Commonly known as Cluj, it is the second most populated city in Romania. It is considered the unofficial capital to the historic province of Transylvania with old city walls fortified in 1241. We arrived to this unique city for a long weekend and despite the cold temperatures in January the sunshine made all the difference! We did fly this time, finding really cheap tickets on skyscanner.com with an easy taxi ride right into the city center from the airport. One thing to note, is the currency is Lei, not Euro. After arriving in the city, all food, tourist shops, restaurants, and bars are very affordable. Once in the city center, all major sights are walking distance. It is a small city and you can see all the tourist sights in a couple days. We did feel like 4 days was a little long but we did still have a great time together. There are multiple day trips from Cluj to explore more of the Transylvania towns that are easy to do as well.
We did our own walking tour since we read up on the free walking tour that was suppose to run daily, rain or shine, starting at 10 am. We arrived at the start location, no tour guide or group was anywhere in sight. We waited and admired St. Michael's Church in Unirii square. The church was built in the 14th century and named after the Archangel Michael, who is the patron saint of Cluj-Napoca. This Gothic style church is massive in size and beautiful from each angle. You can see this landmark from the panoramic view as well, looming above all other buildings in the square even the entire city. In front of the church is the equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus, which was built in honor of the King of Hungary.
Next along our waking tour- The Romanian National Opera theater, Neo-Baroque style. Founded in 1955 and on the UNESCO's list of protected monuments. Although they have hosted many different venues within the theater, most well known for its classical music concerts. Across the street stands the equivalent to Saint Michael's is the Orthodox Cathedral built in 1933 with a statue of Avram Iancu in front of it.
Tailors' Bastion, Tailors' Tower, is located at the southeast corner of the old Citadel. It was built in 1550 and the only structure still standing from the Medieval fortified city. Today, tourist are able to climb to the top of the tower with museum exhibitions on the platforms as you climb the stairs. It was named after the Tailors' Guild, who took care of and guarded this part of the city from the tower where he lived.
From the Tailors' Tower you can see this Church right around the corner standing out among the rest. The Calvinist Reformed Church, Gothic architectural style built starting from 1486 and completed by 1516, impressive in size being one of the largest in southeastern Europe. The statue of St. George slaying the dragon is prominent in front of the church, this was inspired by a statue that is currently in the center of Prague.
Walking along Matthias Corvinus Alley, you can find the building that is the birthplace of the King of Hungary. Almost 50,000 Hungarians live in Cluj-Napoca, which is the second largest community and their culture is present within the city landmarks.
The sunshine was out so we decided to head up to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden, one of the largest in southeastern Europe with 10,000 plant species. Stopping after for lunch in a cute restaurant called, The Family Restaurant, with an excellent set lunch menu option and friendly staff. After being re-energized we worked our way across town to Central Park, for a stroll down the beautiful tree lined path of this 180 year old park. The lake within the park was frozen and a home made ice skating rink was created on the ice. Lots of people were outside enjoying the sunshine in the park.
Finishing the day off with an uphill hike to the lookout point, Fortress Hill. Famous for the best views of the city and the surrounding landscape, we climbed up 200 feet to the top of Fortress Hill. The name refers to an Austrian fortress built here in the 18th century to ensure control, rather than defense, of the city. The fortress also served as a prison, where Stephan Ludwig Roth, the 1848 hero of the Transylvanian Saxons, was held, accused of high treason, and executed at the Northern gate on May 11, 1849.
Day 2 started with Banffy Palace, the former residence of Austro-Hungarian governors. The palace was designed by a German architect, for the governor of the city at that time, Banffy Gyorgy. Built between 1774 and 1775, baroque style. In 1951, the Cluj National Art Museum opened. As we toured the palace and the art museum there were famous paintings by Nicolae Grigorescu.
Next along the way- The oldest residence in Cluj-Napoca is the house of Matthias Corvinus, originally a Gothic structure that bears the Transylvanian Renaissance characteristic due to later renovations.
Cluj has a diverse and growing cultural scene, with cultured life exhibited in a number of fields, including the visual fine arts, performing arts, and nightlife. The most famous up and coming is Casa Tranzit, Tranzit House, a non-profit organization took over this historic Synagogue instead of tearing it down the foundation managed to fill the empty space with performances and conferences. Since 1997, it hosts many cultural and art events. The city's cultural scene spans in its history, dating back to the Roman times. The city started to be built during that period, which has left its mark on the urban layout by maintaining/ restoring the Roman ruins. The nightlife scene was in full force with the University within Cluj. The unique underground bars, jazz live music, and exotic drinks made it fun to stay out later than I normally do while traveling! As Jeremy knows best :)
No comments:
Post a Comment