With a strong Saxon influence reflected in both education and workforce distribution, Bistrița’s economy is based on the heritage of its former guilds (blacksmiths, carpenters, butchers and tailors). Today, these ancestors find heirs in the manufacturing of metal products, wood processing and wood products, of steel wire, textile fibres and apparel, of accumulators and batteries, plastics, as well as electrical and electronic equipment for motor vehicles. Located at the base of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, the county is a gateway to untapped gems. The old centre of Bistrița, the county capital and former medieval trading post, still reflects the area’s historic roots, blending deep Romanian, Hungarian, German and Jewish influences.