Ceahlău is a commune in Neamţ County

Neamt County

Neamț is a county of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. It has three communes, Bicaz-Chei, Bicazu Ardelean and Dămuc in Transylvania.-Demographics:...

, Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

. It is composed of three villages: Bistricioara, Ceahlău and Pârâul Mare.

Attractions

In addition to a respectable church at Bistricoara, the village of Ceahlău has a larger 19th century wooden church, with wild swirling spires similar to those at Curtea de Argeş

Curtea de Arges

Curtea de Argeș is a city in Romania on the right bank of the Argeş River, where it flows through a valley of the lower Carpathians , on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roşu Pass. It is part of Argeș County. The city administers one village, Noapteș...

 in Argeş County

Arges County

Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...

. The village of Ceahlău also features a handful of three and four-star guesthouses and a hotel facing the beautiful Bicaz Lake (Lacul Bicaz or Lacul Izvorul Muntelui, meaning "Mountain Spring Lake").

In addition to a little local general store, the village offers an ethnographic museum, and the remains of a princely castle just up behind the museum.

Lodging at Ceahlău is a reasonable alternative to the higher prices of the resort community of Durău

Durau

Durău is a ski resort located in north-eastern Romania, in Neamţ County, Moldavia at the proximity of Ceahlău Massif...

 further up the river.

Geography

Ceahlău is on the edge of the Ceahlău Massif

Ceahlau Massif

The Ceahlău Massif is one of the most notorious mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistriţa Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamţ County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca and Ocolaşul Mare...

 portion of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains

Carpathian Mountains

The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...

. The village itself runs along the Hermitage Brook (pârâul Schitu), and includes a small portion on the north-west side of the river along Mountain Spring Lake.

Ceahlău commune

Ceahlău commune is made up of three main villages, that of Ceahlău, along with Bistricioara on the main road from Piatra Neamţ, and Pârâul Mare ("Big Stream"). All of these villages are sited in the mountains, situated along the main watercourses which flow out of the surrounding peaks and ranges.

Ceahlău Village

The actual village of Ceahlău is the seat of local government for the wider eponymous township, with about 1500 villagers, mostly along the Pârâul Schit ("Hermitage Stream") (named for the original hermitage in Durău upstream) which runs through the village centre. The settlement here was originally named satul Schit ("Hermitage Village").

Bistricioara

The nearby village of Bistricioara is on the main road, the national highway DN15 where it intersects with the DN155F, which runs along the lake, up through Ceahlău, and then up to the Durău resort. With about 800 inhabitants, Bistricioara is spread across the alluvial soils of the lower river of the same name, just before it flows into Mountain Spring Lake (also known as Lake Bicaz).

Pârâul Mare

A newer development along the shores of the lake (which was man-made by damming the river in the 1950s to power a hydroelectric plant), 140 people enjoy excellent lake views, also along the Pârâul Mare river.