Bicaz
Encyclopedia
Bicaz is a town in Neamţ County
, Romania
situated in the eastern Carpathian Mountains
near the confluence of the Bicaz
and Bistriţa
Rivers and near Lake Bicaz, an artificial lake formed by the Bicaz Dam on the Bistriţa. Bicaz used to be a border town until 1918. Six villages are administered by the town: Capşa, Dodeni, Izvoru Alb, Izvoru Muntelui, Potoci and Secu.
(pluta); a raftman used to drive the raft on the Bistriţa river downstream to wood processing facilities in Piatra Neamţ
.
Building the dam created also a horizontal industry: two cement and aggregate plants were built in Bicaz proper and nearby Taşca
. This, together with the construction of a hydroelectric power plant
in Stejaru
(10 km to the east) triggered a relative economic boom during the communist period.
Bicaz cement plant was shut down after the Romanian Revolution of 1989
and is slowly being taken apart. On the other hand, the Taşca cement plant was acquired by the German group HeidelbergCement
and completely overhauled.
The town has also a few timber
factories and wood processing facilities.
with scheduled daily service to Bucharest North
.
The town served also as a port with scheduled ferry service with the villages on lake shore in the 1960s and 1970s. Today the facility offers only seasonal leisure cruises.
: Ceahlău Massif
(12 km north) and Cheile Bicazului-Hăşmaş
National Park (25 km to the west). The impressive Bicaz Dam built on Bistriţa River
in the 1950s (one of the biggest in Romania) and the resulted Bicaz Lake are also popular tourist sights. Durău
, the only ski resort in Ceahlău is located about 30 km north.
Neamt County
Neamț is a county of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. It has three communes, Bicaz-Chei, Bicazu Ardelean and Dămuc in Transylvania.-Demographics:...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
situated in the eastern Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
near the confluence of the Bicaz
Bicaz River
The Bicaz River is a tributary of the Bistriţa River in Romania. It starts at junction of headwaters Veleşchia and Hăghimaş in the Lacul Roşu...
and Bistriţa
Bistriţa River (Siret)
Bistrița is a river in the Romanian region of Moldavia. Near Bacău it flows into the Siret River. It flows through the counties Suceava, Neamț and Bacău...
Rivers and near Lake Bicaz, an artificial lake formed by the Bicaz Dam on the Bistriţa. Bicaz used to be a border town until 1918. Six villages are administered by the town: Capşa, Dodeni, Izvoru Alb, Izvoru Muntelui, Potoci and Secu.
Economy
Before the construction of the dam (1950-1960) the settlement was just a mountain village in Eastern Carpathians where the main economic activity was timber harvesting. By tradition, the tree trunks were linked together, forming a raftRaft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
(pluta); a raftman used to drive the raft on the Bistriţa river downstream to wood processing facilities in Piatra Neamţ
Piatra Neamt
Piatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania...
.
Building the dam created also a horizontal industry: two cement and aggregate plants were built in Bicaz proper and nearby Taşca
Tasca
Taşca is a commune in Neamţ County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Hamzoaia, Neagra, Taşca and Ticoş-Floarea....
. This, together with the construction of a hydroelectric power plant
Bicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power Plant
Bicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power Plant is a large power plant on the Bistriţa River river situated in Romania.The project was started and finished in the 1950s and it was made up by the construction of a reinforced concrete dam 127 m high, which formes the Izvorul Muntelui Lake...
in Stejaru
Stejaru
Stejaru may refer to several places in Romania:* Stejaru, a commune in Tulcea County* Stejaru, a commune in Teleorman County* Stejaru, a village in Scorţeni Commune, Bacău County* Stejaru, a village in Saraiu Commune, Constanţa County...
(10 km to the east) triggered a relative economic boom during the communist period.
Bicaz cement plant was shut down after the Romanian Revolution of 1989
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
and is slowly being taken apart. On the other hand, the Taşca cement plant was acquired by the German group HeidelbergCement
HeidelbergCement
HeidelbergCement is a German cement and building materials company. It is currently the world's third largest cement producer, the market leader in aggregates and fourth in ready-mix concrete. In 2010 the company produced around 78 million tonnes of cement...
and completely overhauled.
The town has also a few timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
factories and wood processing facilities.
Access
The town has access to two national roads: DN15 and DN12C while Bicaz railway station is the terminus station on CFR Line 509Caile Ferate Române Line 500
Line 500 is one of CFR's main lines in Romania having a total of 488 km and passing through important cities like Bucureşti, Ploieşti, Buzău, Focşani, Adjud, Roman, Paşcani and Suceava.-Secondary lines:...
with scheduled daily service to Bucharest North
Gara de Nord
București Gara de Nord is the main railway station in Bucharest and the largest railway station in Romania...
.
The town served also as a port with scheduled ferry service with the villages on lake shore in the 1960s and 1970s. Today the facility offers only seasonal leisure cruises.
Tourism
The town is located in the proximity of two important tourist destinations in RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
: Ceahlău Massif
Ceahlau Massif
The Ceahlău Massif is one of the most notorious mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistriţa Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamţ County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca and Ocolaşul Mare...
(12 km north) and Cheile Bicazului-Hăşmaş
Cheile Bicazului-Hasmas
The Cheile Bicazului - Hăşmaş National Park is located in north-eastern Romania, in the Eastern Carpathians mountain chain...
National Park (25 km to the west). The impressive Bicaz Dam built on Bistriţa River
Bistrita River
Bistriţa River may refer to four rivers in Romania:*Bistriţa River *Bistriţa River *Bistriţa River *Bistriţa River...
in the 1950s (one of the biggest in Romania) and the resulted Bicaz Lake are also popular tourist sights. Durău
Durau
Durău is a ski resort located in north-eastern Romania, in Neamţ County, Moldavia at the proximity of Ceahlău Massif...
, the only ski resort in Ceahlău is located about 30 km north.
See also
- Bicaz RiverBicaz RiverThe Bicaz River is a tributary of the Bistriţa River in Romania. It starts at junction of headwaters Veleşchia and Hăghimaş in the Lacul Roşu...
- Bicaz CanyonBicaz CanyonThe Bicaz Canyon is a canyon in Romania, located in the north-east part of the country, in Neamţ and Harghita counties....
- Bicaz Dam
- Lake BicazLake BicazThe Lake Izvorul Muntelui, also known as Lake Bicaz is the largest artificial lake on the interior waters of Romania; it was created after the completion of a dam built on the Bistriţa River. The dam is located a few kilometers north of the town of Bicaz.The dam was built between 1950 and 1960 and...
- Bicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power PlantBicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power PlantBicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power Plant is a large power plant on the Bistriţa River river situated in Romania.The project was started and finished in the 1950s and it was made up by the construction of a reinforced concrete dam 127 m high, which formes the Izvorul Muntelui Lake...
- Ceahlău MassifCeahlau MassifThe Ceahlău Massif is one of the most notorious mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistriţa Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamţ County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca and Ocolaşul Mare...