Vânători-Neamț Natural Park

Vânători-Neamț Natural Park is a protected natural area of national interest, located in the northern part of Neamț County, near the border with Suceava County, on the eastern slope of the Munții Stânișoarei (the Munții Neamțului subdivision), part of the Eastern Carpathians, and in the Subcarpații Neamțului area, covering part of the basins of the Ozana and Cracău rivers. The park was established in 1998–1999 and declared a protected area under Law no. 5 of 2000, extending over an area of approximately 30,818 hectares, of which more than 26,000 hectares consist of forest land, within the communes of Crăcăoani, Agapia, Vânători-Neamț, Bălțătești, and the town of Târgu Neamț. Its primary significance lies in the programme for the reintroduction of the European bison (Bison bonasus), the symbol of Moldavia — a species once lost from Romania's wild fauna — which is hosted here within the "Dragoș Vodă" Bison and Carpathian Wildlife Reserve, one of the largest reserves of its kind in Europe. In addition to the bison, the park's fauna includes rare or protected species such as the brown bear, wolf, lynx, otter, wildcat, red deer, and roe deer, alongside more than one hundred bird species. The park encompasses several nature reserves of national interest: Codrii de Aramă and Pădurea de Argint, both located on the territory of Agapia commune and immortalised in Romanian literature through the verses of Mihai Eminescu, as well as the Dumbrava Oak Reserve, which preserves centuries-old oak stands. The area, also known as "Ținutul Zimbrului" (the Land of the Bison), is also distinguished by a rich spiritual and cultural heritage, with important monasteries such as Neamț, Agapia, Văratec, Secu, and Sihăstria located nearby, and is recognised as an ecotourism destination.