Bison Safari in Vânători-Neamț: a guided walk with a ranger

The first place in Romania where the bison came back

Vânători-Neamț Natural Park lies on the eastern slopes of the Carpathians near the small town of Târgu Neamț, in a land of old beech and oak forests between the Stânișoara Mountains and the Moldova valley. The park was founded in 1999, and its greatest pride is the European bison. Europe’s largest land mammal disappeared from Romania’s wild more than two centuries ago, and Vânători-Neamț became the first place in the country where it was released back into freedom.

Before going out into the forest, the animals are kept in an acclimatisation enclosure near the Visitor Centre. It covers 180 hectares: pure beech and conifer stands, mixed forest with trees older than 200 years, glades and stream beds. For fifteen years people have not intervened in nature inside this enclosure, so the forest follows its own rhythm. According to an Agerpres report (February 2025), more than 70 bison live free in the park, with several more animals in the acclimatisation enclosure and in the Dragoș Vodă zoological garden.

The park is run by the Romsilva forestry service. The administration runs educational programmes and scientific work: it tracks the herds’ routes and how weather and food shape their movements over the year.

Why go

The main adventure is the walking “Bison Safari” with a park ranger. After a short briefing at the Visitor Centre, the group, dressed for the forest, sets off into the acclimatisation enclosure to look for bison. Much of the route follows the paths used by the bison themselves, so the ranger shows tracks, browsing marks and resting places and explains why the bison is called the “architect” of the forest landscape. There are ten stops along the route with information on the flora and fauna. Silence here is not just a rule: it makes it easier to get closer to the animals and to hear the forest.

Before or after the safari, drop into the renewed Visitor Centre: in March 2026 it opened an interactive exhibition with a life-size bison diorama, a screen showing the herds’ real routes, VR stations and a corner of local traditions with New Year masks.

What to see and try

• Bison Safari — a guided walk with a ranger into the 180-hectare acclimatisation enclosure.
• Visitor Centre — diorama, a map of herd movements, VR headsets showing the world through the eyes of a bison, a lynx and a salamander.
• Dragoș Vodă zoological garden — enclosures with bison and other animals of the local forests.
• “Forest School” — a new 2026 educational trail with interactive installations.

Practical information

Address: Str. Zimbrului 2, Vânători-Neamț commune, Neamț County — the park Administration and Visitor Centre, where the safari starts.

Getting there: about 5 km west of the town of Târgu Neamț and about 45 km from Piatra Neamț. From Ukraine the nearest border crossing is Porubne — Siret, about 140 km away via Suceava.

Prices (as of November 2026, per the park’s website): Bison Safari — 100 lei per person, children under 10 free. Visitor Centre and Dragoș Vodă zoo — 10 lei adults, 7 lei children.

Booking: the safari is by prior booking only, at least 48 hours ahead, through the form on the park’s website. Phone: +40 233 206 001, e-mail: [email protected].

What to bring: comfortable shoes and clothes for walking in the forest, a rain jacket, water, tick and mosquito repellent.

Nearby

• Neamț Fortress above Târgu Neamț — about 6 km.
• Neamț Monastery — one of the oldest in Moldavia, about 12 km.
• Toaca peak in the Ceahlău massif — about 60 km.
• Duruitoarea waterfall below Ceahlău.

Official website: vanatoripark.ro

Photos: Cristian Bortes www.eyeem.com/bortescristian from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons; Nicu Farcaș, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Cezarika1 - roWikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.