Dărmănești – Lakes, Mountains and Historic Sites

Dărmănești hosts the Trofeul Valea Uzului hill-climb motorsport event every year.

Nature and Water

The Poiana Valea Uzului Reservoir lies between the Nemira Mountains and the Ciuc Mountains.

The Creasta Nemirei comprises 11 habitat types, including beech forests, acid-loving forests of Picea abies, alpine and boreal scrub, montane meadows, montane hay meadows, transitional mires and quaking bogs.

Lacul Pufu is located in the village of Plopu and covers approximately 2 hectares, with a depth of 3 metres.

Lacul Bălătău is a lake formed by a natural dam, created in 1883 when a landslide dammed the Izvorul Negru stream.

The Nasolea Mare Waterfall is located on the Uz River in the Uz Gorge, approximately 400 metres upstream from the road bridge at the upper end of Lake Poiana Uzului.

The Poiana-Valea-Uzului Dam was built from 1965 to 1973, is 80 metres high and 500 metres long, and features a buttressed construction.

Culture and History

The Palatul Știrbei in Dărmănești was built at the end of the 19th century on Măguricea Hill, on a plateau 600 metres above sea level; it is considered one of the important works of the architect Nicolae Ghika-Budești.

The Hazaparu watermill in the Boiștea district is a national monument of local architectural interest.

The wooden church of the Holy Voivodes Michael and Gabriel in Lapoș was built in 1813 as a dependency of Lapoș Monastery.

The iconostasis of this church was carved and painted in 1830.

The church preserves valuable old books from the former hermitage, including a Cazanie from Bucharest dating from 1732, an Apostol from Râmnic dating from 1784, a Gospel from Blaj dating from 1745, a Strastnic from Blaj dating from 1800 and a Triodion from Blaj dating from 1813.

The open-air First World War museum in Dărmănești consists of 21 semicircularly arranged plinths in front of the Heroes' Monument near Dărmănești Technological High School.

Annual Festivals and Crafts

The La Porțile Nemirei fair for mountain farms and mountain products takes place every year in May and combines local food with traditional crafts.

The annual cycling event Turul Colinelor „Drumul Eroilor“ is attended by professional athletes and enthusiastic mountain-biking amateurs.

Every New Year's Eve, the Festivalul Ursul de la Dărmănești is held in the centre of Dărmănești, with seven bear groups from the town's seven districts taking part.

The traditional Jian is scheduled for Christmas Day in the centre of Dărmănești as a theatrical performance featuring three to four local Jieni groups from the districts.

Other Locality Pages

Other locality pages: Sulţa, Valea Seacă, Moinesti, Onești, Ghimeș-Făget, Preluci, Horgești, Tescani

Trails and Transport

The trails in the Nemira Mountains can be reached from Dărmănești via the Sălătruc district, near the Poiana Uzului Dam.

Dărmănești offers four officially approved tourist trails.

Dărmănești plays a role in transit tourism; the DN12A and DJ123 roads, as well as a railway line, run through the town.

To the higher-level travel overview: Bacau.