Piatra Neamț

Understand

With its cozy streets and coffee shops, warm people and antique boutiques Piatra Neamţ will make you feel at home. Surrounded by wooded mountains and boasting modern comforts, Piatra is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in Moldavia (and perhaps all of Romania). It also offers a small town feel that, for those who frequently travel there, gives a warm feeling whenever one passes through the Bine ati venit arch that welcomes people back to the city.

Getting there

By train There are two daily direct trains (one InterCity and one Rapid) from Bucharest, and one Accelerat train from Iasi. By car from Bucharest 4 hours or by bus 4–5 hours. There are three daily buses from Cluj-Napoca. One is a minibus that departs at 09:00. The trip takes 5–6 hours. At 11:00 there is a bus that is slower and arrives in Piatra around 20:00.

Getting around

Exceptionally cheap minibuses (nostalgically referred to as 'Roznov buses' by the locals) run throughout the city, it costs 2.5 lei to use this transport and the price doesn't change, if you're going to the end of the road, or the opposite end of the city! Taxis are reasonably cheap, be warned though, they will try to con you out of money. A good example of this is that the driver might place his meter in a position where the customer cannot see it. Other times he will 'forget' to turn on the meter and at the destination give you an inflated price. If the driver fails to turn on the meter then it would be wise to ask him to do this, he will oblige. One might even be inclined to negotiate the price with the driver before agreeing to go with him. A 5-minute journey from the outskirts to the centre seems to cost around 7-8 lei.

See

Museums 1 Cucuteni eneolithic art museum, Str. Stefan cel Mare 3, ☏ +40 233 217496. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. A museum devoted to the remarkable Neolithic Cucuteni culture, opened in June 2005, it has the widest and richest variety of Precucuteni-Cucuteni art. The building was built between 1928-1930 by Carol Zani and decorated by the sculptor Vincenzo Puschiasis. tickets: 2 lei for adults, 1 leu children. 2 Ethnographic Museum, Piaţa Libertăţii 1, ☏ +40 233 216808. Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:00-17:00; Apr-Sept Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. It was opened in the 1980s, has a wide variety of popular costumes, traditional art and presents the daily life of peasants from the Bistrita Valley. tickets: 2 lei for adults, 1 leu children. 3 History Museum, Str. Mihai Eminescu 10, ☏ +40 233 217496. Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:00-17:00; Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Founded in 1934 by archaeologist (and priest) Constantin Matasa, it has important archaeological collections from the Bronze Era and Geto-Dacian Era. tickets: 2 lei for adults, 1 leu children. 4 Art Museum, Piaţa Libertăţii 1, ☏ +40 233 216808. Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:00-17:00; Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Founded in the 1980s, it has impressive collections of paintings, graphics, sculptures made by local and national artists like: Ion Tuculescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Corneliu Baba, Lascar Vorel. tickets: 2 lei for adults, 1 leu children. 5 Natural Sciences Museum, Str. Petru Rareş 26, ☏ +40 233 224211. Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:00-17:00; Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. It was founded in the 1960s and it has a collection of fossilized fishes and other botanical, zoological, paleontology collections. tickets: 2 lei for adults, 1 leu children.

Historical sites 6 Princely court. Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 09:00-17:00; Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. It is on a small plateau in the center of the city and it includes the St. John Church, Bell Tower, and it was built in 1468-1475 by Voivode Stephen the Great. From the princely court itself the only things that are left are a part of the

Buy

Art galleries Art Deco, Piata 22 Decembrie, ☏ +40 233 224696. Lascar Vorel, Piata Stefan cel Mare nr.15, ☏ +40 233 222240. Topart, Bd. Decebal nr.4, ☏ +40 233 237365.

Bicycles shops There is a well-stocked (with Shimano parts, e.g.) bicycle shop, Sport and Bike Planet, at the south end of Str. Ozana.

Eat

Amadeus, Piata M.Kogalniceanu 4, ☏ +40 233 218837. 07:00-last customer. Cercul Gospodinelor, Cozla park, ☏ +40 233 223845. 10:00-02:00. Ciao Ciao, blvd. Traian Bl.A9, ☏ +40 788 322876. 08:30-last customer. Italian food Colibele Haiducilor, Cozla park, ☏ +40 233 213909. 08:00-00:00. Dao, blvd. Traian Bl.A3, ☏ +40 233 228099, +40 743 828668. 12:00-22:30. Chinese food Diesel, Str. Petru Rares 21, ☏ +40 233 227376. 09:00-02:00. Laguna, Bd.Decebal nr.80, ☏ +40 233 232121. 10:00-02:00. Also has a pool hall. Marianti, Bd.Traian Bl.A6, ☏ +40 233 221552. 10:00-00:00. Nefertiti, Bd.Decebal 196, ☏ +40 233 211882. 09:00-00:00. Paharnicul, Str. Paharnicului 5, ☏ +40 233 212426. Villa Italia, Str. Burebista 65, ☏ +40 233 234768. 12:00-00:00. Happy Food (Bd.Decebal Bl.H3), ☏ +40 233 216457. Pizza&Grill 66, Piata M.Kogalniceanu 1-3, ☏ +40 233 228855. 09:00-00:00. Pizzeria Blue Star, Piata M.Kogalniceanu 1, ☏ +40 233 223767. 08:00-00:00. Pizzeria Buon Gusto, Piata Stefan cel Mare 1, ☏ +40 233 233626. non-stop. La tanti Nina, Baltagului Street no.6 (Inside the Central Market Complex 5), ☏ +40 233-227570, +40 749488245, +40 746137426. 08:00-18:30. Fresh healthy, traditional Romanian dishes, English-speaking personnel low prices.

Drink & nightlife

Sweetshop - Prisi Prod, ☏ +40 233 290066. Bd.Decebal nr.14 parter, cakes like mama's Café-bar Bacardi - str. Duraului nr.1, tel. +40 233 217805 (program: 8:00-24:00) Café Latino - Bd.Decebal Bl.I4 parter, tel. +40 233 218493, +40 233 214302 (program: 08:00-24:00) Costarica Café - str. Titu Maiorescu Bl.I1 (program: 08:00-20:00) Bar 12 (12 floor at Hotel Ceahlau) - str. Stefan cel Mare nr.3 tel. +40 233 219990, +40 233 219991; fax. +40 233 215540; e-mail: [email protected] - night-bar, streap-tease Cazino Fortunato - Piata Petrodava, tel. +40 721 393599; bd. Traian, tel. +40 720 366031 - bar, mechanic games, electronic rullet (program: 11:00-02:00) Club Q 30, str. Stefan cel Mare, nr. 31 (M-Th 16:00-24:00, F-Su 16:00-4:00) The Kilkeny (Irish Pub) - str. Dimitrie Leonida, nr.53 (program non-stop)

Sleep

Chimina Tour Hostel-Hotel Piata Centrala, Baltagului Street no.6 (inside the Central Market Complex 5), ☏ +40 233 227570. Capacity: 16 rooms (low budget hostel rooms, normal budget hotel rooms) opened 24/7, English speaking personnel (private restaurant and private well-equipped gym). Central Plaza **** Piata Petrodava nr.1-3, tel. +40 233–216230, +40 233 214530; fax. +40 233 214532, +40 233 223528, internet: www.centralplazahotel.ro [1] , e-mail: [email protected]. Capacity: 262 beds in 131 rooms (72 double-rooms; 12 matrimonial apartments; 47 (Comfort +plus) double-rooms; 30 rooms with air conditioner. Services: Room-Service between hours 6AM and 1AM, Cable TV, Mini-bar, International telephone, Internet Access, Copying and Fax, Parking, Ticket Purchase, Safebox, Laundry and Drycleaners, Money Exchange. Visa and Mastercard accepted. Classic Restaurant (300 people), Breakfast Restaurant (150 people), Reception Hall (