| Piatra Neamţ | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms  | ||
| State | Romania | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Moldova | |
| Altitude | 345 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 77.4 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 85.055 (2011 census) | |
| Prefix tel | 40 233 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 610004–610292 | |
| Time zone | UTC 2 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Piatra Neamţ is a city of Romania, located in the historical region of Moldova.
To know
Geographical notes
Piatra-Neamț is located at an altitude of 310 m. above sea level in a scattered area of fairly high hills, the last buttresses of the Eastern Carpathians. The Bistrița River and its tributary Cuejdiu bathe the city.
When to go
The city enjoys a temperate continental climate with short springs and equally short and never too hot summers. The autumns are instead long like this and the winters are not particularly severe, since the frosts do not last long, with some exceptions.
Background
Piatra Neamț is first referred to in the Russian Chronicle (1387-1392) with the name of Kamena and with the name of Karácsonkő in contemporary documents relating to the 1395 expedition of the Hungarian king Sigismund from Luxembourg to Moldova (in Molduan land before villam Karácsonkő).
In 1453 the city was mainly inhabited by Saxons and Hungarians. Between 1468 and 1472 Stephen the Great ordered the construction of a palace. An important fair was held there which was abolished only in 1797 following the transition to an artisanal and then industrial production economy which made Piatra Neamţ the most important center of the county of which today it is the capital.
On November 8, 1841, the first earthen paper mill was inaugurated in Piatra Moldovan and in the following years sawmills, match and soap factories were installed. In the years of the industrial revolution, the Bistrița River played the role of a real artery for sorting raw materials: the timber cut in the surrounding forests was loaded onto rafts that flowed to the carpentries in the city while the finished products were made to travel to Bacău and the ports of the Danube where they were loaded onto ships.
The city was frequently hit by floods but also and above all by fires (May 1847, 9 July 1883, 14 June 1887, 6 July 1889, 18 August 1891 and 26 March 1902). In 1897 a part of the hill of Cozla collapsed and in 1901 began the consolidation of the slopes by planting trees and building embankments. Four years later, the zoological garden was inaugurated in the Cozla park.
At the end of the 19th century, the city was the capital of the county of Piatra-Muntele and Neamț and had 17,391 inhabitants of which about half were of Jewish confession.
The period between the two world wars was relatively prosperous while the years of World War II were difficult especially after the dictator Ion Antonescu chose Piatra Neamț as his headquarters to better coordinate operations on the eastern front. The advance of the Soviet army into the county caused great damage.
After the Second World War, the city gained momentum from the construction of the dam on Lake Bicaz and of various hydroelectric plants. After the fall of the communist regime, many factories closed their doors, creating unemployment and forcing the inhabitants to emigrate. The situation improved after the year 2,000 thanks to a series of investments promoted by local authorities and the provision of loans by European banks. In the first decade of the 21st century, the plan to transform Piatra Neamţ into a tourist city of national interest was launched, but due to the international economic crisis that occurred in the following decade, the plan did not yield the desired results.
How to orient yourself
Piatra Neamţ: full screen map.Viale della Repubblica starts from the station (Bulevard Republicii) which ends in Piazza Stefano the Great (Piața Ștefan cel Mare) around which are the main monuments and museums. The square is located at the foot of the Cozla and Pietricica hills. The first can be reached by cable car.
Viale Decebalo (Bulevard Decebal) cuts the Viale della Repubblica in half and leads out of the city in the direction of the Bicaz artificial lake and the gorges of the same name.
The continuation of Viale Decebalo to the east takes the name of Viale Traiano and leads out of the city in the direction of Bacău and its international airport.
How to get
By plane
The nearest airport is that of Bacău, 63 km further south. The airport is served by the international flights of the Blue Air which manages, among others, flights to / from Bergamo, Bologna, Rome-Fiumicino, Turin.
On the train
- 1 Piatra Neamţ Station, Piața Gării 1.
By bus
Information on bus timetables can be found on the website autogari.ro. To 2020 the bus lines Patru Plus Trans served several localities in the district, including the airports of Iași is Bacău. They also ran for Bucharest is Cluj-Napoca Their terminus is on the station square. Other bus lines terminating in the vicinity of the station are ŧransmoldavia.
How to get around
Local public transport consists of 18 bus lines that connect the suburbs to the center and 3 trolleybus lines all managed by the company Troleibuzul SA.
Several private companies carry out local transport on minibuses (such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Iveco and Ford).
- Cable car (telegondola). A cable car connects the train station with Cozla, the area on the top of the hill where there are ski lifts. The route has a length of 1,915 m. and at the top station there are bars, restaurants and accommodation.
What see
- 1 Princely court (Curtea Domneasca), Piața Libertății 2.
for a fee, reduced for children. 
Tue-Sun 09: 00-17: 00 (October-March); 10: 00-18: 00 (April-September). Complex that includes the church of San Giovanni and the bell tower. The entire complex was built between 1468 and 1475 as the residence of Stephen the Great
for a fee, reduced for children. 
Tue-Sun 09: 00-17: 00 (October-March); 10: 00-18: 00 (April-September). Complex that includes the church of San Giovanni and the bell tower. The entire complex was built between 1468 and 1475 as the residence of - Church of the Nativity of San Giovanni Battista (Biserica Nașterea Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul), 2 Piața Libertății. The church inside the royal court built by Stephen the Great around 1497.
- Church of the Nativity of San Giovanni Battista (Biserica Nașterea Sfântului Ioan Botezătorul), 2 Piața Libertății. The church inside the royal court built by Stephen the Great around 1497.
Civil architectures
- 2 Paharnicului house, Paharnicului street, ☎ 40 233 212426.
- 3 Lalu house, Stefan cel Mare street 44, ☎ 40 233 214351.
Religious architectures
- 4 Wooden synagogue (Synagogue de lemn), Dimitrie Ernici street, nr. 7, ☎ 40 233 223 815.
Museums
- 5 art Museum (Muzeul de Artă), Piața Libertății nr. 1, ☎ 40 233 216 808. Mon-Sun 10: 00-18: 00.
- 6 Museum of history and archeology (Muzeul de Istorie și Arheologie Piatra-Neamţ), Bulevardul Mihai Eminescu 10, ☎ 40 233 217 496. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm.
- 7 Ethnographic Museum (Muzeul de Etnografie), Piața Libertății nr. 1, ☎ 40 733 939 453. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Shows
- 1 Youth theater (Teatrul Tineretului), Piața Ștefan cel Mare 1, ☎ 40 233 211 472. Small theater where famous Romanian actors played.
- 2 Ceahlăul Stadium (Stadionul Ceahlăul), Eroilor street. Multipurpose sports facility.
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 Turnul Berarilor, Bulevardul Decebal 26, ☎ 40 233 220 002. Mon-Sun 11: 00–00: 00. Traditional Romanian cuisine restaurant with very tasty game dishes. Turnul Berarilor is renowned for generous portions and a good assortment of beers.
High prices
- 2 Restaurant Laguna, B-dul Decebal, Nr. 80, ☎ 40 233 232 121. Mon-Sun 10 am-11pm. Good but the pizzas are to be avoided.
Where stay
Average prices
- 1 Grand Hotel Ceahlău, Piața Ștefan cel Mare 3, ☎ 40 233 219 990.
High prices
- 2 Central Plaza, Piața Petrodava 1-3, ☎ 40 233 216 230.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- 2 Bicaz Lake -
- 3 Ceahlău National Park (Parcul Național Ceahlău) -
- Cheile Bicazului-Hășmaș National Park (Parcul Național Cheile Bicazului - Hășmaș) - From Bicaz you can reach the 4 gorges of the same name (Cheile Bicazului) and subsequently the 5 Red Lake (Lacul Roşu) among alpine landscapes. The park offices are located in the village of Izvorul Mureşului, on the western side of the massif.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Piatra Neamţ
Commons contains images or other files on Piatra Neamţ
