The Ciucului-Nemirei-Vrancei mountain region brings together the 11 municipalities included in this study across a remarkably diverse geographical and cultural arc. It integrates three distinct mountain systems: the Ciucului, Nemirei, and Vrancei Mountains. Each of these systems is characterised by its own specific socio-ecological features.

Culturally, the region is equally varied. Communities in Harghita and Covasna counties have been strongly shaped by over nine centuries of Szekler presence. In contrast, Vrancea County preserves one of the most intact expressions of traditional Moldavian culture.

The landscape is predominantly cultural, with only few areas that have remained untouched by long-standing agricultural practices and the use of natural resources. The rural economy rests primarily on agriculture, while small and medium-sized urban centres rely largely on light industry. In the mountainous zone, sustained grazing practice have created a heterogeneous landscape of secondary pastures and high conservation value meadows interspersed with mixed forests. Putna Vrancea Natural Park, situated in the south-east of the study area, is the only protected park in the southern Romanian Eastern Carpathians. Notably, the study area also holds the highest brown bear densities recorded in Romania.