Cluj-Napoca
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.
The church has had a chequered history: its 11th-century incarnation was wrecked by the Tatars, then rebuilt in Romanesque and then Gothic style. It was transformed into a school in the 1550s and restored to baroque finery by 18th-century Franciscans.
1.3 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…
0.17 MILES
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…
15.87 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
1.41 MILES
Traditional architecture from around Romania has been faithfully reassembled at this open-air museum, 5km northwest of central Cluj. Most impressive is…
14.23 MILES
The manicured gardens and orchards of this 17th-century fortress once gave it the nickname ‘Transylvania’s Versailles’. The aristocratic Bánffy family…
15.21 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…
0.12 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
0.79 MILES
These wonderfully relaxing gardens comprise rockeries, neoclassical statues peeping from tangles of rose, and a Japanese-style garden with a crimson…
0.07 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…
2. National History Museum of Transylvania
0.08 MILES
Within this museum of regional history you’ll discover Dacian artefacts, mostly from Sarmizegetusa’s archaeological sites, including glass blow pipes,…
3. Pharmacy History Collection
0.12 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…
0.16 MILES
The permanent collection of this sizeable gallery has creaky rooms featuring 18th- and 19th-century art, mostly portraits of nobles and their bewigged…
0.17 MILES
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…
6. Statue of Matthias Corvinus
0.2 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.
7. Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania
0.21 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…
0.32 MILES
The late-19th-century synagogue on this spot was rebuilt and restored after WWII. Topped with silver onion domes, the Moorish-style building (closed to…