Piatra Teiului

Piatra Teiului is a 0.20 ha geological reserve, a 17 m high Cretaceous reef, first mentioned by Alecu Russo. This reef, likened to an ancient tower, is located near the Bicaz reservoir and is linked to local legends from Dornelor and Ceahlău.

Professor E. Ţopa relates a legend according to which the rock was brought by the devil to stop the Bistrita River, but he ran away when the rooster crowed, leaving the rock behind. Later, a shepherd planted a linden tree on the top of the rock to ward off the devil, and a linden tree grew there, hence the name "Lime Stone".

Piatra Teiului is an erosion witness composed of compact reef limestones, with a pseudoolitic structure and no detrital material, containing numerous fossils of foraminifera, bryozoans, corals and pachyodont shells. These limestones are of Cretaceous age and are part of the Bistra strata. The reserve is located on the 5-8 m terrace of the Bistrița river, on the territory of the villages of Călugăreni and Poiana Teiului, being protected due to its scientific value, being part of the Cretaceous formations of the Eastern Carpathians.

Source: Parks and nature reserves from Romania, Gheorghe Mohan, Aurel Ardelean, Victor Bortaș ed. Victor B. Victor, 2006