Nereju

Nereju
Commune
Orthodox church in Nereju
Location in Vrancea County
Nereju Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°43′N 26°43′E
Country	Romania
County	Vrancea
Government
• Mayor (2020–2024)	Toader Gemănaș (PNL)
Area	183 km2 (71 sq mi)
Elevation	589 m (1,932 ft)
Population  (2021-12-01)	4,240
• Density	23/km2 (60/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	627225
Vehicle reg.	VN
Website	www.primarianereju.ro

Nereju is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Brădăcești, Chiricani (or Chiricari), Nereju, Nereju Mic, and Sahastru.

Nereju, Nereju Mic, and Brădăcești lie along the Zăbala River, while Chiricani and Sahastru are situated on the surrounding hills and valleys.

History

2020 Earthquake

On January 31, 2020, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 5 kilometers WNW of the town. The official time of the earthquake was 01:26:47 (UTC).

Economy

Main economic activities are in the wood industry (the surrounding hills are rich in coniferous forests), mountainous ecological agriculture, mountainous tourism, folk arts and traditions.

Tourism

Main touristic sights are:

• Lacul Negru - a natural lake, with an area of 1 hectare, depth 10m, and situated at an altitude of 1,350 m (4,430 ft)
• Mountainous areas Dealul Negru (Black Hill) and Lapoș, at an altitude of 1,400 m (4,600 ft)
• Căldările Zăbalei (Zăbala's Buckets) - a protected area, along the Zăbala River's course

Chipărușul is a local artistic group which features pre-Christian rituals involving masks and other folkloric elements.

The DJ205D road was improved in 2016; the county seat Focșani is some 75 km (47 mi) distant along this route.

Natives

• Ion Macovei (1885–1950), engineer