What to Expect on a Romanian Press Trip – MEAT and so much more! #priNeamt

As we sat down to our first meal in Romania, the rules were simple. “There will be meat. Lots of meat. Here in Romania, we love our meat!”

Sign me up! I’m a true carnivore at heart and while I adore the pastas and gnocchi we’d been eating in Italy over the last two months, I was ready for a meat feast. Or so I thought! Hamburgers as big around as your head…ribs, chicken livers draped in bacon, meat wrapped in meat, even something called “meat three ways”. Platters and platters of meat…my cholesterol level is spiking just taking pictures of the plates. Oh my!

Our Press Trip here in Romania is an introduction to Neamt for travel bloggers, journalists and photographers. Neamt is one of the 42 counties of Romania. The hashtag #prineamt was our constant companion. “Pri” meaning around in Romanian – PriNeamt is all of the area in and around Neamt County. Rich in history, charm, and breathtaking outdoor scenery, this trip is the result of two passionate Romanians, Alex Filip and Toma Nicolau. These young men have made it their goal to educate journalists and bloggers from around the world on just how amazing this county is to visit.

As a country new to the tourism world, Romania has so much to offer. The people are warm and friendly and truly seem to care that you are enjoying their beautiful country. Outdoor activities abound in the Natural Romania and we were invited to take part in them all. A two day hike up the highest mountain in the Ceahlâu National Park. A visit to the picturesque Red Lake and up-close viewing of Neamt county’s protected bison. As well as an afternoon at the Bicaz Canyon, one of the most stunning in SE Europe.

The outdoors weren’t the only treasures of Neamt county that we experienced. Romania has a strong religious tradition and those still live today in the Neamt Monastary and Basilica. Spending time among the relics of the departed and hearing their stories remembered gave us a living history of the Romanian people.

Watching Romanian children in traditional dress singing happily made us smile. These people are fiercely proud of their region and there wasn’t a place we visited where we weren’t asked if we were enjoying the Romania we were seeing. The answer was yes. We were enjoying it very, very much.

Romania in my mind had always been about the legends of Transylvania and Dracula. I never imagined the deep beauty of the countryside and the proximity to almost every outdoor sport. Hiking, skiing, rafting, and when one tires of the outdoors, there is always the glorious food! Traditional dishes of sarmale and papanasi made our mouths water. The platters of meat made me so very happy.

However, as nice as all of this was to experience – it was the PEOPLE that made Romania so special. Their passion and love of country is evident everywhere. We shared so many smiles, made new friends and felt as though Romania was more than just a destination we wanted to tell others about. It is indeed a special place. We didn’t expect Romania to deliver so much. Because of our Press Trip with #PriNeamt, we fell in love with Romania!

Between 5 and 11th of September I traveled #priNeamt – the third edition of the most important event dedicated to promoting in the online environment of a county from Romania. Details about this event on http://goo.gl/Lw8mzy Organizer: Eventur Bucharest. Powered by Petrom Romania. Main partners: Autoritatea Națională pentru Turism, CJ Neamț, City Hall of Piatra Neamț, Bistrița Hotel from Durău, Blue Air and AutoBoca Rent-a-car.