Cluj-Napoca
is burgeoning art and bohemian cafes
Welcome to Cluj-Napoca
Bohemian cafes, music festivals and vigorous nightlife are the soul of Cluj-Napoca, Romania's second-largest city. With increasing flight links to European cities, Cluj is welcoming more and more travellers, who usually shoot off to the Apuseni Mountains, Maramureş or more popular towns in southern Transylvania. But once arrived, first-time visitors inevitably lament their failure to allow enough time in Cluj.
Top experiences in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca activities
Turda Salt Mine, Alba Iulia, and Rimetea Tour from Cluj-Napoca
In the morning, your tour guide will pick you up from the hotel and you will leave for Alba Iulia - a fortress-city located in the heart of Transylvania, that takes you back in time with its Roman vibe. Apulum, by its Latin name, was the largest Roman castrum, and it had a tremendous strategic importance. Over time, the city was marked by both German and Hungarian settlers, which transformed it into a hotspot of cultural diversity. The mixture of Baroque and Romanesque churches, Roman Citadels, and even a Babylonian building is bound to charm you.The Alba Carolina Fortress is an impressive hexagram-shaped fortification surrounded by 12 kilometers of walls. The 6 entrances are decorated with impressive Baroque elements, unique in the European military architecture. The sensation of the past is backed up by the Austrian guards in their vintage clothes who protect the citadel. Initially, the fortification was built as a Roman fort, during the Middle Ages it was turned into a Fortress, and later it became a Vauban Citadel with bastions. Our next destination is Rimetea, a fairy-tale village sheltered by the majestic Apuseni Mountains, dominated by a wild combination of white and green. Here, you will enjoy a delicious lunch.We will then leave from Rimetea in order to reach Turda. Here, you will find a salt mine that was formed more than 13 million years ago, has been used for over 2,000 years, and has been turned into an underground theme park. Hundreds of meters of galleries open into a huge room carved in salt, with a height of 90 meters, in the middle of which you will find a lake. If you are in search of spectacular images to capture with your camera, this is the place to go. The glass elevator provides an astonishing overview of the mine, and you can even take a boat ride on the lake, play mini golf, tennis, or ride the Ferris wheel. All year long, the temperature is constant in between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius, and the air has proven therapeutic proprieties, especially for the respiratory system. After touring the Turda Salt Mine, we will head back to Cluj.
3-Day Halloween Tour in Transylvania from Cluj-Napoca
DAY 1, Cluj-Napoca – Sighisoara ( 93 miles (150 km) , 2h 30min driving) 10:00 am . Welcome to Transylvania! Your English-speaking guide will collect you from Cluj Napoca Airport, then you'll continue your journey to Sighisoara Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by Saxons during the 12th century, Sighisoara still stands as one of Europe’s most beautiful inhabited fortified citadels. Sighisoara is also the place where Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula, was born. 8:00 pm Get ready for the Halloween party which includes: a delicious traditional Romanian festive dinner washed down with fiery spirits and excellent Romanian wine. Also a special program including the Ritual of Killing of the Living Dead, Vampiresa Hunting, Witchery moments and many dark surprises. If you survive you’ll find refuge in a 3 star-hotel located in the very heart of the medieval citadel. DAY 2, Sighisoara - Brasov – Bran (145 km, 2h 20min driving) Your next stop is the Medieval Saxon City of Brasov, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and home to the impressive Black Church, the largest Gothic edifice in South Eastern Europe. Explore Transylvania’s symbol, Bran Castle. It owes its fame both to its unique charm and to the myth Bram Stoker created around Dracula. The impressive edifice dates back to 1377. Queen Maria of Romania, the niece of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, turned the castle into a beautiful summer residence. Cheese tasting is strongly recommended, as the village is renowned for the delicious homemade traditional cheese assortments produced here. The ones smoked in pine tree bark are particularly delicious. DAY 3, Brasov – Sibiu - Cluj-Napoca (318 km, 4h 54 min driving)Morning drive to Sibiu. The fortified town of Sibiu has been the centre of Romania’s German minority since medieval times and it is one of Romania’s most beautiful cities. The city contains the largest concentrations of famous sites in Romania.Transfer to Cluj-Napoca Airport/your booked hotel ( includes time for dinner on personal expenses).
Half-Day Cluj-Napoca City Tour
You will meet your guide to kick off the tour in the largest city in Transylvania, and also known as the hub of IT and academic universities and institutions . It's full name is Cluj-Napoca, reminiscent of the Roman colony that settled in the second century A.D. The Baroque-style architecture of the main attractions, mostly clustered around Union Square in the heart of the city, contribute to the bohemian atmosphere of Cluj. The first stop will be at the Gothic Cathedral of St. Michael. You will see it's impressive spire towering 262 feet high, which dominates the downtown market. Next, you will see the Banffy Palace, home to the National Art Museum, and then you will head to the Old Town Hall, and the so-called Mirror Street where the buildings situated on the right are the reflection of the ones on the left side. At the end of the street you can admire the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Theatre from the outside. Main attractions Gothic Cathedral of St. Michael - the second largest in Transylvania built in the Gothic style. It’s the most representative landmark for the city. You may even have a chance to witness a live religious service in the colossal building. Also you can admire beautiful medieval frescoes inside the cathedral. Banffy Palace – National Art Museum Another Gothic style building, the palace which belonged to the noble Banffy family. This palace hosts an art gallery inside the edifice’s walls, holding more than 200 paintings and 18 sculptures collected in 5 centuries. Before becoming a historical landmark, the building was protocol residence, a nationally-known casino, an apartment building, establishment for industrial companies and in 1925 even housed a cinema built in it's court. Mirror Street This street is as it's name says identical on both sides: all the elements seen on the left side are found the right side also. This place is unique in Europe and is right in the city center. It is a very fun place to take pictures!
Maramures 2-Day Cultural Experience from Cluj
You will be picked up from your hotel by our guide and you will drive north, towards Maramures, a land whose existence can be traced back to 1199. There, we will step through a beautiful hand-carved wooden door to enter Breb, a village created by skilled carpenters, where every wooden carving has an important cultural or historical significance. Here we will enjoy a delicious Romanian lunch and spend the night in a traditional house. The best place to discover the traditions of Maramures is in the homes of the locals. They are the cornerstone around which family, customs, and traditions revolve. Here, you will witness several crafting activities such as wood carving and have a taste of the famous traditional drink, palinca, while having a chat with the locals. After discovering the dark humor of the Merry Cemetery, we will get a look at the spiritual side of Maramures and we will visit some of the most interesting monasteries and churches in the region, such as the famous wooden churches, hand-carved by local craftsmen. We will also take a trip to the Whirlpools of Maramures, the most ingenious natural washing machine in the world, where to this day women wash their woolen rugs. In order to end the tour properly, we will take some time to admire the stunning landscapes and untouched nature of the land. Strambu Baiut is the last virgin secular forest in Maramures, and one of the few left in Europe. The forest is untouched by humans and the trees that die there fall to the ground and feed the earth for the next generations. The forest houses over 10.000 species of plants and animals, including brown bears, wolves, deer and trees that are hundreds of years old.
Diverse Transylvania - Private day trip from Cluj to Sighisoara
Our tour will starts in the morning when we will pick you up from your hotel and take a two-hour road trip to Medias. We will take a short walking tour of the city and get a glimpse of the Citadel of Light and of the beautiful medieval buildings, most of which were built in the 15th century. We will then head to Biertan in order to visit the Biertan Fortified Church, a monument included in the UNESCO Patrimony as part of Transylvania’s Villages with Fortified Churches. The church is surrounded by thick medieval walls which were built in the 15th century, and the front door is equipped with 19 locks and bolts. Our next stop is in Sighisoara. The Sighisoara Medieval Citadel is the only inhabited citadel in Europe, and it is surrounded by 9 towers, with The Clock Tower being the most important of all. The Clock Tower was destroyed by a fire, but it was rebuilt in the 16th century, and it is now home to a history museum that includes a torture chamber. The The Sighisoara Citadel was built in the 12th century, and it had a significant role throughout Transylvania’s history, Sighisoara being one of its 7 independent cities. In Sighisoara, we will also visit the Hill Church, a holy site that you can reach by climbing 175 wooden steps, as well as several other buildings such as the Stag House and a Venetian House. If we were to describe Transylvania in one word, we would choose diverse. This historical land was home to numerous isolated villages, and we will find their traces of Romanian, Hungarian, Gypsy and German communities, all living in harmony for hundreds of years. Gypsies first settled in Romania more than 800 years ago, after being forced away from their lands by the Mongol invasion. Today, we will visit an isolated community of Gypsies who earn their living through various crafts such as coppersmithing. Because they are a slightly isolated community, the access is permitted only to those accompanied by someone they trust. On our way back to Cluj we will take a different route in order to explore some of the stunning landscape of Transylvania. We will be back in Cluj by night, the duration of the trip being affected by traffic.
3-day local experience in Transylvania
Day 1 | Discover the secrets of TransylvaniaOur tour begins from the gorgeous Cluj-Napoca, a city renowned for its bohemian cafes, and we will head to Turda, where we will visit one of the most spectacular underground places in the world, Turda Salt Mine. The next landmark on our list is the Alba Carolina Fortress, the largest and most valuable bastion fortress in South-Eastern Europe.Our next destination is the quaint village of Sibiel, a place where time stood still, and that is inhabited by less than 500 people. Once there, we will enjoy a carriage ride through the village, and then we will enter the home of a local family, where we will have a delicious dinner prepared with traditional products.At night, we will reach Sibiu, where we will check in at the hotel. Overnight in Sibiu.Day 2 | Experience the local lifeOn the second day, we will get to discover Transylvania in a more up-close and personal manner. Our first stop is Nucet, where we will meet a family that owns a Micro-Farm and an ecologic garden. Here, we will learn the true meaning of “local living”, and we will get to help with some of the household chores. We will then hop on our bikes and take a ride to a nearby village, where we will explore the old mill where we will taste a delicious bread baked with local ingredients.We will then drive to Bran Castle, known by many as Dracula’s Castle, built here over 600 years ago. This imposing castle still preserves some of its historic medieval ambiance, and you will have a chance to discover it beyond the popular myth of Dracula.Our last destination for the day is Brasov, one of Transylvania’s most remarkable cities, where, we will take a short walking tour. Overnight in Brasov.Day 3 | Explore Medieval RomaniaThe last day of your tour starts with a trip to Europe’s last inhabited medieval citadel, Sighisoara. We will visit its Clock Tower, which housed the Citadel Council until 1556, and was also used as a holding cell for prisoners sentenced to death. Today, it is home to Sighisoara’s History Museum.Our next stop is Biertan, one of the first Saxon settlements in Transylvania. Surrounded by quaint streets and vineyards, the medieval complex is made up of the church and its fortification, which was placed on top of a hill, in the heart of the settlement.After a long day, we will head to Jidvei, where we will visit the beautiful Bethlen-Haller Castle (Jidvei Castle). Jidvei is the most important producer of white wines in Romania, and vineyards were present here ever since the Iron Age. Its wine was awarded 4 silver medals at the Japan Wine Challenge in Tokyo, and here we will relish some of the delicious wine varieties.At night, we will reach Cluj-Napoca, and our tour will come to an end.