About Lake Izvorul Muntelui
Lake Izvorul Muntelui, more often called Lake Bicaz, formed on the middle course of the Bistrița river after the valley was closed off between 1950 and 1960, just above the town of Bicaz, by a concrete dam 127 m high and 435 m long at the crest. The water stretches for about 35 km, up to Poiana Largului, and covers roughly 32 km²; by the dam it is up to 97 m deep. It is the largest reservoir built on Romania's inland rivers.
The lake changed the valley completely: 22 villages were moved in part or in full, and more than 18,000 people had to leave their homes; a few settlements, such as Răpciuni, disappeared under the water. The water does not reach the turbines through the dam but through a tunnel more than 4.6 km long, to the Dimitrie Leonida hydroelectric power station at Stejaru, some 15 km downstream.
Above the lake to the west rises the Ceahlău massif, and the DN15 road follows the shore along its whole length, with villages, guesthouses and landing stages along the way.
What you can see
The DN15 runs across the crest of the dam, and you can walk along it on the pavement: on one side lies the surface of the lake, on the other the concrete wall dropping towards Bicaz. A kilometre further on, Port Bicaz has boat trips, rowing boats and pedalos, as well as houseboats. Heading north on the DN15, from the viewpoint at Hangu you see Mount Ceahlău reflected in the water, and at the far end of the lake, at Poiana Largului, the Poiana Teiului viaduct crosses the water next to Piatra Teiului, a 23 m limestone rock protected as a natural monument.
Good to know
The water level varies a great deal from season to season and from year to year; when it is low, the banks are left bare and the scenery looks quite different from summer photos.
- A walk along the crest of the dam, with the lake on one side and the 127 m wall on the other.
- A half-hour boat trip from Port Bicaz, past the wooded shores.
- The viewpoint at Hangu, where you see Mount Ceahlău reflected in the lake.
- The Poiana Teiului viaduct at the far end of the lake, with the Piatra Teiului rock rising out of the water right beside it.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Piatra Neamț take the DN15 towards Bicaz (~33 km to the dam, ~45 minutes); from the centre of Bicaz the road climbs in hairpin bends and runs right across the crest of the dam, then carries on along the lakeshore towards Poiana Largului (~38 km to the Poiana Teiului viaduct) and Vatra Dornei. The Bicaz Gorge is ~33 km from the dam, on the DN12C, which starts in Bicaz.
Public transport: plenty of minibuses run every day from the Piatra Neamț bus station to Bicaz (~30–40 minutes); from the town centre it is another ~4 km uphill to the dam, on foot or by taxi.
- Where to park
At the Bicaz end of the dam there is a small car park next to a restaurant, and at Port Bicaz you can park by the port, ~1 km from the dam. Do not stop your car on the crest: it is a national road.
- Fees & discounts
Access to the lake and the dam is free. Boat trips are run by several private operators from Port Bicaz; on the Romsilva boat a 30–35-minute trip costs ~30 lei for adults and ~20 lei for children, under-3s travel free, and a private trip starts at ~200 lei for 30 minutes. Rowing boats and pedalos are hired separately.
- Rules
On the crest, keep to the pavement and do not cross in front of traffic. Life jackets are compulsory on the boats and on hired rowing boats. Following drownings in past years, the police have warned that the banks are steep and the water cold and deep: do not swim in unsupervised spots, after drinking or in the evening.
- Facilities
Restaurants, terraces and houseboats at Port Bicaz · guesthouses along the lakeshore on the DN15 · toilets by the car park at the dam · petrol stations and shops in Bicaz
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