LAG Valea Muntelui
The LAG Valea Muntelui region is made up of 8 administrative-territorial units, 7 communes and one town (Agas, Asau, Brusturoasa, Dofteana, Ghimes-Faget, Palanca Poduri and Darmanesti), located in the North-Eastern part of Romania (Moldova), in the North-Western part of Bacau County, in a hilly and mountainous area, within the basin of Trotus river. The Trotus Valley crosses the Mountains Gosmanu, Tarcau, Ciuc and Nemira that border the area from North-West to Sounth-East.
Towards the West, next to counties Harghita and Covasna, the borderline generally follows the drainage divide between the hydrographic basin of Trotus river and towards the North it borders the Neamt County.
A few of the cities found next to this area are Onesti and Bacau, belonging to Bacau County, Miercurea-Ciuc in the County of Harghita, Sfantul Gheorghe and Tirgul Secuiesc in Covasna County, Tecuci in Galati County, Roman and Piatra Neamt in Neamt County.
The connections with the cities are made via the county road DJ 123 which crosses the national road DN 12 A from N-W to S-E, the national road DN 2G which crosses the region from West to East, the European Route E85 and the railway networks 400 and 501 CFR Adjud-Onesti-Comanesti-Ghimes-Siculeni. The latter crosses the region from S to N-W and has a length of 150 km of electrified railway.
An important aspect of the railway network 501 is represented by the fact that it crosses the Trotus river, which flows from N-W to S. This newtwork also crosses the Ghimes-Palanca pass, which is the railway link between Transilvania and Moldova.
The link among the localities that make up the LAG Valea Muntelui is made throughout the communication means presented above, based on railway and road transport.
The LAG Valea Muntelui region has an area of 1.403,80 km˛ and 60.855 inhabitants. It is a mountainous area, with a unique natural setting that has a huge potential for the sustainable development of the entire area.
The largest surface is occupied by forests, made up especially of coniferous and deciduous trees, situated at a height between 1550 and 400 meters.
The climate and landscape of the LAG Valea Muntelui region creates the perfect conditions for the development of a mountainous vegetation made up of forests, meadows and hayfields as well as a very diverse fauna, encompassing numerous species of insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals, out of which some are endemic species, very rare, endangered and vulnerable, protected at communitary and/or national level.
Even from ancient times, the inhabitants of the area were preoccupied with agriculture, animal raising, wood exploitation and processing as well as with some domestic activities by means of which they produced goods for the everyday living. Later on, some other activities appeared determined by the conditions and the natural richness of the area, such as coal and oil.
According to the documents, as well as to the data gathered after the field studies made in the small localities that make up the LAG Valea Muntelui some ancient traditional crafts have been identified, some of which are still practiced .