Cluj

     • geographical situation: it is located in the north-western part of Romania, in the heart of Transylvania, on the basin of Somesul Mic;
     • neighbours: in the north-Maramures; in the north-west-Salaj; in the east-Bistrita Nasaud; in the west-Bihor; in the south-Alba;
     • surface: 6,674 square km (respectively 2,8 % of the country’s territory);
     • population: 727,000 inhabitants;
     • towns: CLUJ NAPOCA – capital of the county (with 330,000 inhabitants, main industrial and cultural center of the country, situated on the terraces of the Somesul Mic, with a glorious past reflected in the old buildings and streets, nowadays a beautiful town with many attraction points); Campia Turzii; Dej; Gherla; Huedin; Turda.
     • relief: it is mainly composed of hills (2/3 of the total surface), the rest is covered with mountains (in south – west, they decrease in smooth levels) at the contact point of three main natural units: the Apuseni Mountains (the Gilau-Muntele Mare, Bihor and Vladeasa Massifs – with Vladeasa Peak, 1,838 m, and the lowest one, 227 m, where the Somes leaves the county, the Trascau Mountains – a small area), the Somesan Plateau (in the north – western part of the country with higher hills covered by forests) and the Transylvanian Plain (called “plain” because of the agricultural use and of the rounded hills with smooth slopes and altitudes of 500 m, in the south-western part of the county);
     • climate: it is moderate continental, with chilly summers and not very cold winters. Here are two main climatic sectors: the mountain and the hill areas, depending on the relief structure, the rainfalls are variable, winds blow from west and north-west;
     • watercourses: the Somesul Mic crosses the county, flowing from south-west and north-east, it collects many tributaries: Somesul Cald, Somesul Rece, Nadas, Borsa. Also part of the Aries river with its tributaries Iara, Hasdate bathes the earth of Cluj county.

     • The Gilau Mountains (The Big Mountains) – first in terms of importance and surface, they are bordered, in the south, by the Aries valley, and the Somesul Mic one, in the north. The main feature is given by the remarkable smoothness of the structures which often appear as real plains, loosely uneven and cut by valleys;
     • Muntii Bihor-reprezentati de masivul Vladeasa (de 1.838 m), alcatuit predominant din roci vulcanice. Pietrele Albe din acesti munti (de 1.557 m, niste calcare) formeaza abrupturi spectaculoase, constituind o insula de alb în oceanul de padure (declarate rezervatie naturala). Pitorescul locurilor este completat de gospodariile risipite ale satelor ce urca pana aproape de culme.

     • The Turda Gorges-(8 km away from Turda), forming a wonderful Karst landscape. The Hasdate river has cut in Jurassic limestone an impressive corridor more than 3 km in length. The corridor is guarded by steep rocks, rising up to 350 m. This rocks host about 60 caves. In the Turda Gorges one can admire various species of butterflies and approximately 1,000 species of plants (greatest number in Romania per surface unit), some of them unique in the world. The Turda Gorges repesent a complex preserve (geological, floristic, faunistic, archaeological) and are declared monuments of nature;
     • The Tureni Gorges – natural preserve;
     • The Somesul Cald Gorges – wild gorges, with caves and canyons;
     • The Dragan Valley – more than 35 km in length;
     • The Narrow Path of Crisul Repede – starting in the village of Ciucea. 
    

     • The Legii Lake (The Law Lake) – faunistic preserve (near the village of Legii), a favourite area for migratory pond birds;
     • The Pike Lake – ornithological preserve (4-5 km from Gherla), it represents a “Miniature Delta”;
     • The Geaca Lake – ornithological preserve, (3 km north-east of Mociu), on the Cluj Napoca-Reghin road, with rare species of birds;
     • The Fantanele Lake – on the upper Somesul Cald, anthropical lake with power purpose;
     • The Floroiu Lake-(20 km from the Dragan Valley), anthropical lake with power purpose;
     • The Tarnita lake-anthropical lake with power purpose;
     • The Turda Lake-anthropical-saline lake, forming lacustrian complexes;
     • The Cojocna Lake-anthropical-saline lake, forming lacustrian complexes;
     • The Ocna Dejului Lake-anthropical-saline lake, forming lacustrian complexes;
     • The Sic Lake-anthropical-saline lake, forming lacustrian complexes.

     • Fanatele Clujului-(3-4 km north of Cluj Napoca), botanical preserve where a complex vegetal steppe world lives (specific to Asiei and Eastern Europe);
     • Suatu-(26 km east of Cluj Napoca), botanical preserve with steppe elements.

    • Belis-Fantanele – permanent spa, (at an altitude of 1,350 m and 25 km away from Huedin, on DJ 161B from Huedin). The dam lake offers many leisure possibilities. The skiers can enjoy the natural ski slopes from the neighbourhood (abundent snow last till late spring). In the village of Belis, tourists can find accommodation in private farms;
     • Baisoara-(55 km away from Cluj Napoca), on the eastern side of the Muntele Mare massif (with an altitude of 1,385 m altitudine). It usually has 171 days of snow and is popular among winter sports amateurs. Hunting and fishing can be practiced as well;
     • Salt Baths-Turda, spa, (at an altitude of 350 m, 4 km from Turda and 30 km from Cluj-Napoca);
     • Baita Baths-spa (1 km away from Gherla and 43 km away from Cluj Napoca);
     • Cojocna Baths-spa (20 km south-east of Cluj Napoca).
    

     • Tailors’ Bastion-Cluj Napoca, the unique bastion of the old fortress which is completely preserved, the present construction is a repair from 1672;
     • The Medieval Fortress-Bologa, it is mentioned in a document from 1322. It was in the possesion of the Wallachian voivode, Mircea the Elder, at the end of the 14th century. The surrounding wall has a length of 80 m and a height between 10 and 18 m;
     • Celtic Settlement-Apahida (3rd-2nd century B.C.);
     • Roman Camp Potaissa-Turda, the 5th legion Macedonica was quartered here;
     • Roman Camp-Dej (188-218);
     • Roman Camp-Gilau, it was built in order to defend the Roman town of Napoca;
     • Medieval Fortress-Dabaca, it played an important role Transylvanian history during the 10th-14th centuries, main fortress of the county, royal fortress;
     • The Banffy Castle-Bontida (12th century), it was transformed in several occasions, important architectural monument in the Baroque, Renaissance and Neo-Gothic styles, today only ruins);
     • The Wass Castle-Gilau (15th-16th centuries), in Renaissance style, temporarily used by the family of Michael the Brave. 
    

     • “Saint Michael Church”-Cluj Napoca, the construction started in 1350, and took over two centuries. It is an impressive and valuable monument of Gothic architecture sheltering remarkable interior paintings. The tower, 80 m in height, it was built between the years 1836 – 1862;
     • Reformed Church-Cluj Napoca, it was built by the King Matei Corvin in 1486;
     • Calvaria Church-Cluj Napoca, it is mentioned in documents from 1222, rebuilt in the 15th-16th centuries. In 1437, the agreement between the nobles and the victorious peasants from Bobalna was signed here;
     • Orthodox Cathedral-Cluj Napoca (1921-1933);
     • Reformed Church-Turda, it was built around the year 1400, with a tower having a height of 60 m;
     • Roman-Catholic Church-Turda (1498-1504), representative building for the medieval Transylvanian art of the 15th-16th centuries;
     • Calvinist Church-Turda, important monument of the Gothic architecture in our country, it was erected during the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437);
     • Orthodox Church-Feleacu, built by the Moldavian ruler, Stephen the Great, in Gothic style, (1486-1488);
     • Monastery – Nicula, (8 km from Gherla), manufacturing centre of icons on glass (1552).

     • The Banffy Palace-Cluj Napoca, it was built between 1774-1785, in Late Baroque style; it belonged to Count Gheorghe Banffy, the palace has wonderful paintings and sculptures on the front side. Nowadays, it hosts the Art Museum;
     • Matei Corvin’s House – the oldest building with a floor in Cluj Napoca, it is the birthplace of Matei Corvin (1443), he would become later King of Hungary;
     • Princely Residence-Turda (15th century), Gothic style, today Museum of the Town;
     • Ethnographic Museum of Transylvaniei-Cluj Napoca, it offers a complex view over the popular culture of this historical region. The department in open air (on the Hoia Hill) consists in 82 constructions (handicraft complexes, peasant houses, wooden churches);
     • History Museum of Transylvania-Cluj Napoca, it was founded in 1859 and includes more than 150,000 items (objects from the Dacian civilisation from the Orãºtie Mountains; it is worth to be mentioned the vessel with the inscription “Decebalus per Scorilo” = “Decebalus, Scorilo’s son”);
     • Memorial House “Octavian Goga”-Ciucea (180 km away from Oradea), poet of the Transylvanian village, politician (prime minister between the two world wars). This is the house of the poet who described the Romanian lands as it follows: “We have green forests of fir-trees / and silk-like plains…”;
     • Botanical Garden-Cluj Napoca, it represents one of the attraction points of the town and ranges among the most famous gardens in Southeastern Europe. The botanical garden was founded in 1872 and has approximately 11,000 species of plant from all continents. Exotic plants are kept in greenhouses which cover a surface of 2,000 square m.

     • Saint George Monument-Cluj Napoca, impressive masterpiece made by sculptors Marin and Gheorghe (in 1373). They astonished the entire Europe with this monument. It is a copy of the famous statue from Prague (Hradciani Palace);
     • The Statue of Matei Corvin-Cluj Napoca, a very valuable artistic work presenting one of the most important personalities of the history, Matei Corvin, king of Hungary (1458-1490), born in Cluj, son of Ioan Corvin of Hunedoara;
     • Equestrian Statue of Michael the Barve-Cluj Napoca, in honour of ruler who accomplished for the first time in history the union of the three Romanian countries;
     • Statue of Baba Novac-Cluj Napoca, in memory of this courageous captain of Michael the Brave, killed in Cluj;
     • Statue of Avram Iancu-Cluj Napoca;
     • Monument erected on the place where Michael the Brave was killed – on the plain near Turda where he settled the camp, in August 1601, the ruler was assasinated at the order of General Basta;
     • Bobalna Monument – the peasants’ uprising of 1437 started here, an important monument of the Transylvanian peasants’ fight for social rights.
    

     • The villages of Cluj county preserve unchanged, for many centuries, interesting customs and traditions. The most famous villages are: Izvorul Crisului (folk art), Poieni (wooden gates, costumes), Calatele (houses, folk costumes), Rascruci (wicker works), Panticeu (sheepskin and leather works).