Can there be anything worth visiting in Cluj-Napoca?

We were coming from Oradea (check Oradea) full of positive vibes. It was quite an enjoyable town, a real surprise. Our next goal was to reach Brasov to see a friend there, but if you know us, we don’t like rushing through a country. We were thinking should we visit Targu Mures and Sighisoara, or Cluj and Sibiu. We took the second option. We went to visit Cluj-Napoca next. Did we choose right? What are the best places to visit in Cluj?

What is Cluj-Napoca?

Cluj-Napoca or just Cluj is the second biggest city in Romania! Don’t imagine a massive megapolis, but it is still a large European city. It has more than 324000 inhabitants. The name Cluj is often connected to the Latin word “clusa” which means closed place.

When it comes to Napoca, it dates back to pre-Roman times. There was a settlement there, and in 106 AD when the Romain conquer this place, they named it Municipium Aelium Hadrianum Napoca. We ask around, and people told us that the name Napoca comes from different Dacian Tribes (Naparis or Napaei) or in Greek “nopos”.

So, Cluj-Napoca can be roughly translated to the close place of the Dacian tribe called Naparis.

But enough with the origin of the Cluj-Napoca name, let’s see if you should visit Cluj-Napoca.

What to do and see in Cluj-Napoca?

Old Town and its Piata Unirii Square

Visiting Cluj’s downtown is inevitable. It is the massive square right at the center of the city. It looks pretty, but it is full of huge old buildings, a very dry environment, a floor of grey bricks, and a few restaurants around. Not bad for first sightseeing here, but somehow the city makes you feel small and distant from the locals. We got a coffee and went to see the massive church in the middle.

Saint Michael’s church

Saint Michael’s Church (Biserica Stantul Mihail) is a supermassive building right in the center of Cluj-Napoca. It is the second biggest in the whole of Romania, only behind the Biserica Neagra of Brasov.

It is a medieval Romanian Catholic church that was built around 1442-1447. It has a very Gothic look and a very cool element is the 3 coats of arms of the King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, and Sigismund. You know, because John Hunyadi was the ruler of the 3.

Since it is really huge (70-80m), there is no easy angle to see the whole of it, but you can still enjoy its look from a restaurant on the square or enter and see the massive structure from within.

The statue of Matthias Corvinus

And outside of the church, you will see the proud monument of Matthias Corvinus (Matthias Rex).

It is the local “guy on a horse”. You for sure know how most tourist places around the world have one guy on the horse right in the center. Cluj is no exception. The statue of Matthias Corvinus is quite massive and well-made. It is a huge knight with great body armor and he is accompanied by a few more knights.

But who was Matthias Corvinus?

He was the king of both Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. He also collected multiple titles during his military campaigns like the king of Bohemia, and Duke of Austria. If you are imagining the map of Europe, you can say that Mattias Corvinus had at least one-fifth of the whole of Europe!

The monument stands in Cluj-Napoca because Matthias Corvinus was born exactly here during some of the hardest times in Europe’s history. Can you imagine, fighting with the Roman Empire on one side, with the Ottomans on the other, and that your closest neighbor was Vlad Dracula, the Prince of Wallachia and ruler of Transylvania? And you are complaining about your neighbors making noise after 10 pm!

Romanian history is very intriguing. Very dramatic and full of treacheries and scandals. But Let’s not get carried away here. Visit some of the Historical museums in Romania or Hungary and you will see what I mean.

By the way, if you continue reading this article, you will learn about which was the castle, where Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) was imprisoned, so keep reading.

Walking on the street of Cluj-Napoca

The streets are beautiful, full of massive old buildings, but they are not the best for pedestrians. The part for people is tiny, in comparison to the road for cars. That makes it a bit uncomfortable for visitors. What I missed here was having more restaurants and coffee shops with a table outside. Don't get me wrong, there are some, just when you compare it with the size of the city, I think they are not enough.

Yes, the Museum Square (Piaţă Muzeului) was a nice break that we enjoy but it is quite a small place. And during the tourist season, it gets truly crowded.

We visit Cluj in 2022 and every important street was in renovation. It is annoying when you hear noises from repair jobs around every corner and half of the places are currently closed.

I missed the tourist part with all the souvenirs and cool places for small breaks. We came here from Oradea (read about Oradea), and even though it was smaller, it had that touristic vibe that grabs you and puts a smile on your face. In Cluj, I just didn’t feel it. I know many Romanians from Cluj will be mad at me, but if you are visiting this part of Romania, spend less time here and more in Sibiu or Brasov.

Central Park (Parcul Central)

If you are searching for a nice place for a picnic, there is no better than Central Park. We can’t miss it when talking about the best places to visit in Cluj. It is a really nice peaceful with a lot of greenery and water. It is like a city escape from all the noise around. You can see many people coming here to read a book, chat with friends or just do some exercises.

There is a nice pond, where you can rent a pedal boat and enjoy the freshness of the park.

If you get hungry and you didn’t bring anything, you can head up to Chios Social Lounge. It is located on an artificial island in the pond. Enjoy the view from there and something nice for your belly at the same time.

Fortress Park (Cetatuia Park)

The Cetatuia Park is located right on the other side of the Somesul Mic channel. It is not so well decorated or full of life as Central Park, but there is one really good reason to go there – to see Cluj-Napoca from higher ground.

Yes, people love to climb the hill to get to the viewpoint and enjoy the scenery.

And do some exercise too. There are quite a lot of stairs that you need to climb to get to the top.

It used to be a part of the defense of the city. There was a fortress on the hill, but now there is a hotel and not much more.

It is not one of the top places to visit in Cluj, but if you have an extra day, you will most probably like it.

The Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral (Catedrala Adormirea Maicii Domnului)

It is a relatively new church. It was finished in 1933. Yes, it is almost 100 years old, but we are talking about a medieval city here. Many of the buildings are 500 years old.

What is interesting about it is its architecture. It is built with Romanian Brâncovenesc style, which is a strange mix of Renaissance and Byzantine architecture. To make it even weirder, the dome designer took inspiration from Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

It looks massive, yet it is around 10 meters shorter than Saint Michael’s church in the center of Cluj.

Inside it, you will see very traditional orthodox Christian icons and a massive gold altar. The ceiling is really high and it makes you feel like a little ant inside.

Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography (Romulus Vuia Ethnographic Park)

We save one of the best places to visit in Cluj-Napoca for last, the ethnographic park! There is a very cool new trend in this part of East Europe to create open-air ethnographic complexes. We have seen them in Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

The Romulus Vuia ethnographic park represents an old Transylvanian settlement from the 17th to 20th centuries. With all the thematic architecture, traditional crops, art and crafts, and even animals.

This place is very family-friendly, so if you are traveling with your children or elderly members, you can all enjoy it together.

The whole idea is to go back in time, to when there was no Internet, no electricity, and life was simple. See how people lived and what profession did they have. You can imagine you are a peasant or a lord, from the middle ages. Think about what could you do during the time of Mattias or John. Would you be a soldier, a craftsman, a priest a farmer, or a hero?

It is a bit further from the center, but you can reach it by public transport or a taxi. If you feel like walking there, and you are a good walker, go for it! It is your choice.

Romulus Vuia Ethnographic Park entrance prices as of Spring, 2023

• Adult ticket: 10 lei (around 2 euros)

• Children or student ticket: 2.5 lei (around 0.50 euro cents)

• Adult with disability ticket. 2.5 lei (around 0.50 euro cents)

• Pensioner ticket: 5 lei (around 1 euro)

https://www.muzeul-etnografic.ro/en/parcul-etnografic-national-romulus-vuia/history

What to visit around Cluj-Napoca?

After visiting the best places in Cluj, and if you still have some time to spend, there are a few places near Cluj-Napoca that are worth your attention. They will broaden your historical knowledge of Romania and be quite fun to visit.

Corvin Castle(a.k.a. Hunedoara castle, a.k.a. Hunyadi castle)

We can’t miss Corvin Castle. Yes, it is almost 200km away from Cluj, but it is more than worth it to visit. It is one of the most beautiful castles in the whole of Europe.

It is a great-looking castle built in the 15th century. The castle was owned by John Hunyadi, a well-known ruler of Hungary, and the father of Matthias Corvinus. Remember, this territory was Hungarian for many years. Thanks to John Hunyadi, the Ottomans were stopped. There are numerous battles between different alliances from Europe and the Ottomans.

But let’s not get carried away and get back to the castle. Where does the name Corvin Castle come from?

The name Corvin comes from the Latin word “Corvus” which translates to “raven”. So it is the Raven Castle. Epic name!

The castle has a Renaissance-Gothic style, it is located on the top of a hill and the River Zlasti passes next to it. There is a stunning bridge that connects it to Hunedoara town. The place is so scenic that plenty of movies have been shoot here. Some of the titles that you might have seen are The Nun (2018), Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), BloodRayne (2005), and multiple vampire and medieval stories. Yes, many about Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. Dracula).

Check out the complete list of movies shot here (IMDB link). 

Corvin Castle entrance prices as of Spring, 2023

• Adult ticket: 40 lei (around 8 euros)

• Pensioner ticket: 20 lei (around 4 euros)

• Children or student ticket: 10 lei (around 2 euros)

• Photo fee – 6 lei

• Video fee – 20 lei (around 4 euros)

• Children and adults with disability enter for free. The same goes for preschool children.

http://castelulcorvinilor.ro/info-vizitatori/?lang=en

Lake Tarnita

If you like nature, you would like Lake Tarnita. It is around 30 kilometers from Cluj-Napoca and provides a great place for relaxing. You can get a picnic back and spend a nice afternoon here. If you are not in a hurry, you can find tourist activities for a whole weekend around the lake. There are multiple caves and waterfalls around, and you can get on a boat ride, to see each of the tourist attractions.

Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda)

The Turda Salt Mine is located in the town of Turda, around 35km away from Cluj. You might think, why should I check a salt mine? What’s next, a knitting contest of pensioners?

This place looks out of this world! It has eye-poping views of the great miners’ tunnel, designed with logic and style. They are full of light and create an atmosphere of a post-modern underground world. You should come here to feel it by yourself.

Apart from this, you can enjoy multiple activities inside Salina Turda like bowling, pool, table tennis, mini-golf, and even a show inside its amphitheater.

We know, we were supposed to show you the best places to visit in Cluj, and we got a bit carried away. But that is how it works sometimes. You start to explore a place and slowly increase the radios to 200km around!

Turda Salt Mine entrance ticket costs 30 lei - around 6 euros.

https://www.salinaturda.eu/en/access/

Durgău Salty Lakes

While in Turda, you can also enjoy Durgău Salty Lakes. People in Romania say that swimming, or just floating in this salty water is great for your health. I can say that it is definitely pleasant.

The lakes have been in use since the 9th century, so you can say that it is an attraction, worth the attention of the Roman royalties.

Durgău Salty Lakes ticket prices as of Spring 2023

• Adult ticket: 15 lei (around 3 euros)

• Pensioner ticket: 10 lei (around 2 euros)

• Children above 3 years old or student ticket: 10 lei (around 2 euros)

• Children under 3 years old enter for free.

https://www.salinaturda.eu/en/locatie/durgau-swimming-pool/

Before you go.

We hope that our list of the best places to visit in Cluj-Napoca inspired you to book your next trip. Yes, it is not as big as Bucharest, but it is still worth your attention. You can enjoy a nice weekend with your couple or even a whole relaxing week here in Cluj and its surroundings. And later who knows, maybe head to Sibiu (read about Sibiu) or Brasov. They are even more exciting!