance and skills of riders on sandy terrain and high temperatures, factors that increase the speed of the ride.

The mountain bike (CROSS-COUNTRY XC) trail was arranged on Cozla Hill and Cârlomanul Hill, and consists of road sections paved with cubic stone, forestry roads, footpaths and rough terrain. The trail is adequately marked using symbol warning and regulatory signs, as well as trail blazing.

The trail offers spectacular views of the surroundings: Cozla, Cârlomanul, Pietricica and Cernegura hills, and also over Piatra Neamţ city, River Bistriţa valley, Lake Bâtca Doamnei, and up to the horizon line, where Ceahlău Massif majestically stands tall.

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12. “Musical Holidays” International Festival – July

“Musical Holidays” International Festival takes place every year in Piatra Neamț in July and has become, throughout the years, a landmark for Neamţ County. Every year, musical artists, conductors and instrumentalists from all corners of the world, prestigious music ensembles, as well as students of higher musical education institutions perform for the public in Neamţ. For seven magic evenings, locals and tourists who come in Piatra Neamţ can take delight with diverse music genres from symphonic to pop, chamber, rock, choral or folklore.

The event, which is organized by Neamţ County Council and “Carmen Saeculare” Center for Culture and Arts, follows every year an already classic programme: the opening and closing evenings of the edition are held from 9 PM at the plateau nearby the Bell Tower of Stephen the Great. During the other days of the event (Monday to Friday), two separate events will take place every evening in different locations: one beginning from at 7 PM, at Youth Theater, and the other, beginning from at 9 PM, in the open air, at the plateau nearby the Bell Tower of Stephen the Great.

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13.“Bate Toaca” Mountain Running Marathon – July

The mountain tracks in Ceahlău Massif will “whisper” to you the legends of the Duruitoarea Waterfall, the Weeping Rock, Butu and Ana, Miron’s Haystacks and Panaghia, while the Ancient, Gentle Dochia will watch over your steps every time you join “Bate Toaca” mountain running marathon, an event with tradition in Neamţ, also included in the Carpathian Mountain Running Circuit. From one edition to another, the running trails come up with new elements, they are longer or shorter, faster, more technical or more accessible.

The Carpathian Mountain Running Circuit, which also includes “Bate Toaca” Marathon, is above all a challenge addressed to all of us, Romanians, to travel more and discover the diverse and unique landscape of the Carpathians, to feel the warmth that surrounds us wherever our steps lead us, to discover our true selves and thus go back to the core values guiding our lives, the primordial virtues of human nature: respect for Earth and life in all its diversity, sincerity, simplicity, loyalty, and kindness.

Among the competitions that are included in the Carpathian Mountain Running Circuit, we mention: Brașov Marathon, Apuseni msg system Marathon, Roșia Montană, Rodnei Sky Race, Cozia Mountain Run, Bate Toaca Marathon, Retezat Marathon, Hargita Trail Running, Ultra Trail Fagaraș, Piatra Craiului Marathon.

14. Water Music Festival – August

Water Music Festival takes place every year, in the middle of august, on the shores of Lake Izvorul Muntelui. The event brings together lovers of good music, lovers of water sports and nature lovers.

The originality of Water Music Festival consists in mixing three different musical genres -blues, folk and rock- and at the same time offering participants the opportunity to practice water sports. The organizers provide the public with the possibility of camping in W.M.F. with 300 fully-equipped tents (mattresses, sleeping bags, solar lamps).

Nautical clubs will provide special equipment for practicing water sports. Throughout the festival there will be many open stage events -rock, folk, blues, jam sessions-, helicopter flights, leisure flights, but also hydroplane flights over and around the lake area.

The purpose of the festival is to attract people who like the music genres above mentioned, and also lovers of water sports. At the same time, the event is dedicated to all those who enjoy hiking, trekking, and sightseeing in the beautiful nature as is the location chosen to host the festival: Lake Izvorul Muntelui’s shores in Ceahlău commune – an area characterized by an overwhelming and surprising beauty in any season. This is a place of meeting between water and mountains: the impressive Lake Izvorul Muntelui meets Ceahlău Massif, the “Holy mountain of the Romanians”, “a giant with his forehead in the sun” as George Coşbuc noted, in an inspired way, in his poem “Summer”. Also here, participants will have the opportunity to admire a breathtaking landscape where the majesty of Ceahlău main peaks is reflected in the still waters of the largest anthropic lake in the country, symbolically called “the sea between the mountains”.

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15. Ceahlău Mountain Festival – August

Ceahlău Mountain Festival takes place in August every year, in Durău Resort, Ceahlău Commune, in Neamţ County. Ceahlău Massif, widely known as the Holy Mountain of the Dacians, also called “Kogaion” or “Zamolxe’s Shrine”, is celebrated today by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, by tourists and pilgrims as the Dacians once did: they all climb the top of the mountain, enjoy the sunrise, admire the The Shadow of the Pyramid and the Stairway to Heaven (the Sacred Way), the unique phenomena in the world that have been the origin of the celebration of Ceahlău Mountain for over five millennia, listen to the prayers of the monks from Durău monastery, and then come down, not to be caught by the twilight on the mountain, so that they stay healthy and wise all year round. At the foot of the massif, for decades, the authorities organize “Ceahlău Mountain Festival”, a 2-day celebration for locals and tourists.

The organizers provide the audience with a colorful, playful and merry event, including performances by famous Romanian musicians and bands, children’s shows, folk dances and delightful parades of popular costumes of musical ensembles from many parts of the world fireworks, folk crafts and folk art exhibitions, and many more. At the event, everybody is welcomed to spend 2 days of singing and good cheer in the company of the locals, in the fresh air at the foothill of the majestic Ceahlău Massif.

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16. “Ceahlăul” International Folklore Festival – August

Created in 1991, in order to celebrate the richness and beauty of folk traditions, deeply rooted in the cultures of different nations, the festival is an itinerant one. The audiences in several localities in Neamţ County will have the opportunity to discover the effervescence of cultural diversity and enjoy traditional music and dances from many corners of the world. Of course, the festival features traditional folk ensembles from different ethnographic areas of Romania as well.

Annually, the festival opens with a parade of the traditional folk dress, dance and song, following a route that runs through the city center, parade which gathers hundreds of enthusiastic spectators. The opening show of the edition followes. In the next days, parades and musical shows are taking place in various localities in Neamţ County. The evening gala of the festival presents the audience with extraordinary concerts supported by national and international ensembles, on the stage set on the Royal Court in Piatra Neamţ, and whose performances all lovers of folklore and traditional art will be delighted to see and hear.

“Ceahlăul” International Folklore Festival” is organized by “Carmen Saeculare” Centre for Culture and Arts in Neamţ and Neamţ County Council, in partnership with the Local Councils.

To find out more about the programme of the event and each national folk ensemble, please visit: http://www.culturaneamt.ro/  

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17. Piatra Neamţ Waterways Challenge – September

In August, all lovers of water sports, amateurs or better trained, curious and courageous enough, are invited to take part in a Kayac competition, organized on Lake Bâtca Doamnei, at “La Caiace” Recreational Complex. The pleasure of rowing in a beautiful natural setting mixes with the joy of spending time with friends and family, in a merry atmosphere.

All tests of the competition are designed in such a way as to prove the participants’ practical and orientation skills, and above all, their sense of humor, beside the rowing techniques. The competition mainly addresses amateurs, being spiced with funny tests. At the end of the contest, the best rowers receive diplomas, medals and prizes.

Competition categories:
“The lonely rower” – for those who want to row alone
“Two in distress make sorrow less” – for pairs / double mixed
“Family is fun” – for families with 2 adults and one child up to 10 years
“Young Hope” – for children up to 12 years old

Participation in the contest is free, provided prior registration.

The event is organized by Maia Outdoor and “La Caiace” Recreational Complex.

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18. Marathon MTB Bicaz – September

The event, featured in the annual Riders Club calendar, gathers every year, in September, in Neamţ County, hundreds of participants from all over the country who share the same hobbies: mountain bike trips and exhausting races through unconventional and challenging trails through wild forest areas, both fascinating and recharging.

The organizers provide participants with three different trail types, of various length and level of difficulty, so that everybody is able to take part in the competition: from children to adults, from amateurs to professionals, who usually prefers exhausting routes with high slopes.

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19. NEAMŢ MUSIC FESTIVAL – September

NEAMŢ MUSIC FESTIVAL invites all lovers of good music to an amazing four-day musical journey. The project proposes the audience with a mix of musical genres, and original forms of musical expression, brought on stage by renowned national and international various artists.

The aim of the festival is to stir the usual boundaries in search for inspiration to keep classical music alive with interested audiences for the next generation of artists.

The Festival presents a multi-faceted personality, showcasing world-renowned concert pianists and maestros. It will also provide an innovative platform for artistic fusions between piano music and other art forms, facilitate networking between the artists and concert promoters and be a catalyst for future artistic ideas and developments. The Festival also embraces the role of educating young up-and-coming musicians and artists, while welcoming all kind of audiences ready to engage with Romania’s heritage and people.

In mid-September, everyone is expected in Neamţ County to fully enter the fantastic atmosphere of classical music.

Website: https://neamtmusicfestival.com/2019/

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20. Piatra Neamţ Drama Festival – September

The festival proposes its audience with a selection of contemporary plays that discuss topics of interest for nowadays’ society, documentary theatre, performances directed by young people (under 30 years), artistic projects with a strong educational tint (workshops for spectators of all ages, shows directed by professionals in collaboration with teenagers), shows for children and young audiences.

The organizers thought of the festival as a meeting-point for various generations of artists and spectators, for theatre people from different parts of Europe, for challenging experiences and perspectives, for theatre and other arts (movie, music, dance, visual arts).

Through its various programs, Youth Theatre provides its public with a theatrical offer which stands apart through high quality performances, diversity, innovation, non-conformism, inviting spectators of all ages to become an active part in the cultural act, from reflecting on the theatrical products to co-production and playwriting. Also, Youth Theatre is an active promotor of a series of intercultural projects which mainly focus on realizing a valuable, coherent dialogue between very different forms of art and cultures, worldwide.

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21. “Steaua sus răsare” Festival of customs and traditions – December

“Carmen Saeculare” Centre for Culture and Arts in Neamţ organizes annually, between Christmas and New Year, “Steaua sus răsare” Festival of customs and traditions, the only folklore festival which has been uninterrupted for five decades. The event is part of the Christmas Fair in Neamţ.

The festival gathers the most spectacular folklore groups and ensambles of winter customs and traditions, both from Romania and abroad, in Piatra Neamţ. Groups of youth and old men alike, greet their audiences with the beauty of carols and religious theme dramas, and also spectacular mask dances – she-goat, stag, bear, young horsemen dance, displaying a rich and varied repertoire, which impresses by message, folk costumes, and music. Their singing and dancing engage large numbers of participants in a ceremonially festive atmosphere, which is also competitive and jolly.

The participating folklore groups will display the traditional costumes, songs and dance specific to their area of ​​origin, resulting in a parade following a route that runs through the city center. At the end of the parade, all folklore groups and ensambles will perform in a Gala show on the stage set on the Royal Court in Piatra Neamţ, to the extraordinary delight of the audience.

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22. Christmas Fair in Neamţ – December

The Christmas Fair in Neamţ is an event organized in Piatra Neamţ, each year, in December. Numerous people are expected to attend this event to feel the magic of the Winter Holidays, and to experience -for days and night in a row- wonderful moments, meeting Santa Claus, listening to Christmas carols, stories, and the great taste of the small knotlike shaped rolls which are going to be baked in the oven. At the same time, everybody coming to the fair is going to enjoy the joy and all the marvelous little things during the most wonderful time of the year.

The Christmas Fair in Neamţ provides spaces dedicated to each type of activity, such as: an area for cultural events, an area for traditional dishes, an area for gastronomic products prepared within the fair, an area for decoration objects and other handcrafted products, an area for workshops and other activities for children, as well as an area with tables and benches for people who want to enjoy the products purchased within the fair.

Here is also the place where -every year- famous Romanian and international artists perform on the stage of the Christmas Fair to delight the audience, while the traditional singers of carol invite you to enter the fascinating atmosphere of Christmas in Neamţ County.

For further details about the event, please visit: www.craciunlaneamt.ro.

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To find out more about upcoming events, download Visit Neamt mobile app on your mobile device. See also our “What’s new” section.

We heartily invite you to discover the amazing natural, cultural and ethnographic heritage of Neamţ County, a land of authentic spiritual values.

We are convinced that visiting Neamţ Land will turn out to be an unforgettable experience for you!