Piatra Neamț 7.04

Piatra Neamț, Kreuzburg an der, Karácsonkő) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania. The Nord-Est Regional Development Agency is located in Piatra Neamț.EtymologyThe piatra toponym (meaning rock in Romanian) was always part of the settlement's name throughout its history. Other names that the city has been called are: Piatra lui Crăciun (Christmas Rock, thus also corresponding to the Hungarian name of the city, "Karácson-Kő"); Târgu Piatra (Rock Fair, Rock Market) (in the Middle Ages) or simply Piatra to which was added the county name Neamț (Neamț = German), to distinguish it from towns in other counties of the same name.Geography and accessPiatra Neamț lies in the Bistrița River Valley, surrounded by mountains - Pietricica (590 m), Cozla (679 m), Cernegura (852 m), Bâtca Doamnei (462 m) and Cârloman (617 m), at an average height of 345m.The city is located 350km north of Bucharest, in the historical region of Moldavia. The nearest airport is Bacău, situated at 60km south. Piatra Neamț is linked by Romanian railway trunk number 509 to Bucharest and Iași, and by DN15 national road to Bacău (therefore DN2 to Bucharest), Iași, Suceava, and Târgu Mureș (Transylvania).