Just 6km northwest of Gheorgheni on the road to Topliţa is the tiny village of Lăzarea (Gyergyószárhegy in Hungarian). The predominantly Hungarian village is dominated by its 16th-century castle, whose walls are crowned with unique sculpted designs. Gábor Bethlen, later to become prince of Transylvania (r 1613–29), was raised within this Renaissance-style citadel. When we passed through, the castle doors were closed indefinitely and renovations were hotly expected.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.84 MILES
Believe it or not, boarding a bus that trundles down into a salt mine isn’t the most surreal part of visiting Salina Praid. Once inside, you’ll see ping…
23.41 MILES
The salty waters of Bear Lake are a popular place to soak in summer. People have been coming here for the lake’s restorative properties – some claim the…
29.17 MILES
Some 2km northeast of the centre in the Şumuleu district (Csíksomlyó in Hungarian) is a fine Franciscan monastery, built in 1442 by Iancu de Hunedoara …
4 MILES
Some 400m east of Piaţa Libertăţii, the county museum is housed in an 18th-century baroque-style building, one of the oldest in town. The collection of…
Nearby attractions
4 MILES
Some 400m east of Piaţa Libertăţii, the county museum is housed in an 18th-century baroque-style building, one of the oldest in town. The collection of…
23.41 MILES
The salty waters of Bear Lake are a popular place to soak in summer. People have been coming here for the lake’s restorative properties – some claim the…
23.84 MILES
Believe it or not, boarding a bus that trundles down into a salt mine isn’t the most surreal part of visiting Salina Praid. Once inside, you’ll see ping…
29.17 MILES
Some 2km northeast of the centre in the Şumuleu district (Csíksomlyó in Hungarian) is a fine Franciscan monastery, built in 1442 by Iancu de Hunedoara …
29.91 MILES
Metallic statue of hockey players mid-action, in front of the hockey rink.