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.
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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.
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!
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. 19:30 The ultimate Halloween Party at the Bran Castle – also known as Dracula’s Castle! Enjoy an unforgettable night tour of Bran Castle, meet the Wicked Fairies and get lost in their euphoric dance along with a glass of local red wine. Watch a horror movie projection and feel amazing being part of a great and dynamic Halloween After Party in the courtyard of Bran Castle until 4:00 am. DAY 3, Bran – Turda - Cluj-Napoca (293 km, 4h 50 min driving)Drive to Turda, a small town with an intimate medieval atmosphere where you can enjoy a dinner in Hunter Prince, a Dracula themed restaurant. Transfer next to Cluj Napoca for the return flight. The tour ends around 8:00 pm.
Romania Transylvania Highlights Private 3-Day Tour with Hotel
DAY1: Cluj Napoca- Turda salt mine- Corvin Castle- Brasov. • Pick you up at 9 am from your hotel in Cluj Napoca. • Step inside UFO - shaped theme park! Visit Turda salt mine, one of the largest in Europe and one of the top 10 underground wonders in the world! The 2000-year-old Salt Mine is in the city of Turda and during World War Two local authorities used its massive underground caverns as bomb shelters for the residents of Turda. When the war drew to an end in 1945, local cheese makers decided to use the mine's naturally cool and dark interior for storing cheese. • Visit Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, one of the seven wonders of Romania and Transylvania most spellbinding fortress. The castle is thought to have been cursed and many believe that it is the most haunted castle in Europe! Let's go there and find out! Equally chilling is the Bear Pit, where prisoners were thrown to animals after their usefulness expired. • Lunch can be arranged. • Transfer to Brasov, arriving time around 6pm. • Overnight at Casa Timar Pension or similar, en suite single or double room, breakfast included.DAY2: Brasov - Bears Sanctuary - Rasnov Fortress - Bran Castle - Brasov. • Breakfast. Pick you up at 9am from Casa Timar. • Visit The Bears Sanctuary which is located in the forest, 2 km away from Piatra Craiului National Park. It covers an area of 69 hectares of forest, streams and ponds where around 90 brown bears live. It is the biggest of this kind in the entire world. Prepare your cameras! • Visit Rasnov Fortress, which was built in the 13th Century, might just be the most enchanting of them all! The fortress is the biggest in Transylvania and one of the best preserved in Romania. Beautiful panorama over Barsa Land from the very top of the fortress. • Visit infamous Bran Castle, aka Dracula Castle where you will discover the truth behind the legends! • Traditional lunch can be arranged in Bran village. • Return to Brasov around 4 pm, walking tour of the old town. • Overnight at Casa Timar Pension, en suite double room, breakfast included.DAY3: Brasov- Sighisoara- Cluj Napoca. • Visit Sighisoara medieval town - UNESCO world heritage and Vlad the Impaler birthplace. Walking tour in Sighisoara Citadel. So resplendent are Sighişoara’s pastel-coloured buildings, stony lanes and medieval towers, you’ll rub your eyes in disbelief. Fortified walls encircle Sighişoara’s lustrous merchant houses, now harbouring cafes, hotels and craft shops. • Visit The Clock Tower ( closed Mondays ) • Visit the house where Vlad Dracula was born and The Church on the Hill. • View the breathtaking landscapes in Transylvania. • Transfer to Cluj Napoca to your hotel, arriving time around 4 pm.
Turda salt mine (daily guaranteed departures)
Pick up from Babes-Bolyai University (Kogalniceanu street). Transfer by car to Turda (the transfer would take between 40 min - 1 h, depending on traffic conditions). Visit Turda salt mine (Salina Turda) with a guide speaking English / French. Entry tickets are included. Being about 2000 years old, Turda salt mine has passed through many different stages before becoming the no 1 not to miss attraction it is today. Used as an antiaircraft shelter during WWII, as cheese ripening center during the communist period and finally upgraded to an amusement park, the salt mine from Turda still preserves thousands of chisel and hammer marks, left by the miners once working here as their ‘salt signature’.Inside the salt mine, you can take a boat ride on an underground lake or enjoy all the other activities offered to you by the incredible amusement park.After 1h30-2h of staying in the underground, end of the visit of Turda salt mine. Transfer back to Cluj. Drop off at the same location as for the pick up.
Active holiday in Maramures and Bucovina
The tour starts with the pick up in Cluj Napoca, at your hotel. You will be transported by minivan on the whole duration of the tour. The itinerary is: Day 1: Meeting in Cluj and pick up – drive to Breb village in Maramures. Different activities in Breb for the rest of the day: walking, visits at craftsmen, at distilleries. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Breb. Breakfast includedDay 2: Breb – visits at traditional wooden churches, hiking circuit in the nearby villages to observe how people live, visits at craftsmen. Biking is possible as well if people want. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Breb. Breakfast includedDay 3: Breb – hiking up to Creasta Cocosului – another possible hike to the beautiful Taurile Chendroaiei. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Breb. Breakfast includedDay 4: Breb – drive to the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta and also visit to Barsana Monastery. Another option is to drive to Viseu de sus to take the slow tream train and get back to Breb in the evening. This train activitiy takes up the whole day. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Breb. Breakfast includedDay 5: Breb – drive to Ciocanesti village in Bucovina (because of the painted houses in the village it is like a museum in open space) – visit at beautiful orthodox monasteries – drive to Paltinu or Moldovita village. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Paltinu or Moldovita. Breakfast includedDay 6: Full day of exploring Bucovina: visit at the museum of painted eggs, hiking, meeting with locals and observing crafts etc. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Paltinu or Moldovita. Breakfast includedDay 7: Again full day of exploring Bucovina: drive at Voronet monastery, hiking, sightseeing. Accommodation at a nice guesthouse in Paltinu or Moldovita. Breakfast includedDay 8: Drive back to Cluj and drop off