Where to see places described in famous poems by Romania’s Mihai Eminescu

Mihai Eminescu, Romania’s celebrated national poet, described actual places in many of his poems, and some can still be visited today. Verses written in iconic poems like Călin (file de poveste) describe places in Vânători Neamț Natural Park, part of the ecotourism destination Ținutul Zimbrului, according to a press release.

Visitors can actually step through the Copper Forest (Pădurea de Argint in the Eminescu poem) and the Silver Forest (Codrii de Aramă), just as the poet did.

The former take their name from the copper hue that the oak leaves acquire in autumn. The forest is located on Filiorul Hill, and at its base flows the Filioara stream, among meadows, small marshes, and clumps of willows. The area hosts sessile oaks and other oak species that can reach 135 years, alongside over 300 plant species.

A short distance away is the Silver Forest. The area is a forest reserve in Agapia commune, on the lower terrace of the Topolița stream. It is a birch forest, some trees are over a century old, and its name comes from the silvery appearance of the trees during the cold season. The reserve covers an area of over two hectares, according to the press release.

The Copper Forests and the Silver Forest are located near Văratec Monastery, where Veronica Micle, the muse of Mihai Eminescu’s poetry, often resided. Nowadays, nearby is the Veronica Micle Memorial House, located in the old center of Târgu Neamț, the only memorial house dedicated to the poetess.

Originally built in 1834 from wood and brick, in authentic Romanian style, the house was reconstructed according to the original plan and arranged as a museum in 1984. Visitors can discover photocopies, manuscripts, books, and personal objects that belonged to Veronica Micle, as well as themed rooms that recreate the atmosphere of the era and her workspace, where she wrote some of her poems and correspondence with Mihai Eminescu.

The Eminescu-themed journey in the Ținutul Zimbrului ecotourism destination could naturally also lead to the “monastery hospital” of Neamț Monastery, where the poet spent several months as a patient and where his legend takes on an intimate and unexpected nuance.

The Ținutul Zimbrului ecotourism overlaps with Vânători Neamț Natural Park, the town of Târgu Neamț, and the communes of Agapia, Bălțătești, Crăcăoani, and Vânători Neamț. It is a place where nature, spirituality, culture, and traditions coexist and blend harmoniously, as well as the only place in Europe where the European bison can be found in the wild, semi-wild, and captivity simultaneously.

(Photo source: Dan Dinu | press release)