Things to do not miss in Cluj

1 ... a walking tour

• Start your walking from the Belvedere Hotel, walking down the hill on the stairs. At the bottom of the hill there is the building of the "Chambers of Commerce and Industry". In the crossroads, the street to the North direction is "Horea" street and ends to the town railwaystation. Go in the direction of the bridge (oposite to "Horea" street) and cross over the "Somes" river. At the end of the bridge there is a crossroads where you could reach Transilvania Bank and Romanian Commercial Bank and the ATMs (at your right side).

• Heading to the south you will go on the Regele Ferdinand Avenue, where you have on the left side of the street the "Central" SuperMarket and small shops around. At the end of the street there is a crossroads; in front of you there is "Melody" Hotel and at the right, on the corner, there is The Pharmacy Museum.

• Cross the street and reach to the St.Michael's Church in the "Unirii" (Unity) Square. In this square there is the equstre monument of Matthias Corvinus. In this square people demonstrated in Romanian Revolution in December 1989.

• On the left side (East) of the squre you head to the Eroilor Avenue with small shops on left and right side of the street.

• At the end of the street you will reach to Avram Iancu Square. Here you will see on your right side the Romanian Opera (web site of Cluj Opera), Cluj National Theatre (Cluj National Theatre and Opera) (they share the same building) and on the oposite corner thePalace of Justice. In the centre of the squre there is the Orthodox Cathedral. On the right side of the squre there is the building of Romanian Railways. The small street heading from the Orthodox Church to the Catholic Church (St. Michael) is called Iuliu Maniu Street with specific architecture of the buildings.

• From Avram Iancu square cross the street (to the north side) and go on Cuza Voda Stret up to "Mihai Viteazu" Square. In this square, on the right side, at the bottom of the buildings you will find a free market.

• If you head to the west, then you will reach to the cross roads of Regele Ferdinand Stret, tramway and Somes river bridge, the point where you have started your tour.

2 ... museums

Some of the museums you may visit:

• Museum of Art, on the left side of the "St Michael's Church"
• Botanical Garden (link1), Botanical Garden (link2)
• Cluj Zoologic Muzeum
• Ethnographic Museum of Transilvania (not far away of St. Michael's Church).
• Museum of Mineralogy
• Water Museum
• Museum of Transilvanian History
• Museum of Speology "Emil Racovita"
• Central Park

3 ... opera

• Romanian Opera (web site of Cluj Opera), Cluj National Theatre (Cluj National Theatre and Opera).

4 ... shopping

• "Central" shoping centre on Regele Ferdinand Street
• Shops on the Eroilor Street
• Shops in the "Unirii" Square.

Updated: 16 Jan 2010
Mircea Giurgiu