Approx. 40-45% of Europe's brown bear population lives in the Romanian Carpathian forests. A significant part of this population is to be found in Szeklerland's forests. The mountains surrounding Gheorgheni are a good example for those who want to see a bear, there is a great chance one will, if that is also OK with the bears involved. During this silent, but eventful bear watching apart from having the chance too take pictures of the animals, participants have the chance to acquire detailed information about the habits of bears, their life, and of course local anecdotes related to the bears cannot miss from the info-package. The tours start in the late afternoon at a pre-arranged meeting place, where off-road vehicles transport the participants to the observation posts.

At the end of the program participants have the possibility to enjoy the taste of a rustic dinner.

The terrain in the proximity of Gheorgheni provides outstanding possibilities for mountain cycling.  Several forest paths cross the ridges and valleys, opening up the most impressive landscapes of the region.

The differences in height are not so high, usually 200-300 metres. Several localities give the possibility to come near to the mountain cycle path with car, as well, so in many cases you can spare yourself from the tiring mountain climbing with your bicycle, giving the chance to a sloping cycle tour.

Canyoning and gorge walking are very similar adventure-sports. Usually gorge walking does not require any rope-technique: you wade in the water of the bed of the brook, you stroll from a stone to a stone, then you climb smaller rocks, jump off from waterfalls. We talk about canyoning, when at some sections of the canyon we meet such waterfalls, from which we need to abseil with rope-technique. 

In the Lacul Roşu (The Red Lake)-Cheile Bicazului region an excellent ground for adventurous gorge walking is the rocky bed of the Bicajel and Lăpuşului gorge. For canyoning the best ground is the upper section of the rarely beaten, extremely narrow and spectacular Pârâul Sec, which can only be passed with the help of an experienced guide and rope-technique.

The region's most popular and most visited cave is the Sugău cave (Peştera Sugău), situated in the Giurgeului Mountains, where according to their pretensions, the volunteers can take part in tours with different difficulties.

Only the Sugau cave, the Munticelul cave and the Licos shaft cave is open for tourists. The rest of the caves are  closed and protected by the National Parc.

The geological circumstances of the Lacul Roşu (The Red Lake)-Cheile Bicazului region favoured the formation of the caves. Owing to this, there are numerous stalactite and shaft caves, among which the most important are:

a.) Peştera Kotej (Kotej-Cave): it is situated in that part of the Hăşmaşul Negru, which looks in the direction of  Bicajel, 1240 metres height above sea level. The cave is 87 metres long, in which we can see interesting pillars covered with lublinite.

b.) Hăşmaşul Negru shaft cave: it is situated in that ridge of the Hăşmaşul Negru, which slopes towards the Trei Fântâni, 1250 metres height above sea level. One of its shafts, filled with snow, is 10 metres deep, the other one is 20 metres deep. On the side of the cave there is a dripstone-flow.

c.) Telecu Mare shaft cave: it is situated eastwards from the Poiana Albă, northwards from the Telecu Mare peak, 1650 metres height above sea level. The shaft cave begins with a 20 metres deep shaft, which is closed by a heap of snow. From here it starts an 8 metres long, mildly sloping passage, which leads to an other 9 metres long shaft, and to its bottom it slopes a narrow, clayish passage.

d.) Peştera Tolvaj (Tolvaj cave) : it is situated in that part of the Szakadat peak, which looks in the direction of Năşcălat, 1200 metres height above sea level. It is a 50 metres deep tectonical cave, adorned with dripstone-flows.

e.) Licoş shaft cave: this legendary cave opens on the top of the Licoş peak. Its complete length is 50 metres, and it is divided into three, well separable parts. At its mouth the cave's diameter is 8 metres long, at its narrowest part it is 3 metres long, and at its bottom it is 9 metres long. At the bottom of a 34 metres long aven there is a 3 metres long ice-jam. In summer next to this ice-jam it forms a narrow opening, and through this you can get down to the lower cave, which depth is 17 metre and it is closed by debris.

f.) The tectonical caves of the Vitoş peak: the Vitoş peak is situated northwards from the Pângăraţ pass above the Putna stream. On its eastern side it opens three shaft caves, whose depth is more than 10 metres.

g.) The caves of the Cheile Bicazului: in the cliffs of the Lacul Roşu (The Red Lake)-Cheile Bicazului are 51 caves kept in evidence. Most of them are hard accesible, smaller caves, without any special dripstone. The longest caves are situated in the Peretele Bardosului opposite the Maria source, like the Peştera Bardosul (-141m), Peştera Cascada (-69), Peştera Flacăra (-242).

h.) Munticel-cave: it is situated in the eastern side of the Munticel rocks. This 40 metres long and 20 metres broad cave was discovered in 1973.

Gheorgheni deserves for you to take your time and take a stroll to the center and take a look into the interior of its monuments. The urban view is embeded into the mountaneous landscape flanking the town, a piece of land where part of the Szekler people live alongside with the largest community of Armenian to be found in the Carpathian Basin, and built their heritage together throughout the centuries. You will get to known a quiet little town, which is in addition to a great starting point for tours and hikes and where you will find a nice lodging. Make sure to try out the local cuisine while you're here.

In the Hăşmaş Mountains and the Girugeului Mountains dozens of marked trails await hikers. The trails are very different in terms of length and difficulty, it is possible to do a few hour tour or a several day excursions, in all periods of the year.

The scenery springtime is dressed in green, often in mesmerizing nuances, but it is also rainy, snowfall is not uncommon, especially at higher peaks.

Summer is most appropriate season to plan trips, when the landscape is covered with flowers are fewer rain days are warmer, but in mountain storms can occur at any time.

You can also go on a trip are given during warm autumn. The depression is often foggy, but the peaks and ridges of the mountains are immersed in sunlight. During this period the air is very clean, from the highest peaks we have a view stretching a hundred kms away. In daytime the temperature is usually warm, but gets cool at night, and the days may begin with a thick layer of frosty fog.

During winter the landscape is elegantly cold and white, usually mountains are covered with a thick blanket of snow. Most marked tourist trails are not accessible due to snowfall. Other trails are only accessible by rocket or skis. When planning to go hiking is good to keep in mind that the days are short and the weather might turn bad, you have to prepare appropriate attire, because they are frequent blizzards and strong winds. In the case of longer hikes, it is  good to inform and Rescue Service in advance.

There are several maps about the neoghboring mountains, the most useful are those published by Dimap.

The whole area of Gheorgheni is an excellent terrain for one day, several day or long nomadic horseback riding tours in the wilderness. What's more, for those who wanted to get initiated into horse riding, there is the possibility to take riding lessons, and classes for beginners in order to develop skills. Nonetheless, next to all the things adults can take part in, camps are organized for children in order to provide them with a know-how around horses.

The Carphatians are  a core part of Transylvania’s identity, a vast continuous range, covered with unfragmented forests, one of the few left in Central-Europe, home to 45% of Europe’s big carnivors. Transylvania is a combination of nature with human culture in an integrated relationship. Abundent ecosystems, the untaimed wilderness combined with the wonderful gardens of wild flowers and the rural heritage are faces of the land with capture both eyes and lenses of our cameras. Sceneries and hay-fields are just magnificent.

Pristine forests, high-alpine pastures, all home to a diversity of botanical habitats, wild flowers and traces of ancient farming techniques offer people interested in examining all the plants they can get their eyes and hands on, a wonderful oppotunity. Nevertheless around the villages the lowland hay meadow which is probably the most threatened kind of habitat in the whole of Europetoday, although they existed throughout the continent and survived here in Eastern-Europe. Imagine that in a squre meter till the beginning of June around 60 species of blumes will have blumed. In addition more than 200 species  of butterflies  have survived due to scarce use of spraying.

Lacu Roşu-Gorge of Bicaz has the potential to become one of the most important rock-climbing paradise in Central Europe. The microregion is surely one of the most important rock-climbing terrain in the country. Made up from limestone, developed as a result of erosion and tectonic plates movements, the landscape becoming the perfect rock climbing spots.

The rock-climbing tradition in the area dates back to the beginning of the last century. A few climbers from abroad came to the area who climbed the imposing Altar-stone in the upper section of the gorge. In the next few decades dozens of rock-climbing routes were arranged, and The Gorge served as the venue for several rock climbing competitions. This thriving rock climbing life in the Gorge fell slightly starting from the turn of the century, but is now starting to regain popularity once again, proof of this are the multitude of sport climbing routes (about 100-120)  recently arranged in addition to the classic rock-climbing routes.

Most of the climbing routes are classic climbing routes, to access them you have to climb up some potions  with the help of ladders. The sport climbing routes are 20-40 m in length, some ranging from lighter (6a) to difficult (8c) variations.

Every day the flock is driven miles accross the open pasture and need to return to the fold noontime for the sheperds to milk the sheep. In fact they need to milk each sheep by hand 2-3 times a day, and it is not as easy as it looks. After milking them sheperds will make diary products, such as fresh cheese, a treat you can taste.  

In Gheorgheni nearly all religious denominations existent in the Carpathian Basin and their place of worship are to be found, and you can find out interesting facts about them. It is very interesting that so many denominations survived in a small town, and even if it is a predominantly Catholic region it is quite natural for people to accept the other important religious adherents and respect them. The town of Gheorgheni is a true ecumenical experience.