©Mark Baker/Lonely Planet
Top choice in Cluj-Napoca
The showpiece of Piaţa Unirii is 14th- and 15th-century St Michael’s, the second-biggest Gothic church in Romania (after Braşov’s Black Church). Its neo-Gothic clock tower (1859) stands 80m high, while original Gothic features – such as the 1444 front portal – can still be admired. Inside, soaring rib vaults lift the gaze towards fading frescoes.
At the time of research, the church was temporarily closed for renovation.
1.34 MILES
More of a living, breathing creative space than a gallery, Fabrica de Pensule teems with just-made artwork by local and foreign creators who use this…
15.7 MILES
The meadowlands and chalky hills surrounding Turda have a secret underworld: a salt mine so impressive, it could be a supervillain’s lair. Walking along…
Parcul Etnografic Romulus Vuia
1.53 MILES
Traditional architecture from around Romania has been faithfully reassembled at this open-air museum, 5km northwest of central Cluj. Most impressive is…
14.27 MILES
The manicured gardens and orchards of this 17th-century fortress once gave it the nickname ‘Transylvania’s Versailles’. The aristocratic Bánffy family…
15.05 MILES
Precipitous Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii) lies 8km west of town (as the crow flies), and it makes a stunning, if leg-stiffening, half-day hike. The canyon…
0.08 MILES
Cluj-Napoca’s oldest pharmacy building holds an intriguing collection of medical miscellany. ‘Crab eyes’, skulls and powdered mummy are just a few of the…
Alexandru Borza Botanic Gardens
0.65 MILES
These wonderfully relaxing gardens comprise rockeries, neoclassical statues peeping from tangles of rose, and a Japanese-style garden with a crimson…
0.03 MILES
Hogging the limelight in front of St Michael’s Church is a bulky 1902 statue of horseback Matthias Corvinus, the famous 15th-century Hungarian king.
1. Statue of Matthias Corvinus
0.03 MILES
Hogging the limelight in front of St Michael’s Church is a bulky 1902 statue of horseback Matthias Corvinus, the famous 15th-century Hungarian king.
0.08 MILES
The permanent collection of this sizeable gallery has creaky rooms featuring 18th- and 19th-century art, mostly portraits of nobles and their bewigged…
3. Pharmacy History Collection
0.08 MILES
Cluj-Napoca’s oldest pharmacy building holds an intriguing collection of medical miscellany. ‘Crab eyes’, skulls and powdered mummy are just a few of the…
0.12 MILES
A block south of the National History Museum is the birthplace of Matthias Corvinus, a 15th-century Hungarian king. This Gothic building is now the…
5. Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania
0.16 MILES
On the upper floor of a renovated neo-Gothic building, dating to the 16th century, find well-tended exhibitions on Romanian peasant life throughout the…
0.17 MILES
On the eastern side of Piaţa Muzeului, the rosy, gilt-edged decor within this sanctuary is worth a peep; look up for trompe l’oeil frescoes.
7. National History Museum of Transylvania
0.19 MILES
Within this museum of regional history you’ll discover Dacian artefacts, mostly from Sarmizegetusa’s archaeological sites, including glass blow pipes,…
0.32 MILES
Commissioned by the king of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, in 1486, this church took more than 20 years to complete. Its interior seems spare at first glance…