# Ceahlău Massif

The Ceahlău Massif (pronounced) is one of the most famous mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistrița Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamț County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca (1904 m elevation) and Ocolașul Mare (1907 m elevation). It is bounded to the east by the river Bistrița and Lake Bicaz, to the south by the river Bicaz. From the south, the main access point is the village of Izvorul Muntelui, located 12 km north from the town of Bicaz. To the north, Mount Ceahlău is also accessible from Durău.

## Activities

Ceahlău National Park shelters a large variety of flora and fauna; some of the species are endemic or rarely seen elsewhere in Romania.

### Hiking

Mount Ceahlău is a popular hiking destination in Romania. There are seven main marked trails built for hikers and tourists. There are entry fees for visiting Ceahlău National Park. and fines for not respecting park's regulations. The park is monitored by local rangers, and there is also a mountain rescue service (Salvamont).

### Skiing

There are ski slopes located at Durău.

### Camping

Camping is permitted only in a few designated places: in Durău, near Dochia Chalet and in Izvorul Muntelui.

### Chalets and refuges

* Izvorul Muntelui Chalet (757 m elevation, basecamp), near Bicaz
* Dochia Chalet (1750 m, near Toaca Peak)
* Fântânele Chalet (1220m, near Durău)
* Ceahlău - Toaca weather station

### Notable sights and places

* Duruitoarea waterfall
* Panaghia rock
* Piatra Lată din Ghedeon rock formation
* Ocolașul Mic Peak
* Dochia Rock
* Turnul lui Butu Stone
* Poiana Maicilor (engl: Nuns' glade)
* Poiana Stănile
* Polița cu crini protected area
* Gardul Stănilelor

## Climate

Ceahlău has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) bordering on tundra climate (Köppen ET).
Climate data for Ceahlău Toaca, 1991-2020 (elevation 1897m) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) | 10.2 (50.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.3 (70.3) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.7 (78.3) | 25.6 (78.1) | 24.0 (75.2) | 19.8 (67.6) | 17.6 (63.7) | 10.4 (50.7) | 25.7 (78.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −4.6 (23.7) | −2.1 (28.2) | 3.4 (38.1) | 9.3 (48.7) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.1 (59.2) | 15.2 (59.4) | 10.1 (50.2) | 5.7 (42.3) | 1.2 (34.2) | −3.5 (25.7) | 4.8 (40.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.7 (18.1) | −7.6 (18.3) | −5.4 (22.3) | −0.2 (31.6) | 5.2 (41.4) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 6.2 (43.2) | 2.3 (36.1) | −1.6 (29.1) | −6.2 (20.8) | 1.3 (34.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.2 (13.6) | −10.2 (13.6) | −8.0 (17.6) | −2.7 (27.1) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 7.7 (45.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 3.6 (38.5) | −0.2 (31.6) | −4.1 (24.6) | −8.6 (16.5) | −1.3 (29.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.8 (−14.4) | −23.8 (−10.8) | −15.6 (3.9) | −11.8 (10.8) | −4.5 (23.9) | −1.4 (29.5) | −1.8 (28.8) | −6.3 (20.7) | −16.2 (2.8) | −20.3 (−4.5) | −26.4 (−15.5) | −25.2 (−13.4) | −26.4 (−15.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25.0 (0.98) | 28.3 (1.11) | 36.3 (1.43) | 49.5 (1.95) | 82.4 (3.24) | 122.4 (4.82) | 110.3 (4.34) | 93.5 (3.68) | 49.2 (1.94) | 41.0 (1.61) | 24.8 (0.98) | 30.6 (1.20) | 693.3 (27.28) |
| Average snowy days | 31.0 | 28.3 | 30.5 | 28.6 | 10.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 8.8 | 16.6 | 29.0 | 185.1 |
| Source: NOAA ||||||||||||||

## Other uses of the name

* Ceahlăul Stadium, in Piatra Neamț
* FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, a Romanian soccer team