The route starts in Durau Resort from where the trail goes into the forest. the first stopping point is Fantenele Chalet from where you can admire the rocky look of Ceahlau Mountain, with Toaca Peak and Panaghia stone guarding the top.

From Fantanele Chalet the trail becomes steeper and from time to time the forest will open with some great panoramas toward Durau Resort. During winter the scenery is great and the tall pine trees are covered in snow.

Ceahlau Fantanele winter 2011, Neamt County

The trail will take you to the places called “La morminte”, “Curmatura Arsitei” and “Caciula Dorobantului” from where you’ll have the chance of some beautiful panoramas over Izvorul Muntelui Lake and the surrounding mountains. From “Caciula Dorobantului” Stone the trail goes into the forest and soon you’ll have a great view toward Panaghia Stone.

After that the trail will go around Toaca Peak,, will reach the Weather Station and in the end will stop to Dochia Chalet. The scenery during wither is incredible. The climbing is more difficult than in other moments of the year but once you reached the top the reward is worth the effort.

Walking on this route will guide your footsteps on Bistra creek valley. From here the road goes to the right into the forest until it reaches the place called “Curmatura la Scaune”. The dirt road continues through the forest until it reaches Stanile Plane where you’ll have the chance to admire the south-west side of Ceahlau Mountain, Butu’s Tower Stone and the stone wall of Ocolasul Mare Peak.

Ceahlau Stanile winter 2011, Neamt County

From Stanile Plane, where there is also “Sf Antonie” Hermitage the route continues on the dirt road until the touristic marking directs you into the forest. This is the final part of the trail that will take you to the top of Ceahlau Mountain.

On top of the mountain, the winter images will overwhelm you. You’ll see the peaks of Hasmas, “Pietrele Rosii” Stones and “Magura Grintiesului”. The trail will take you Dochia Chalet and will pass near a stone called “Piatra Lacrimata” (The Weeping Stone – named like this because it looks like a crying man) and near “Stefan cel Mare” Monastery.

After this point the route is marked with a blue triangle placed on orientation pillars. You’ll have to walk on the asphalted road for about 2 km, until you’ll reach an intersection from which the route goes on the dirt road from your left. This is also the point where many tourists prefer to leave their cars.

Izvorul Muntelui chalet (797 m) – Dochia stone (1185 m) – Dochia chalet
Markings: blue dot (from Izvorul Muntelui chalet until the intersection with the asphalted road) and then blue triangle
Difficulty: medium (during hard winters or in heavy fog conditions the upper part of the route can be dangerous)

The trail goes through a valley guarded by Rachitis’s Foot on its left and along Izvorul Alb creek. The scenery is spectacular and soon the valley becomes narrow. At some point you’ll have to cross a small water stream so waterproof boots are required.

You continue to follow the trail that goes through numerous limestone formations until you’ll reach Dochia Stone. Under this stone there is a fresh creek that will help you cool off in hot summer days. You cross Poiana Izvoarelor plane and then you enter the forest on a steep trail.

At some point the trail will exit the forest and you’ll see Toaca peak on your right. The trail twists itself through small pine trees. As you climb, a spectacular view opens behind you with Izvorul Muntelui Lake in the background.

This is the last portion of the route and soon you’ll reach Dochia chalet. A word of caution regarding hiking during winter on this route: the upper part can be dangerous after a heavy snowfall or on thick fog.

The unique elements that can be seen on this route are Dochia’s stone and the juniper from the last portion of the route. From this area, while climbing, you’ll see on your right the incredible beauty of Toaca Peak and the gorges that climb in steep slopes toward the base of the peak.

The 3D images realized on Ceahlau Mountain are part of a photographic experiment through which we want to show the entire world the touristic potential of this mountain and also of the entire Neamt County area. The photos we present in this pictorial show all the important elements from the route that we choose but also Dochia chalet and the monastery from Ceahlau.

To correctly visualize the photos you’ll need special 3D glasses. The way you should look at these photos is with great care to details: the grass that seems to come out from the screen, the information polls, the trees, pieces of rocks or the entire construction of the monastery from the top of the mountain.

3D Images from Ceahlau Mountain in Neamt County

The images are meant to awake in people the desire to be on the mountain, to be up on heights among pine trees and stone walls: come visit Neamt County, climb Ceahlau mountain and experiment the feeling of freedom and total joy!

After 1933 they built a forest district building with two chambers. They call it “Adapostul Anania” (Anania Shelter) or “La Canton”. This was also the place where tourists used to rest before hiking on Ceahlau Mountain. At the intervention of Priest Constantin Matasa they extended the existed building with two more rooms where they could accommodate tourists.

The actual Izvorul Muntelui Chalet was constructed around the forest district building. Because of the rising number of tourists, in 1940 under the guidance of the same priest C. Matasa they build a bigger chalet. During war the number of tourists dropped and the chalet is damaged.

Izvorul Muntelui Chalet was organized in 1950 when a new building with 65 accommodation places was ready to receive tourists. Starting with 1957 the access to the chalet can be made on a dirt road that was covered with asphalt in 1970.

Because of the dirt road more and more tourists came to hike on Ceahlau Mountain from Izvorul Muntelui Chalet: this was the reason for building a first floor. The chalet represents the second access gate to Ceahlau Mountain where tourists can come and enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the mountain and can hike on one of the 3 mountain routes that start here: “Lutu Rosu”, “Poiana Maicilor” Plane and “Jgheabul cu Hotaru”.

Ceahlau Mountain had a great impact on our history. Here are some points of interest: in 1716 this is the first mountain from Romania that was mentioned in literature, in 1840 in Iasi appears the first touristic guide for a mountain, written by Aga Gh. Sasachi and in 1914 Dochia Chalet is built as a result of more and more tourists that came to Ceahlau mountain.

The Day of Ceahlau Mountain is celebrated every year on August the 6th. Also, during the first week of August, tourists can see a light phenomenon called “The Shadow of the Pyramid”: the shadow of Toaca Peek from sunrise has a pyramidal shape over the surrounding mountains.

Touristic attractions from Ceahlau Mountain

The touristic routes from Ceahlau Mountain offer to tourists the chance to see the three protected areas from this national park: The Scientific Reservation “Ocolasul Mare”, The Natural Reservation “Polita cu Crini” and the monuments of nature Duruitoarea Waterfall and “Avenul Mare”.

These reservations contain over 1100 protected species of flowers among which the most well known is the Edelweiss. The animal species that live in Ceahlau Mountain are also protected by law. We’re talking about 90 species of birds and animals like the black eagle, the black goat, the bear, the wolf, the deer and the mountain rooster.

Time shaped the rocks from Ceahlau in strange forms that generated many legends. These rock formations became in time touristic attractions: Toaca, Panaghia, Detunatele, Claile lui Miron, Furculita, Piatra cu Apa and so on.
The tallest peeks from Ceahlau are Ocolasul Mare (1907 m) and Toaca (1900 m) but only Toaca can be visited by tourists.

Chalets from Ceahlau Mountain

There are 4 chalets on Ceahlau Mountain and only 3 open to tourists: Izvorul Muntelui Chalet, located at 797 m altitude, Fantanele Chalet located at 1200 m altitude, Dochia Chalet located at 1790 m altitude and Stanilelor Chalet at 1400 m altitude. Also, on top of Ceahlau Mountain was built in 1993 the Hermitage “Schimbarea la Fata”. You can accommodate at the hermitage by calling this phone number 0040745402052 Father Ignatie.

Legends of Ceahlau Mountain

Ceahlau Mountain impresses the tourist with the strange shaped rocks that are at the origin of numerous legends. These old stories are transmitted from one generation to another. The imagination of people fuels the mystic size of Ceahlau Mountain that waits like a calm giant tourists that come to explore its trails.

Among the most well known legends we can speak about the legend of Toaca Peek, the legend of Panaghia Stone, the legend of “Polita cu Crini”, the legend of Stanilelor, the legend of “Piatra Ciobanului” Stone, the legend of Dochia Stone or the legend of The Tower of Butu and Ana. Every story uncovers the beauty of the people that live in this place, their ingenuity and love for nature.

Touristic routes in Ceahlau Mountain

Tourists can explore the mountain on one of the 7 marked routes. Each trail takes you on another side of the mountain and offer great panoramic views over the surroundings: you can have a whole image of how beautiful this mountain is only after you hiked on all the 7 touristic routes.

The 7 touristic routes from Ceahlau

Route 1 (red stripe): is located on the west side of the mountain and goes through “Poiana Maicilor” Plane and starts in Izvorul Muntelui
Route 2 (blue stripe): is located on the east side of Ceahlau Mountain and goes through Curmatura Lutu Rosu. The starting point of this route is also in Izvorul Muntelui
Route 3 (blue triangle): is located on the east side of the massif and goes through Jgheabul cu Hotaru. The starting point of this route is in Izvorul Muntelui
Route 4 (red stripe): is located on the north side of the Ceahlau and goes through Fantanele Chalet. The route starts in Durau Resort.
Route 5 (red cross): is located on the north-west side of the mountain and goes through Vesuri plane and by Duruitoarea Waterfall. The route starts in Durau Resort.
Route 6 (blue stripe): is located on the south-west side of the massif and goes through Telec and Curmatura Stanile. The route starts in Bicazul Ardelean.
Route 7 (blue cross): is located in the south side of Ceahlau and goes through Curmatura Varatec and “Poiana Maicilor” Plane. The route starts in Neagra village.

Ceahlau Mountain is a national treasure and tourists that come to visit this mountain have the chance to discover the beautiful sceneries of Neamt County. We invite you to visit Neamt County, to hike on our mountains, to visit the monasteries and museums and to see the beauty of this land.