Cluj

Old center of Romanian culture and civilization, Cluj Napoca municipality lies in the middle of the country at the crossroads of important roads of national and international interest. The most important urban settlement in Transylvania has tow names: Napoca is the name of the ancient Dacian citadel while Cluj is the Latin name it received later (meaning that the town is closed, surrounded by hills). After Dacia was conquered by the Roman Empire, Napoca was upgraded to the rank of municipium becoming the capital of Dacia Porolissensis when it was for the first time mentioned in a written document.
Cluj Napoca stands out as an outstanding cultural center through its two drama theatres Romanian and Magyar), two opera houses, two puppet theatres, four houses of culture, the philharmonic, six Museums among which the National Museum of history of Transylvania which dates back to the 19th century, more precisely to 23 September 1859 when the Transylvanian Museum Society was set up.
Tailor's Bastion is a result of the fortifications that extended from the 15th century citadel. If you walk southward from the bastion you'll find yourself in front of the Romanian National Theatre and Opera.
Saint Michael Church is the oldest religious construction in Cluj and it's the most representative building of Gothic architecture. It was built during the years 1349-1480 and it still has part from the original wall paintings.
The statue of Matei Corvin, the greatest Hungarian king of Romanian descendent, is an impressive piece of art whose clay model won the Great Prize at the Universal Exhibition in Paris 1896.Franciscan Church and Monastery is another example of Gothic themes from 15th century, but it was rebuilt during the years.

The Art Museum organized in a remarkable building, having a Baroque style, has an important collection of modern and contemporary art pieces.

The Ethnographic Museum contains what is probably Romania's finest collection of carpets and folk costumes. In Hoia Forest there are signs of rural architecture, which have been assembled at the open-air Village Museum.

Cluj-Napoca is the seat of the county of Cluj and one of the most important university, cultural and industrial centres in Romania. It has over 400.000 inhabitants and about 20.000 students. There are several higher education institutions in the town: the "Babes-Bolyai" University, the "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the Technical University, the University of Agricultural Studies, the Music Academy, the Academy of Visual Arts.

 

The town also has a beautiful sports park and the famous Botanical Garden, the pride of the town and of the whole country. The Botanical Garden of the University of Cluj-Napoca has been founded by Prof. Alexandru Borza in 1920 and it gathers about 10.000 plants. The Botanical Garden could be called a world's garden, not only in space but also in time, as you can find here species from the tropical & subtropical areas, in the two groups of green-houses, from Asia in the Japanese garden from the Alps, Pyrenees, but also from the Mediterranean Sea or from North America, together with species cultivated formerly in the gardens of the Romans with their named still preserved in the Roman language.

The scientific events taking place in Cluj-Napoca as well as the great number of research and education institutes, museums and monuments fully justify the name of "Science and culture citadel" or "the Heidelberg of the East".