Welcome to Cluj!City break?Discover the city of youth!I am very
proud that this year one of the cities in my constituency,
Cluj-Napoca,wasdesignatedastheEuropeanYouthCapital.
IhavebeenrepresentingCluj-Napocaduringeightyearsin
theRomanianSenate,butalsoduringthelastsixyearsinthe European
Parliament and I am deeply attached to its people, to its
traditions and cultural heritage which Id like to bring to you
through this brochure.
HavingthelargestnumberofstudentsinRomania(morethan50.000),6universities,an
open and tolerant spirit, and a very unique multicultural
component, Cluj-Napoca is a city where a smart young person can
easily make a career, start a business, feel integrated and
spendaqualitytime.Morethanthis,IfeelthatClujisacitymadevibrant,culturallyand
economically, by its youth, by their enthusiasm and efforts, by
their hard work and ingenuity more so perhaps than many other
cities in the European
Union.Ahistoricallymulticulturalcity,Clujisalsohometomanyexpats,workingandespecially
studyingthere.IthousesmanyEuropeancompaniesanditrepresentsafastgrowing
regional hub for knowledge, finance, IT development, and transport.
Cluj-Napoca is at the
heartofTransylvaniaandhasbeentherefortwothousandyears.Itclaimsheritagefrom
several cultures and empires and you will be able to witness it in
its rich culture, hear it in the music and taste it in the local
cuisine.More than all this, it is a truly welcoming city!
Hospitality is one of its core values, and you will receive it from
old and young
alike.ThisiswhyIinviteallofyou,youngorfeelingyoung,tomakeCluj-Napocayourlong-weekenddestination,todiscoveritsbeauty,tomakefriends,totastethedeliciouslocal
foods, to enjoy the afternoon sun at one of the terraces in the
downtown and to take part in shows and events proposed during this
important year. Cluj is connected to 24 direct foreign destinations
among which Charleroi Airport in Belgium, so dont ever hesitate to
visit! Also dont miss any of the destinations proposed in this
guide and I can promise you will have a one in a life-time,
memorable and wonderful experience!So come and visit Cluj-Napoca!
Discover the beautiful heart of Transylvania!Norica Nicolai,
MEPALDE Vice-PresidentCome to Cluj-Napoca!Discover the
beautifulheart of Transylvania!EU, the big supporter of young
peopleThe European Union is one of the main worldwide supporters of
youth programmesanddevelopment.ThroughtheEUYouthStrategy,the Union
tries to address all aspects of youth issues: education, culture,
mobility, social inclusion, employment and job creation, as well as
to promote increased health and voluntary
activities.PerhapsthemostfamoustoolistheErasmusMundusprogramme,
which is one of the main ways young people in Europe can travel and
learn in different EU member states. Established in 1987, the
Erasmus programhasbeenoneofthemostimportanttoolsforEuropean
integration,withmillionsofyoungstudentstravellingtoforeign
countries,learningotherEUlanguagesandexperiencingdifferent
cultures.TheEUisalsofocusedonthesocialinclusionandemployment
opportunitiesforyouths.ItfinancestheYouthGuarantee,amulti-million
euro package for ensuring job opportunities or traineeships for
young graduates, but also the European Platform against poverty and
socialexclusion,aswellasseveralprogramsforyouthmobilityand
entrepreneurship.Cluj-NapocaEuropean Youth Capital 201525 4Find
your very own personal
reasonThesecondbiggestcityinRomaniaandTransylvaniasunofficial
capital, Cluj-Napoca is what some might call an ever-surprising
town. Home to a venerable university and more than one hundred
thousand students;officialfilmandmusiccapitalofRomaniathroughitstwo
well-knownfestivals,TIFFandElectricCastle;richinhistoryand
beautiful architecture; a cultural and ethnic melting pot; hosting
some exquisite museums and permanent art exhibitions; an IT
powerhouse of global relevance: we could say Cluj-Napoca has
something to offer for
everyone.Ofcourse,youdonothavetotakeourwordforit.Fornow,atleast.
The coming pages will try to give you a glimpse of this fascinating
and always-on-the-move city, but one thing is sure even from the
beginning: Cluj-Napoca will not let anyone
unimpressed.Onemorethingbeforewestart.Cluj-Napocaistheofficial
administrative name of the city. Those who love it, call it simply
Cluj. Wesuggestyoudothesamefromthemomentyouarrive,thisway youll
sound like a local. Or a friend. Or both. Youll have plenty of time
to decide later. Welcome!Whyvisit Cluj?4 57 6Well, that depends
mainly on two factors: how much time do you have at your disposal
and what are your personal favorite activities. But before we get
there, lets talk about essentials. Whatto do?6FoodAmongst them,
because you are in Transylvania, is food. We love food and great
food loves us. Blending Central European dishes with South Eastern
influences produces utterly unique
andtastymeals.WheninCluj,eatlikeclujenii,thisisthefirstlessonyouhavetomaster.
Lets see some specialties:> Cabbage rolls
SarmaleCabbagerollsaremadeofmincedmeat
(usuallypork,butalsobeef,sheep,poultry or even fish) mixed with
rice and local spices androlledintocabbageleaves.Gourmets consider
that cabbage rolls are much tastier if cooked in a cast iron
cauldron over a small fire. Also, they need to sit for 2-3 days to
gain a special flavour.> Cabbage a la Cluj Varz a la
ClujEventhoughcabbagealaClujissimply
consideredmessedupcabbagerollsby
many,thisprejudiceisnotentirelytrue.
ThisfoodistraditionalinTransylvania,but has become very popular in
other regions as well. A difficult to master dish, its very rich
andsavouryanditisbesteatenwithsour cream on
top!>Potatogoulashwithsmokedmeat Gula de cartofi cu
afumturThisTransylvaniandishisbasicallyakind
ofstew,buttheingredientsusedconfer
aninterestingflavourwithalightsmokey aroma. In its original
location, potato goulash isusuallyservedwithpotatonoodles,
butcreamofwheatorflournoodlesarea customary side dish.> Bean
paste with smoked meat Iahnie de fasole cu
afumturBeanpastecantmissfromfestivelunches and dinners, but this
dish is a fasting period favoriteaswell.Alternatively,itcanbe
served with bits of smoked bacon and some paprika for those who
want a little extra!> Tripe soup - Ciorb de
burtFromRomaniasmanysoursoups,the
tripesoupistheverytopofthepyramid.A
loveitorhateitdish,manyforeignersfeel
acertainreticencefromtastingitatfirst. Dont hesitate to tone it to
suit your tastes, by adding either sour cream or a little bit of
vinegar, and having some hot green peppers to go along with it!9
8ClubsNowthatwerefull,letsmovetosome
realactivities.Howaboutsomeclubbing?
Asauniversitarycity,Clujbenefitsfroman impressive selection of
clubs and venues, each withitsownpersonalityandflavour.Below youll
find the most well-known of them.>ClubMidiBignamesfromseemingly
allthequalityelectronicmusiclabelshave spent a night or two at
Midi; John Digweed, ArtDepartment,ThomasMelchior,Richie
Hawtin,andthelistgoesonandon.The crowd is out primarily for the
music, second for the party, and only partly to look good.
>DieselClubLocatedinUniriiSquare,
thisoneofthoseseeandbeseenplaces, but if you can find some space to
move, you can have a really good time here.
>AfterEightLocatednearPiataAvram
Iancu,thisisoneofthestudentsclubin townandthemusicisamixbetweenTop
40 club beats and the latest Romanian chart
toppers.>Phi18Thenameshouldgiveyouan
indicationthatitsorientedtothestudent crowd. Its located next to a
series of student dormsinZorilor.ThecrowdisabitAfter Eight-ish but
more chilled out and looking to enjoy the night. They have a
variety of theme nights and the drinks are very cheap. >
Euphoria Music Hall More of a concert
venuethanaclub,butnotabadplaceto
party.Itdependsonthenight,butanindie band had finished playing the
time we went andthecrowdwasveryreceptivetothe eclectic mix of
music. Somewhat out of the way but not too far from the city
center. The Legends of ClujWithitsrichculturalheritage,Clujisa
crossroadsofmyths,legendsandhistory.
Theymeetandmixsothatnowadays,by
passingabridgeorastreet,youcaneasily
imaginegreatpeople,historicalevents,
wonderfulstories,andanaromaofapast which is still very persistent
in the present.> The bridgesThelegendsofthebridgesinClujareat
leastasinterestingandspectacularas
thecityitself.ThebridgesovertheSome originate in a Roman bridge
which connected thetwopartsoftheEmpire.Itispossible
thatthemainbridgeoftheanticRoman cityhadbeensituatedinthesameareaas
the Grand Bridge in the Middle Ages, that is,
intheexactplacewheretodayistheroad bridge on Horea
Street.Inthe19thcenturyalegendbecame
famouswhichhaditthatDecebal,theking
ofDacians,losthislifeonthebridgeover Some while the Romans were
chasing him, having sacked his fortress at Sarmizegetusa.
Surroundedonallsides,hiscompanions 11slain, the brave king took his
own life rather than face Roman captivity and humiliation. A
romantic legend, it likely has its roots in the numerous Roman
ruins found on both sides of the river.> The
tunnelsMostoftheinhabitantsofClujmighthave
heardstoriesaboutthecitysmysterious underground tunnels. The
hyperbolic verses ofClujundergroundlegendsrefertosome
bigtunnelswhichlinkedthecentreofthe city to the church of
Cluj-Mntur, formally fortified, to the village of Floreti and to
the Austrian-builtfortificationonCetuia.The
tunnelsaresaidtobeancient,withahuge
andmostlyunexplorednetwork,andthere are even some whispers of
hidden treasures.> King
MathiasInCluj,youwillfindthebuildingwhereon
February23rd,1443KingMathias,the youngersonofIoanofHunedoarawas
born.Inthosedaysanentrepreneurwhose
nameremainsunknownforusboughttwo buildingslocatedintheOldCityofCluj
andbuiltintheirplacealargerone;inthe
twocenturiesthatfolloweditbecamethe most comfortable and expensive
inn in Cluj. King Mathias went on to become one of the
leadingfiguresofhistime,achampionof
theCatholicworldinthefightagainstthe Ottoman Empire and a paramount
leader of his Kingdom.> The martyrdom of Baba
NovacWhileMichaeltheBrave(MihaiViteazul) was in exile in Prague,
seeking to regain the goodwill of the emperor Rudolf II of Austria,
hisSerbiancaptainStarinaNovak(Baba
Novac)wasexecutedinthemainsquareof Cluj. The King of the Romanian
principalities had been defeated by his numerous enemies and forced
into exile. Baba Novac, a popular
adventurer,formeroutlawandmercenary,
enteredthecityofClujinDecember1600
andwentintogeneralBastasservicewho entrusted him with the task of
defending the Transylvanian border with Lipova. Soon the
Transylvanians became unsatisfied with the 10The Legends of
Clujimperial rule, so in order to pacify the people, the traitorous
Basta gave them Michael the Braves general, Baba Novac.> The
statue of St. Mary, the ProtectorThestatueofSt.Maryisthefirstpublic
monument of the city. It was erected in 1744 at the request and
with the financial support ofGovernorAntonyKornis,inrecognition
toSt.Marysprotectionduringthegreat
epidemicofcholerawhichspreadbetween
1738and1742.Forthisreasonitwasalso
calledtheplaguestatue.Thestatuewas
sculptedbytheAustriansculptorAnton
Schuchbauer.Itwasoriginallyplacedat
theintersectionofStradaUniversitiiand
StradaM.Koglniceanu,duetothefact that in that area were located
some catholic schools,thechurchandtheseatofJesuit order.Medieval
confrontations and duelsClujwasprobablythemostturbulentand
bustlingmedievalcityofTransylvania.
Therefore,whenitwasmadearoyalcity, carrying an urban status, it was
very different fromotherTransylvaniansettlements;
whilethepopulationoftheothercitiesin Transylvania was composed
mainly of Saxon colonists,generallyconsideredpeaceful
andhomogeneous,Clujwashospitableto noblemen, to merchants and
craftsmen and to a great number of adventurers belonging
todifferentsocialclassesandnationalities. Thanks to their presence
here, Cluj acquired intimeanunravelledglamour,whichapart
fromenhancingitsprestigegavebirthtoa
tensesituationleadingsometimestoduels and armed
confrontations.Everywhere, of course. But if you have to choose,
choose wisely. Listed below are some of the most widely known
landmarks of Cluj. And if, by accident, you get to stay another few
days, we have compiled another list, with some of the most
interesting and valuable tourist attractions in the Cluj County.
Whereto go?12in Cluj proper> The Fortress
HillWithanelevationof405metres,the Fortress Hill is a plateau with
a Vauban style fortificationbuiltinthe18thcentury.The
fortificationaccommodatedadministrative
buildings,thegarrisonandthearmoury.
Italsofunctionedasaprisonduringthe
revolutionof1848.Itisherethatthewell-knownSaxonhumanistandfighterofthe
Revolution,StephanLudwigRoth,was
imprisonedandexecuted.Inrecenttimes, the Belvedere Hotel was built
on top of the hill,withanastonishingviewofthecity.
Inthememoryofthemartyrsofthe1848 Revolution,aCrosswasplacedonThe
FortressHill,whichwasremovedin1950
bythecommunistauthorities.In1995,the
Crosswasreplacedwithonecreatedby architect Virgil Salvanu. > The
Botanical GardenPassbytheCityHallandwalkupthehill
ahead:in400meters,youllarriveatthe Botanical Garden. Located in the
south part of Cluj-Napoca and founded in 1872 by Brassai
Samuel,theUniversitysBotanicalGarden
isoneofthemaintouristicdestinationsin
thecity.Italsoservesasateachingand
researchcentre,sincethe14hectaresin
areahostmorethan10.000plantsfrom allovertheworld.Thegardenisdivided
intoornamental,geobotanical,systematic
(taxonomical),economicandmedicinal
sections.Romanianfloraandvegetation
arerepresentedbyplantsfromallthe regions of the country. The most
interesting attractions are the Japanese Garden and the Roman
Garden with archaeological remains fromtheRomancolonyofNapoca,among
themastatueofCeres,goddessofcereals
andbread,alongsidecultivatedplants thatdominatecontemporaryRomanian
agriculture. > The Central
ParkItisthelargestpublic,urbanparkinCluj,
foundedinthe19thcenturyandlocatedon the southern shore of Somes
river. The Park is home to the University of Arts and Design
andtheChemistryFacultyoftheBabes-BolyaiUniversity.Idealforlongwalks,
picnicsor,ifyouaretheadventuroustype,
youcanrentaboatandsailontheman-made lake located in the middle of
the park. 13in Cluj county14> Cojocna BathsThis resort is
situated in the east of Cojocna
village,10kmfromCluj-Napoca.Starting with the Roman occupation,
there have been continuoussaltexploitationsinthearea.
Twoofthelakes,TorocandLaculMare, were transformed into public
bathing places. Usedmainlyforrecreationalpurposes,the
bathingplacesarealsorecommendedfor the treatment of various medical
conditions.> Bioara Mountain
ResortTheresortissituatedintheBioara
villageandhas5skislopesforthosewho
lovewintersports,withatotallengthof
approximately4.5km.Youcanreachthe resortstartingfromthecountyroadDJ
107MinBioaraandthengoing10kmup the valley to the Muntele Biorii
village and then another 8 km to the resort (60 km being
thetotaldistancefromCluj-Napoca).The
usualaccessisfromCluj-NapocaorTurda
bycarorbybusuntiltheMunteleBiorii village, then 45 minutes of
walking. > The Nicula
MonasteryThemonasteryisanimportantpilgrimage
centresituatedat50kmfromCluj-Napoca.
Thefamousiconpaintedin1681byLuca
fromIclodcanbefoundinthismonastery.
AccordingtoaminutemadebyAustrian
officers,theiconwasknowntoshedtears
betweenFebruary15thandMarch12th, 1699.Thestonechurchofthemonastery
waserectedbetween1875and1879onthe
expensesofGherlaDiocese.Thetechnique of glass painting was brought
in Transylvania bytheschooloficonpaintersfromNicula
monastery.Amongthefamousartiststhat workedatNiculaareEmilWei,Moritz
Hachmann and Karl Mller.> Turda
GorgesTurdaGorgesisaprotectednatural reservation, 6 km west from
Turda, along the Hasdate valley. With a length of 2.900 m and the
height of the walls up to 300 m, the Gorges have a karst landscape
of a rare wilderness: highandsteepcliffs,sharpincreases,stone
towersandbeautifularcades.Ithostsover 1.000 species of plants and
animals, such as the wild garlic and the cliff eagle.> Turda
Salt MineThe Turda salt mine is a true historic museum
ofsaltmining.Theexcellentpreserving
conditionoftheminingworksandofthe equipment that was used to
transport the salt, as well as the great works that transformed the
salt mine into a tourist attraction merge in harmony in this unique
place in Romania.1517 16Everything, that would be ideal. But we
know that you have a limited period of time to discover Cluj so
here is a list of must see landmarks. In order to be able to say
back home that you know Cluj, these are absolute requirements.
Whatto see?16>TheLucianBlagaNationalTheatre and the Romanian
OperaLocated in centre of the city, the two cultural
institutionswerefoundedin1919,asan
expressionofspiritualrebirthaftertheGreat
Unionof1918.Thebuildingwhichhouses
theLucianBlagaNationalTheatreandthe
RomanianOperawasbuiltbetween1904 and1906bythefamousViennesecompany
FellnerundHelmer,ashomeofthe Hungarian National Theatre, combining
stylistic elements of new-Baroque and Secession. The
EuphorionStudiooftheNationalTheatreis especially designed for young
artists and their creative works. The Romanian National Opera
fromCluj-Napocaisthefirstlyricdramatic state-owned institution in
Romania. More than 200titlesofoperas,operettasandballets
fromtheworldrepertoirewerestagedatthe Romanian Opera so far.>
The Orthodox Metropolitan
CathedralJustacrossthestreetfromtheNational
Theatre,youcanfindTheOrthodox MetropolitanCathedral(AvramIancu
Square).Itwasbuiltbetween1923and1933,
representingtheRomanianstylisticcurrent.
ThechurchisdedicatedtotheAssumption the date in which the Romanian
Army entered Transylvania (15th August 1916). The Ortodox
ArchiepiscopateofClujholdsanimportant
collectionofreligiousanddocumentaryart, which was established in
1938 and reorganized in1975.Themainfundconsistsofpainted icons from
the 17th to the 19th centuries and
liturgicalobjects.Themuseumcollection includes documents regarding
the history of the diocese (16th century), religious objects, icons
on wood and glass (17th century), manuscripts,
vestments,crosses,chalices(16thcentury),
ethnographicprintingsandtestimoniesabout the Romanian history.>
The Avram Iancu SquareLocated between the National Theatre and the
Metropolitan Cathedral, on the western part of
theoldcitywalls,guardedbythreebastions and gates, this square was
initially Historical landmarks19amarketplacetobemovedtothecentral
square. At the end of the 19th century and the
beginningofthe20thcentury,thewallsand gates of the city were
demolished and a small park was arranged. Later, new buildings were
erectedhere,suchastheNationalTheatre,
theOrthodoxCathedral,thebuildingofthe
ChamberofCommerceandIndustry,inthe
ArtNouveaustyle(today,theofficeofthe Cluj Prefecture); the building
of the old Uni Masonic Lodge (Avram Iancu Sq. 7); the building of
the old military garrison (today, the building 18of the County
School Inspectorate, also known to the people as the red building,
as suggested bytheredbrickwallsofthebuilding);the imposing statue
of Avram Iancu and the Palace of Justice, where the Court of Appeal
and the Court are housed; the EMKE Palace (Hungarian
CulturalAssociationofTransylvania),later
purchasedbyMV(Magyarllamvastak,
HungarianStateRailroads),currentlythe
headquartersoftheCFRRegionalOffice;the
buildingoftheArchbishopofVad,Feleacand
Cluj,whichhousestheFacultyofOrthodox
TheologyandthebuildingoftheProtestant
Theology,ontheoldsiteoftheReformed Churchs Prayer House.> The
Roman CatholicSaint Michael
ChurchPassingthroughthepedestrianEroilor
Boulevard,whereyoucanstopfora refreshmentonaterrace,attheotherside
of this main street you will find the beautiful
UnionSquareandTheRomanCatholic SaintMichaelChurch,agreathistorical
andreligiousmonumentofarchitecture,
oneofthemostimposinggothicedifices
inthecountry.Itwasbuiltapproximately
between1350and1480,beingthefirsthall churchfromTransylvania.
Themainportal, carvedin1444ingothicstyle,endswitha Historical
landmarks21highaccolade,showinginthecentralpart
thecarvedimageofArchangelMichael.An
extraordinaryexecutionistheportalofthe
sacristy,fromtheRenaissance(1528)with Italian motifs and a strong
southern-German influence.Thebodyofthepulpit,inbaroque
style,wascarvedbyJohannesNachtigall
andAntonSchuhbauer.Themuralpicture,
fragmentarykept,showsstylisticinfluences from northern Italy and
reveals the first signs of the Renaissance in the painting from
Cluj-Napoca. > The Union Square
ThecurrentUniriiSquareformedthecore
ofthemedievalcity,clusteredaroundthe
ChurchofSt.Michael.Historically,itisthe second largest square of
Cluj, after the Small Square(nowcalledtheMuseumSquare).In
thelatenineteenthcentury,thenamewas
changedintotheMainSquare.Intheearly twentieth century, the square
was called King Mathias(MatyasKiralyter).After1918,the
squarewasrenamedUnionSquare.During communism,thenamewaschangedinto
LibertySquare.Inthemiddleofthesquare
thereistheChurchofSt.Michaelandthe
StatueofMathiasCorvinus.Thesquareis
surroundedbyrelevantbuildings:onthe eastern side we find the Banffy
Palace, which nowhousestheMuseumofArt,andonthe
southernsideofthesquareistheOldCity Hall and the National Bank.
> The Mathias Corvinus House100metersawayfromtheSaintMichel
Church,youwillfindtheMathiasCorvinus
House(orMehffyHouse):agothictown
20housefromthefifteenthcentury(today,
homeoftheArtandDesignUniversityof
ClujNapoca).Inthishouse,whichhasbeen
thecitysinninthepast,MatiaCorvin,the
sonofJohnHunyadi(IoandeHunedoara) wasbornon23rdFebruary1443.Matia
Corvin is considered to be the greatest king of Hungary
(1458-1490). In 1467, the owners of the house were exempted from
paying taxes andfeestothecity.Thisprivilegewasalso
enforcedbyfuturerulers.Thebasementof the building and some plat
bans of windows and doors that have lintels in oblique section are
characteristic of the gothic style. > The Cluj-Napoca City
HallStop for a coffee in the Museum Square just
nexttoMathiasCorvinusHouseandthen walk100metersdowntotheCluj-Napoca
CityHall(1-3,MotilorStreet).Thebuilding
waserectedattheendofthe19thcentury,
bytheplansofarchitectAlprIgnc,witha baroque facade of Viennese
style and a corner tower with a clock. Initially designed to be the
headquarters of the City Council, nowadays it houses the
Cluj-Napoca City Hall.> The Babes-Bolyai
UniversityTheBabes-BolyaiUniversityisoneofthe most prestigious
higher education institutions in the country. Although its history
dates back to1581andstartswiththeJesuitCollege, the University is
following up the history and tradition of the University of Cluj,
established in 1872. In 1959, the two existing universities in
Cluj, the Romanian Victor Babes University
andtheHungarianBolyaiUniversitywere merged under the current name
and offered study programs in both languages. Nowadays,
TheBabes-BolyaiUniversitydistinguishes
itselfasamulticulturalinstitution.Among
its21faculties,19offerstudyprogramsin Romanian, 17 in Hungarian, 10
in German and seven in English.Historical
landmarksAccessibility> By
air:Cluj-Napocaisconnectedbydirectightswith24cities.Inorderto check
the ight schedule please visit www.airportcluj.ro .This material is
using information provided by
www.visitclujnapoca.ro,www.onejive.com, www.wikipedia.org and SHARE
Federation.> By road:At the junction of four European roads
(E60, E576, E58, E81) and crossed
byTransylvaniaHighway,Clujisaccessiblebothbycarandbybus,in which
case we recommend you to visit www.autogari.ro> By railway:For
traveling in Romania: www.infofer.roFor traveling in and outside
Romania: www.bahn.de23Located in the North-West of Romania, one of
the richest areas of the country, Cluj-Napoca is roughly
equidistant from Bucharest (441 km / 276 mi), Budapest (409 km /
256 mi) and Belgrade (465 km / 291 mi). Located in the Someul Mic
River valley, the city is considered the unofficial capital of the
historical province of Transylvania.How to get to Cluj?22This
brochure is published with the support of ALDE Group in the
European Parliament Design by: www.vitrina.ro
