A family from Slobozia Mare has returned home and opened an eco-tourist guesthouse, providing unique services in the south of the country

In Romania, they found work and settled. But it was the pandemic that trapped them in an apartment in Bucharest, and then, more than ever, they felt the need to return home to Slobozia Mare.

The pandemic robbed them of their freedom and that motivated them to return home

"We have a small child, for whom living in a block of flats during the pandemic was a nightmare. So, we moved back here in 2020, to her husband's home village," says Lorina Neagu. Their love for equestrianism and the desire to bring this noble sport back to the village led them to create a unique business in the south of the country. Now the place that for years used to be the village garbage dump has been transformed into a modern agritourism - "Potcoava Verde".

"We used to have two horses with which we started to go for rides on the shores of Lake Beleu, then our friends started to come for rides too. They were so thrilled by the emotions they felt riding on horses, that we realized that it was a wonderful thing to offer that feeling of well-being to everyone who visited us," Lorina adds.

Tourist activities that visitors can enjoy at the “Potcoava Verde”

The Neagu family has developed a wide range of tourist activities in Prut meadow, an impressive area in the Lower Prut Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can go horse-riding or boating on Beleu Lake. They can also fish in the fresh waters. Lorina's husband, Artur Neagu, has been passionate about horse-riding since childhood

Accommodation in the heart of nature on Beleu lake

The Neagu family business expanded two years ago. In 2022, when they received financial support worth €14,000 through the "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF. With this money they managed to build two small houses on the territory of the agro-pension, which can accommodate up to eight people. They are equipped with all the necessary utilities for those who want to reconnect with nature.

The “EU4Moldova: Focal regions” Programme (2019-2024) supports intelligent, inclusive and sustainable social-economic development in the regions of Cahul and Ungheni to ensure better standards of living to the citizens. The programme has a total budget of €23 million, is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).