The Botosani County

Its capital city, the town of Botosani, developed during the last two decades to a modern town.

The forests and natural reservations of this corner of our country call the attention of more and more tourists who love nature. The natural reservation of yew tree in the Tudora Forest, the beech forest at Suharau, the magnolia reservations as well as many other rarities of flora call the interest of Romanian and foreign tourists and specialists.

The rich hunting fauna (wild boar, stag, pheasant, or partridge) is under the law protection on a surface area of 320,000 ha and is a main touristic attraction in this zone. And because the hunting and the fishing are "hand in hand", we have to mention the fine water surfaces which can be found in all valleys. The carp fishing parties on the banks of the Sulina, Cal Alb, Hanesti, Mileanca lakes arc unforgettable remembrances. Or, if you prefer to angle pike you can do it on the bank of the Prut River, and sheat fish and pike perch on the bank of the Siret River.

Having a rich cultural life along the time in the Botosani county important personalities of science and culture were born and now they have their names mentioned in Romanian and world culture. Musician George Enescu, historian Nicolae Iorga, painter Stefan Luchian, mathematicians Dimitrie Pompeiu and Octav Onicescu are only some names of this brilliant pleiad.

A special place in the memory of this county has the so-called "Morning Start" of the Romanian poetry - Mihai Eminescu, born in Botosani in 1850. His work which is translated into 65 languages is known now all over the world.

The Ipotesti Memorial (the village of poet's childhood) consists in the memorial house, old village church and other points of interest as the Papadopol House (in an old Moldavian style) which is now an icons workshop, the National Library, the graves of Eminescu's parents is visited by thousand tourists all year long. The Agafton Monastery, the Getic fortress at Stancesti (the III-IVth century), the "Stana", "Lacul cu nuferi" and "Stanca stearpa" chalets complete Eminescu's space.

Numerous other museum places are points of touristic interest in the Botosani county as: Nicolae Iorga memorial House, History Museum of Botosani, Ethnography Museum and the picture gallery from here, Museum of Natural Sciences in Dorohoi (with the Nemcs butterfly collection which is the second one in Romania), memorial houses of George Enescu in Liveni and Dorohoi, the museum-house in Stefanesti with many paintings of Stefan Luchian or the house-museum in Mihaileni with the famous Zahacinschi's painted Easter egg collection. Well-known monasteries and churches prove the propensity of builders and we mention the ones from Vorona and Cosula as well as the Bals hermitage.

Dorohoi, the second town of this county, has some historical and cult monuments as "Sf. Nicolae-Popausi" Church built by Voivode Stefan cel Mare.

The local customs on the religious feasts (Christmas and New Year carols) and of the main moments of people's life are very interesting for tourists who visit this place.