Preluci is located in Agăș Commune, in the mountain region along the upper Trotuș, between the Ciucului and Tarcăului Mountains. To get your bearings, it is useful to consider two scales: the village itself and the wider commune area. The area of Agăș is predominantly hilly; more than 50 percent of its land is covered by forests, and much of the remaining area consists of natural meadows. These landscape details apply to the commune, not just to Preluci. This places the village within its wider mountain landscape without equating the characteristics of the commune with those of the settlement itself.
Preluci along the Trotuș Valley
A described route from Asău to Beleghet runs through the Trotuș Valley, passes through Preluci and then continues to Beleghet. The sequence is useful for understanding the location: on this route, Preluci lies between the places named. This gives anyone exploring the villages in the valley a specific point of reference for locating Preluci.
Getting to Diaconești Monastery
From Comănești, the described route first follows National Road 12A for 16 kilometres in the direction of Miercurea Ciuc. In Preluci, turn off and continue for another 2 kilometres to Diaconești Monastery. The two sections should be considered separately: the 16 kilometres lead towards Miercurea Ciuc as far as the turn-off in Preluci; the additional 2 kilometres lead to the monastery. If you plan to visit, check in advance what visiting options are available.
Diaconești Monastery: history and architecture
Diaconești Monastery was founded in 1998; its principal patronal feast is the Dormition of the Mother of God. The new church was built from river stones and spruce and fir beams in the Moldavian Ștefanian style. Its materials and construction give the building a distinctive character: river stone and softwood are part of its description, as is the named Moldavian stylistic tradition. For travellers who want to explore religious architecture and history as well as the landscape, this is a tangible cultural point of interest. In addition to the traditional duties of a monastery, the nuns work on editorial projects about the saints of the communist prisons. This connects the history of the building with a theme of religious remembrance.
A place name with a historical connection
One historical reference point for Preluci is the year 1895: the first documented mention of the inhabitants of the Preluci clearing dates from that year. The place name should be distinguished from that of another Preluci on the Tazlăul Sărat in Bacău County. Here, the same name refers to two different geographical locations. In this context, the reference is to the Preluci clearing on the Trotuș, not the other Preluci on the Tazlăul Sărat. This distinction helps identify the correct place associated with the historical reference.
Products from Preluci
Local agricultural products also offer insight into the village. A report dated 5 April 2023 mentioned the family farm of Mihai and Cristina Merlușcă in Preluci, listing cheese in fir bark and sheep’s butter among its products. The fir bark makes the cheese a distinctive product; together with the sheep’s butter, it adds an agricultural perspective to the cultural and landscape themes. If you are planning to visit or buy these products, check in advance what is currently available.
Discover more destinations: Gura Văii, Bacău, Onești, Slanic-Moldova, Agăș, Horgești, Cerdac, Valea Seacă
For the broader travel overview: Bacau.
