Discover Hemeiuș: Arboretum, Nature Reserve and History

The Hemeiuș Arboretum is located in the municipality of Hemeiuș and combines an old alluvial forest with exotic species. These exotic species were introduced between 1880 and 1916. The grounds cover 50 hectares and are located in Bacău County. Its inventory comprised 1,346 species of trees, shrubs and lianas. Castelul Roșu is also located within the arboretum.

The grounds therefore bring together different botanical references: the alluvial forest represents the established landscape, while the introduced species make the historical expansion of the planting visible. The great variety of recorded trees, shrubs and lianas describes the arboretum not only through its area, but also through the range of its plant collections. Castelul Roșu complements this landscape as a named structure within the arboretum.

Nature and Birdlife

Lacul Lilieci is a national nature reserve in IUCN Category IV and an ornithological nature reserve along the Bistrița floodplain. The lake extends for approximately four kilometres and is on average 800 metres wide. Lacul Lilieci is particularly important for birds: it serves as a breeding, feeding and resting site.

Its location on the Bistrița floodplain shapes the character of the protected area just as much as its extent. The approximate length and average width describe two different measurements of the lake without reducing its shape to a regular area. The three functions mentioned for the body of water—breeding, feeding and resting—show that Lacul Lilieci meets different needs of birdlife over the course of the year.

Culture and History

The “Sfinții Voievozi” Church in Fântânele has a cruciform floor plan and a two-storey porch. The upper storey of this porch houses the bell tower. In the administrative unit of Hemeiuș, the church is listed as a historic monument; it is probably dated to around 1700.

The architecture and chronological classification of this church are closely connected: the floor plan describes the form of the building, the porch divides its front into two storeys, and the bell tower is located in its upper section. The dating to around 1700 is explicitly a probable chronological attribution. The listing as a historic monument belongs to the administrative unit of Hemeiuș.

The Grigore-Tăbăcaru Memorial House in Hemeiuș dates from 1861. The ruins of the church of Livada Curții near Fântânele date from the 15th to the 16th century and are considered an object of local tourist interest.

These two sites extend the chronological scope of the cultural monuments: the memorial house is associated with a single year, while the ruins of Livada Curții are placed in the period between the 15th and 16th centuries. At the same time, the designation as an object of local tourist interest is retained for the ruins. Thus, both a preserved memorial house and the remains of an earlier church are central in Hemeiuș and near Fântânele.

Further destinations: Ghimeș-Făget, Onești, Letea Veche, Moinesti, Sulţa, Comăneşti, Gura Văii and Cerdac.

Transport

Railway line 509 connects the Bacău–Bicaz area and has a stopping point in Hemeiuș.

The stopping point is therefore part of a rail connection that places Hemeiuș on the route between Bacău and Bicaz. The line supplements the geographical information about the arboretum, protected area and monuments with a specific railway connection in the area.

For the broader travel overview: Bacau.