Hangu, Neamţ

Hangu is a commune in Neamţ County, Romania. Situated in an area of the Lake Izvorul Muntelui also called "Little Switzerland," it is a mixture of modern and archaic culture.

Geography

Hangu is near Lake Izvorul Muntelui (also known as Bicaz Lake), an artificial lake used to generate hydroelectricity. The village is located in the valley of Hangu river and it surrounded by the peaks of Mountain Stânişoara: Muntele Hangu westwards, Boboteni village and Muncelu Peak in the north, the Audia village and the Malu Peak eastwards. In the south, the 15C road separates the village from the Bicaz Lake and over the lake, the Ceahlău mountain (a touristic site of Romania).

Demographics

The main village of Comuna Hangu, Neamţ county, Romania, Hangu has a population of about 1,500 inhabitants. It is situated on the national road 15C which stretches from Piatra Neamţ to Târgu Mureş. The area of Comuna Hangu is home to many ethnographic treasures which are preserved by local traditions or through the local cultural association which publishes a monthly magazine called Ţara Hangului. The main activities are agriculture, forestry, tourism, and car service. It is a typical mountain village, with the main institutions (school, police, local administration, health service, etc.) and a high rate of unemployment (about 20% according to the latest survey of AJOFM (The Job Service) Neamţ). As a result, many inhabitants work abroad in Italy, Spain, Greece, or Germany. Except the national road 15C, all the other internal roads are not suitable for cars with low wheelbase. A running water system is provided by funds from Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD), however, further work still needs to be done on the village's infrastructure and environmental protection.