Ceahlau Mountains

Ceahlau Massif has a central position in the Oriental Carpathians chain, its height is underlined by the valleys that surround it and its beauty is “doubled” through reflection by “Izvorul Muntelui” lake.
The Ceahlau Massif is one of the most notorious mountain ranges of Romania, often called "The Romanian Olympus", due to the many legends about these mountains.
It is located in in Neamt County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca (1907 m altitude) and Ocolasul Mare (1904 m altitude). It is limited in the east by the river Bistrita and Lake Bicaz, in the south by the Bicaz River.
The Ceahlau National Park shelters a large variety of flora and fauna; some of the species are endemic or rarely seen elsewhere in Romania. The Ceahlau forms a clearly outlined geographical unit, and although of moderate height,when the sky is clear it can be seen from great distance. Its form, of huge castle eroded by winds, rains and waters, attracts with an irresistible force. It is made up of pyramids and towers (Detunatele, Turnul Sihastrului), gorges and waterfalls (Duruitoarea, Stanile, Bistra Mare).
Each rock on the top, interestingly shaped by nature, has its own dramatic legend. Several climber routes were opened towards these “extraordinary accidents of geology". There are also many accessible paths. Prince Dimitrie Cantemir of Moldova, a scholar of European repute, said about Ceahlau in his "Descriptio Moldaviae", "had the antique historians known of the legends of Ceahlau, it would have been more famous than the Olympus".