To reach Cuejdel Lake there are two access ways: either by car to the lake or by car to a certain point and then on foot. If you want to reach Cuejdel Lake by car you go from Piatra Neamt to Targu Neamt and you make a left at Cracaoani commune on a dirt road towards Cracaul Negru and Magazia.

Location of Cuejdel Lake on Google maps with access routes

If you choose to hike to Cuejdel Lake, which is also our recommendation, you’ll go by car from Piatra Neamt to Garcina commune and Cuejdel Village. At some point the asphalted road will end but you keep driving on a dirt road until you’ll see a sign that says “Lacul Cuejdel 2km” (it means 2 km to Cuejdel Lake). That is the point where you get out of the car and you start hiking.

The green grass, the flowers that seem to overflow the fields, the powerful blue sky form a perfect picture for you to admire while you hike to Cuejdel Lake. After that the road takes you into the dark pine tree forest where the sun rays struggle to find their way through the thick branches of the trees.

Your only companion on this road is a creek that flows along the trail. The sound of the water is like a strange song of the forest and the beauty of the path which looks like a tunnel covered by trees makes you forget about the time. Soon, in front of your eyes you’ll see Cuejdel Lake.

Located into the heart of the forest, in a wild scenery, Cuejdel Lake presents a rare beauty where hundreds of tree trunks are pointing out from the water like an unknown menace. Because of its shape, Cuejdel Lake is also known as the Cross Lake. This place is a natural reservation protected by law from 2004.

As a tourist you can hike around the lake on the dirt road that flows along the water surface. Nature worked hard on this place and you can see the results in a breathtaking scenery. Reed groves, an abandoned raft, small trees grouped in strange shapes, roots: the entire area is an amalgam of impressive elements.

The hike around Cuejdel Lake makes you wonder: how does the lake look at dusk or at dawn? For a person passionate about photography this place is like heaven on Earth. It doesn’t matter when you arrive at Cuejdel Lake, in the morning, in the evening, in the middle of the day, during spring or during fall, you’ll always come back with a pleasant memory and a great photo.

In your hikes try not to disturb the nature. This unique place from Romania deserves to be protected in order for future generation to enjoy that spectacular image of Cuejdel Lake.

Located at the base of the famous reservation Cheile Bicazului, in the upper part of the village Bicaz Chei,  Cheile Sugaului is in the shape of a canyon with a length of 350 m where there are several small waterfalls. Only in the winter season, the cold snow, transforms the waterfalls, along with the entire area in a relaxing place where incredible wild scenery comes together with big pieces of ice on the rocks and water. You’ll benefit from a perfect trip in one of the most valued rock formation reservations in all of Romania.

If you take this trip, the route is organized at the cottage Ecolog with steps and handrails, so that all tourists can have a safe trip. If you plan to admire the frozen waterfalls you’ll need to be professionally equipped for mountain routes and go inside the canyon. And if you’ll enter the canyon, it doesn’t matter how much you’ll be able to advance: the strange ice formations and rocks will worth all the effort.

60 million years ago, here there was the bottom of a sea where lived clamps, fishes and other organisms specific to this area. This information are confirmed by the numerous fossils discovered. Because of that these mountains were declared a protected area and became a reservation with a surface of 53 ha.

The fossil fauna present here is made out of 38 species of fossils fishes, 10 species of bivalve, one species of isopods, decapods and insects. Many of the fossils discovered in this place can be seen in the Museum of Natural Science from Piatra Neamt.

The herbaceous vegetation is formed by circular planes and above 1400 m we can see a grass called spiky. At over 1,900 m we meet grasslands dominated by the horns, and to the limit of the forest we can see clusters of Mountain Pine, juniper, Smirdar, blueberry and cranberry. Here we can also see the tree called aurochs – a protected tree. Meadows located in the lower part of the forest area are dominated by avascior, golden avaz and meadow fescue.

The flowers that are present in these parts are: Omagua, the bell, the blue aster, the sweet pea, the carnation, the brave’s cross, the honey bear and larch. The medicinal plants from this area are:  arnica, bilberry, yarrow, chamomile and species of fungi: Boletus edulis, galbiorul, Rascov, hulubitele, ghebele or opinticii. Rare species found in these forests are examples of yew, and blood of the brave.

An important role in the flora of the Tarcau Mountains is played by the reservation Gosman, that is located at an altitude of 700-1300 m on the left side of the river Gosman in the commune Tarcau. Here we can see some old trees, of 140 – 260 years, like spruce, fir and beech .



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Presentation:

Location: the Tarcau Mountains are part from the central group of the Eastern Carpathians and are located on two counties: the south-west part of the Neamt County and the north-west part of the Bacau County. The length of these mountains is about 65 km, 40 km width and approximately 1810 square km. the natural borders of these mountains are the Bicaz Valley to the north, Damuc Valley to the west, the Trotus Valley to the south and the Bistrita and Tazlau valleys to the east.

Access: the nearby towns and villages: town Piatra-Neamt, commune Tarcau, commune Viisoara, commune Pangarati, town Bicaz, commune Tasca, Bicazu-Ardelean, commune Bicaz-Chei, commune Damuc, commune Roznov, commune Borlesti, commune Tazlau.

The climate: the Tarcau Mountains have a climate common to all the middle size mountains, with harsh winters and short cold springs. The best moments for tourists to visit these places are in the summer in the months of August and September (because of the warm temperatures and only few drops of rain) and in the winter in the months of December and January (because of the thick layer of snow that is suited for winter sports).

The Rivers: In this area we encounter rivers that flow on the surface (in a proportion of about 70-80%) and underground rivers in a proportion of 20-30%. The most important rivers from this place are: Bistrita, Bicaz, Tarcau, Trotus and Asaul.

The Lakes: the three important lakes in this area are Vaduri (waters that fill the lake: Secu, Vaduri and Pangaracior), Pangarati (waters that fill the lake: Oantu and Pangarati) and Batca Doamnei (waters that fill the lake: Agarcia, Batca Doamnei, Valea Mica – “The Small Valley” and Sarata).

Natural reservations in the Tarcau Mountains:

The forest reservation Gosman from the commune Tarcau

The trout from the commune Tarcau

The dendrologic park from the commune Roznov

The Bolovanis waterfall from the commune Tarcau

The small waterfalls from Ianus or Cazaci from the commune Tarcau



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The lake was formed in 1962 by blocking the river Bistrita and it has a surface of 235 ha, a maximum length of 3200 m, a maximum width of 1050 m and a maximum depth of 15,5 m. this lake is filled with water from the dam lake Izvorul Muntelui. Near the lake we can see the hill Batca Doamnei where you can see the ruins of the Dacic Stronghold.

The lake Batca Doamnei, together with the lakes Pangarati and Vaduri, represents a special area for the birds that are migrating through here. Because of this the lakes are very important for the local ecosystem. The birds come here because of its large surface the lake presents.