Preluci in the Upper Trotuș: Diaconești Monastery

Preluci belongs to Agăș commune. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to the area, it helps to first consider the themes of your stay: the highlands along the upper Trotuș, Diaconești Monastery, or the historical background of the place name. These different perspectives help put the destination in context and give your planning different focal points.

Landscape of Agăș commune

The area of Agăș commune is predominantly hilly. More than 50 percent of its land is covered by forests, while a large part of the remaining area consists of natural meadows. The commune lies in the highlands of the upper Trotuș, between the Ciucului and Tarcăului mountains. The geographical scale is important here: the river and mountain ranges define the geographical setting of Preluci, while the forest and meadow figures describe the wider commune area.

Diaconești Monastery and its history

Diaconești Monastery is a cultural and historical focal point. It was founded in 1998, and its principal patronal feast is the Dormition of the Mother of God. These details answer different questions: the year places the monastery’s foundation in context, while the patronal feast identifies its main religious celebration. The year refers to the monastery’s foundation; the new church is described in terms of its materials and style. It was built from river stones and spruce and fir beams in the Moldavian Ștefanian style. When describing the new building, it is therefore important to distinguish between material and style: one refers to the building materials used, the other to its architectural classification. Alongside the traditional duties of a monastery, the nuns work on publications about the saints of the communist prisons.

Routes and directions

A route from Asău to Beleghet through the Trotuș Valley passes through Preluci and then continues to Beleghet. The route to Diaconești Monastery, by contrast, starts from Comănești. From Comănești, take National Road 12A for 16 kilometers in the direction of Miercurea Ciuc. Turn off at Preluci; a further two kilometers lead to the monastery. The two kilometers refer to the stretch after the turnoff in Preluci, not to the entire journey from Comănești. The two route descriptions answer different navigation questions: the first describes a route through the area, while the second gives directions to a specific destination from Comănești. If you are planning your journey, check the current route before setting out.

Place name and local products

The first documented mention of the residents of the Preluci clearing on the Trotuș dates to 1895. The precise location also matters when identifying the place historically: another Preluci lies on the Tazlăul Sărat in Bacău County. The two places with the same name should therefore be distinguished; the 1895 reference concerns the clearing on the Trotuș.

A report dated April 5, 2023, lists fir-bark cheese and sheep’s butter among the products offered by Mihai and Cristina Merlușcă’s family farm in Preluci. These products add a concrete culinary connection to the commune alongside its landscape and monastery themes.

Discover more destinations: Ghimeș-Făget, Onești, Târgu Ocna, Horgești, Moinesti, Comăneşti, Gura Văii, Slanic-Moldova

Return to the main travel overview: Bacau.