  We present a facility for direct measurements at low and very low energies
typical for nuclear astrophysics (NA). The facility consists of a small and
robust tandem accelerator where irradiations are made, and an ultra-low
background laboratory located in a salt mine where very low radio-activities
can be measured. Both belong to Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics
and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) but are situated 120 km apart. Their
performances are shown using a few cases where they are used. We argue that
this facility is competitive for the study of nuclear reactions induced by
alpha particles and by light ions at energies close or down into the Gamow
windows. A good case study was the 13C+12C fusion reaction, where the proton
evaporation channel leads to an activity with T1/2 = 15 h, appropriate for
samples' transfer to the salt mine. Measurements were done using the thick
target method down into the Gamow window for energies from Ecm=2.2 MeV, which
is the lowest energy ever reached for this reaction, up to 5.3 MeV, using 13C
beams from the 3 MV tandetron. The activation method allowed us to determine a
cross section of the order of 100 pb. Reactions induced by alphas were also
measured. Proton induced resonant reactions were used to calibrate the
accelerator terminal voltage. Some results of the experiemnts characterizing
the assembly are sown and discussed.
