Thursday, June 24, 2010, starting with 20:00

The official opening
The official speech
Folk songs and dances
The Folk band “Floricica de la Munte”
Dance show performed by “Triumf Plus” group from Orhei
The Folk band “Vanatori” from Neamt County (Vanatori means Hunters)
The ballet group “Artis” and Adriana Ciobanu

Friday, June 25, 2010

starting with 17:00
Folk songs and dances performed by bands from  Savinesti, Tamaseni and Bodesti
The kids band Artis Alegria
Greek dances performed by the Greek community from Piatra Neamt
Blagescu Georgiana
Varga Alin
Miron Anda
Petruca Ecaterina
Voda Carmen

starting with 20:00
Mioara Veliciu
Mihai Traistariu
Deep Central

Saturday, June 26, 2010

starting with 17:00
Folk songs and dances performed by bands from Bistrita, Oglinzi, The College “Colegiul National Stefan cel Mare”, Targu Neamt and Margineni
The kids club Artis Alegria
Varga Alin
Palade Andreea
Blagescu Georgiana

starting with 20:00
Laura Lavric
Ladies
Alexandra Ungureanu & Crush

Sunday, June 27, 2010

starting with 17:00
Folk songs and dances performed by groups from Girov, Raucesti,  Gosmani, Stanca Pipirig
The kids club Artis Alegria
The folk band “Floricica de la munte”

starting with 20:00
Romica Ifrim & Band
DJ Sava & Raluca
Costi Ionita

The entire event will be organized in more than just one place. Between June 25 and June 27 in “Piata Libertatii” Plaza will be organized Expoflora Flower Fair. In Forum Shoping Center Mall visitors will participate at a Clothing Fair. Saturday, June 26 at 16:00 at the Town Swimming Pool “Strandul Tineretului” at Rustic Restaurant will take place the V-th edition of the Gastronomic Contest where several local restaurants will present their best foods. Sunday, June 27, starting with 12:00 you are invited at Piatra Neamt Rally to see how skillful the pilots are.

For those of you that love music, each night, starting with 18:00, on the scene that will be arranged at the Town Swimming Pool “Strandul Tineretului” will be organized shows and concerts. Between 18:00 and 20:00 there will be folk shows by children from Gh. Cartianu High school. Starting with 20:00 you’ll see shows by Delia, Andreea Banica, Holograf and Connect-R.

Everyone that seeks to have a good time is expected to come in Piatra Neamt between June 24 and June 27, 2010.

The collection of religious objects from Secu Monastery was also appreciated by historian Nicolae Iorga that describes it like “the great wonder of Secu”. Here are some of the valuable objects displayed in the monastery’s museum:

“The Air” (“The holy Epitaph”) that was a gift received by the monastery in 1608. On the red velvet background you see the scene “Crying for Jesus”, worked in gold thread and framed by a Slavonic inscription.

You can also see a series of Gospel Books among which there is a manuscript in Slavic that dates from XIV – XV centuries. A true masterpiece of religious and artistic importance is the Gospel printed in 1821, when the abbot of Secu Monastery was Ilarie. This Gospel was printed at Neamt Monastery and has frames with faces of saints painted on all the pages by the monk Ghervasie from Neamt. Another important gospel is the Holy Gospel printed in 1763 at Moscow, in the Slavic language. This gospel has silver covers and was donated to the monastery by Ecaterina the 2nd, tar of Russia.

In the year 1842, Safta Brancoveanu donates to Secu Monastery two chests made out of silver covered in gold and each with 5 towers covered in brilliants.

Together with these special pieces you can also see: two crosses from 1592 and 1607 covered with silver, two censer made out of silver covered with gold from XVII century, two big silver candlesticks from 1602 and so on.

Over time Secu Monastery played an important role in promoting the local culture and the religious life from Neamt County and basically from all over Romania.

Cheile Bicazului is a place that waits you to discover it: wild sceneries are hidden behind tall stone walls that seem to touch the sky. The narrow space between the 200 m stone walls, the twisted road, the waterfalls, numerous caves are forming this incredible place from Romania called Cheile Bicazului.

With a minimum effort you can look at Cheile Bicazului from above. The top of Suhardul Mic Peak is a panoramic point from where you can admire the entire surrounding area. You can see the road twisting like a snake through the big stone walls, the road Drumul Surducului, Bicajel Valley and Cheile Bicajelului. You can also see the surrounding peaks like Suhardul Mare and Hasmasul Mare. The great Ceahlau Mountain looks at you from far away and yet it seems so close because of its impressive proportions.

The hiking route that goes to Suhardul Mic (1344,5 m) is marked with blue triangle and has a length of 3 km. the trail is well taking care of and with minimum effort in about an hour you’ll be on top of the peak looking down to the beauties that nature created in Cheile Bicazului.

You can start with the oldest monastery from Neamt County, Neamt Monastery, built in XIV century by Musatin family. Continue your journey with Bistrita Monastery, built by ruler Alexandru cel Bun in XIV century. This is also the place where you’ll find his tomb.

After that, in chronological order, visit the monasteries built by Stefan cel Mare in XV century: Tazlau Monastery, built in 1487 and Razboieni Monastery built in 1496. In the same century were built Iosif Hermitage that later was transformed in Bisericani Monastery, built by Bogdan the III-rd and Petru Rares, Agapia Veche Monastery and Silvestru’s Hermitage.

From the XVI century you can visit Pangarati Monastery (known for the unique architecture of the old church that is basically formed by two churches on top of each other), built by Alexandru Lapusneanu in 1560, The Hermitage from Valeni and Zosima’s Hermitage that later, in 1602, became Secu Monastery.

In the XVII century monasteries from Bistrita Valley and Ceahlau were built. Here we can remind you about Peon Hermitage (on top of it was built Palatul Cnejilor that is now a ruin), Hangu Hermitage built by Miron Barnovschi in 1627, Durau Monastery, Agapia Monastery in 1644, Atanasie’s Hermitage in 1655 and Secu’s Hermitage in 1734.

Because of these numerous monasteries Neamt County becomes over time an important destination for pilgrims from all over Romania. From the XVIII century we can recommend you to visit Pocrov Hermitage, built in 1714, Almas Hermitage, built in 1715 that later became Almas Monastery, Sihla Hermitage, built in 1730, Vovidenia Hermitage, built in 1754, Horaicioara Hermitage, built in 1763, Tibucani Hermitage, built in 1764 and Varatec Monastery built in 1785.

From the XIX century we can talk about Icoana Hermitage, built in 1823, Horaita Monastery, built in 1830 and Tarcau Monastery, built in 1833.

The spiritual and historic heritage offered to Romania by the monasteries from Neamt County is priceless. It doesn’t matter if you are impressed by these locations as great religious places or you are interested about the historic and architectural importance of the monasteries from Neamt County, you’ll definitely have something interesting to see and tell your friends.

Those that are responsible for organizing this event invite you to spend few minutes listening to traditional music and to see folk dances from different countries of European Union and also to admire a parade with folk costumes from different areas of the continent.

At the show will be present students from National IT College and from the Art High School “Victor Brauner”, the folk orchestra Stefan Voievod from the Art High School, flute singers Madalina Luca and Adelina Chirila and also folk singers Iuliana Candrea and Alina Carnariu.

Together with those mentioned above you’ll also see the folk group EuEtno that will present traditional dances from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece. The folk dances group called Mugurelul will present a show with traditional folk dances from Neamt County: “Braul de la Garcina”, “Hora fetelor de la Damuc”, “Floricica (Bicaz-Chei)” and “Sarba de la Margineni”.

The entire show is organized by “Carmen Saeculare” Cultural Center, the Agency for Regional Development North-East, National IT College, the Art High School “Victor Brauner” and Tineretului Theatre.