Timisoara & Cluj-Napoca City Breaks
Timisoara - the most European city in Romania
Located in western Romania, in the Banat region, Timisoara is a cosmopolitan, innovative and multicultural city with an architectural splendor and one of the most beloved cities in the country.
The first record of the city of Timisoara, built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress called Castrum Regium Themes, dates back to 1212.
Over the years, Timisoara, the largest city in western Romania, has been influenced by many cultures.
According to the statistica, Timisoara is the most European city in Romania, being a significant economic and academic center. Timişoara is a city of parks and of heritage buildings, a city both cultural and sportive, a university city, and especially an offering city to those visiting it.
A progressive, cosmopolitan place, Timisoara was the first city in Europe and
second in the world after New York, to use electricity to illuminate its public streets.
Also, Timisoara was the first European city to introduce horse-drawn trams (in 1869)
and electrical street lighting (in 1889).
Historical buildings are up to three centuries old and reveal a stylish architecture
reminding of Wien and Budapest. Many areas for promenade or leisure sprawl
along the banks of Bega channel. The pedestrian squares, the wide parks and the
mild weather lend the city a romantic, charming atmosphere, in every season.
Actually, one third of its surface is covered by green and pedestrian areas.
Corso, the traditional place for promenade and the exact spot where the Romanian
Revolution started. This is why Tmisoara is considered as a city of freedom, in
December 1989 becoming the first communism-free city in Romania.
The bullets that signalled Ceausescu’s terminal year are memorialized by the holes
dotting the Austro-Hungarian architecture.
Timisoara is also the only European city with 3 theatres in 3 different languages -
Romanian, Germand and Hungarian.
However, there are many artistic events taking place in public and unconventional
places – squares, parks, banks of the river, museums, old historical buildings, churches,
even the airport runway.
The cultural agenda of the city looks more like a novel – the list of festivals and events
seems endless. Frequently referred to as "Little Vienna," Timisoara is home to
year-round musical and theatrical performances, art galleries, museums and a buzzing
nightlife.
Among the top things to do and see in Timisoara, it worth mentioning the Baroque
Palace, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, enriching the architectural
heritage of the city. During the mid 18th century it was a dwelling place for the civilian
governor of the Banat region (the Count Vilana Perlas).
Even Franz Liszt held a concert in the baroque room in 1846.
Formerly the governor's residence, it now houses the Museum of Fine Arts with works
by German, Flemish and Italian artists.
Unirii Square is one of the most beautiful and big baroque squares in Europe, flanked
by imposing buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the Baroque Palace,
Catholic Dome, Serbian Vicariage and Orthodox Church, Canonics Houses, Lenau
Highschool. In the middle of the square there is the Holy Trinity Monument and close
by a well with drinking water, drilled up to 408 m depth. Also the Banat museum is
situated inside a 14th century castle and acts as an ideal starting
point for an architectural tour into the city’s old center, Unirii Square.
If you walk east from Unirii Square, you can reach the oldest
building in Timisoara, now housing the Banat Etnographic Museum,
within the city's remaining 18th century bastion.
One of the symbol buildings of the city, the Orthodox Metropolitan
Cathedral it was built between 1936 and 1946. The style combines
old Romanian Moldavian architecture elements. It has 11 towers
covered in coloured enameled bricks and a height of 83m, being
one of the biggest churches in Romania. The basement of the
Cathedral houses a small museum that displays the old religious art
collection of the Archbishopric of Timisoara.
In front of the Cathedral is a memorial to those who lost their lives
during the 1989 Revolution which overthrew Communist rule.
The Memorial Museum of the 1989 Revolution (Muzeul Revolutiei)
offers a full insight into the revolution in Timisoara.
Victoriei Square, formed at the beginning of the 20th century on the grounds of the former fortress,
it's a place with many palaces built in the “1900s style”. The northern and southern sides are flanked
by the imposing buildings of the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral and the Culture Palace, while the
middle of the square is dominated by the green area with beautiful floral arrangements.
One of City's nicknames is “the city of flowers,” due to the parks surrounding the city center.
It may be a good option to rent a bike and take a spin through the botanical garden, over the bridges
and back through the parks.
Another remarkable open space in the city is Piata Libertatii which offers a great display of
Secessionist architecture. The Banat region was under Turkish rule from 1552 until 1716 when the
Austrian-Habsburg Prince Eugene de Savoy took over Timisoara. At this time, a seven-star- shaped
bastion and gate-towers were constructed and the marshes surrounding the town were drained by
the new Habsburg governor, General Mercy.
Continue along Str. Lucian Blaga to the 14th century Huniade Castle. Built during the rule of Carol
Robert, Prince de Anjou, it was completed by Iancu of Hundeoara and redesigned by the Habsburgs
in the 18th century.
You should not miss the Romanian Opera House Timişoara, the „Banatul” Philharmonic and the
House of Culture, which are also outstanding cultural institutions, presenting high-class artistic
performances and concerts.
Besides the professional cultural institutions, there are also numerous other cultural organizations,
art galleries, musicians, artists that contribute to the effervescent life of the city.
Timişoara intends to apply for the European Capital of Culture 2021.
A hipster is only worth the beer in his hand and what better place to score a brew-ski in Timisoara
than the old Timisoreana brewery. Ursus, another local beer, bought the brewery in 2001 but still
manuafactures Timis’ favorite refreshment since 1718 the inaugural year the city joined the Hapsburg
empire. Follow your local brew with a visit to the old tobacco factory built in 1846.
The open-air Village museum, located three miles from the city centre, exhibits more than 30
traditional peasant houses dating from the 19th century. Wood, stone and clay homes were taken
piece by piece and set up in the beautiful surroundings of Padurea Verde (Green Forest).
Craftsmen's fairs and folk shows are held here periodically.
Also nearby Timisoara, you can visit Recas Vineyards. Taste white,red and rosé wines, such as Cabernet
Sauvignon, Burgund Mare, Merlot, Cadarca, Feteasca Regala or Creata at Recas Wine Cellars. A visit at
the cellars will give you the opportunity to attend a presentation of the wine making process in the
Barrique Hall, and the conservation of bottled wines in the Recas vinoteque -featuring stocks of
exceptional vintages.
All the above are only a few things that worth to be seen in Timisoara.
Whether you choose to walk along the streets full of a fascinating history, or you choose from the rich cultural offer, Timişoara has got many things to offer. A city break in Timisoara will surprise visitors with a sophisticated society, an elegant appearance, a vibrant character and a world-class nightlife.
The risk you face here is to irremediably fall in love with Timisoara.
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca is one of the oldest cities in Romania, its
history going back to the Roman Empire. Rebuild by the
Germans in the XII century, it become one of the
"7 fortified cities" in Transylvania (Siebenburgen).
Known as Klausenburg to the Germans and Kolosvar to
the Hungarians, Cluj became Cluj Napoca in the 1970s,
when the communist regime added the name of the old
Roman settlement to emphasize its Daco-Roman origin.
Currently, the city became a strong cultural and university
center, its historical view being influenced by the bohemian
life of the high number of students and teenagers.
The headquarters of the « Babes Bolyai » University is
proof of the cities student tradition, Cluj being the host of more than one hundred thousand students every year.
Getting to Cluj-Napoca is easy due to its position and its status as a major Romanian city.
The main objectives of the city include the Union Square, St. Mihail Church,
Banffy Palace, the Fortress Hill, the Central Park, the Tailors' Tower.
You should not miss visiting the Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden
in Southern Europe and the third largest in the world.
Featuring baroque, gothic, Renaissance and neoclassical buildings, the Union square
allows for quick access to St. Michael's Church and the Banffy Palace. Flanking the
church on the south side is a 1902 equestrian statue of the 15-th century ruler, Matei
Corvin. The statue is always scaled by tourists, although officially this is not allowed.
In the southwest corner of the square stands Hotel Continental, built in 1895 in an
eclectic style combining Renaissance, classical and baroque elements. During World
War II, the hotel served as the German military headquarters in Transylvania.
Across the square, you can visit the Hintz House, which served as Cluj's first and
longest-running pharmacy (1573-1949) and is now home to the Pharmacy Museum
exhibiting about 2,300 medical instruments.
The area around the Union Square is also a must see for the visitor, as besides the
Banffy Palace some other great objectives can be traced: the Franciscan Monastery,
the first Unitarian Church in the world, the Piarist Churches, the Mirror Street
(Iuliu Maniu Street - a unique architectural accomplishment dating back to the late
1800s) and Matthias Corvinus' place of birth, a former 15th Century hotel now home to
the Visual Arts Academy.
Smaller streets around the Square can take you into splendid inner courts, old houses
and isolated Churches. The Tailors' Bastion and the corresponding section of the
medieval wall is very well preserved, South-East of the Union Square.
The Museum Square, a 2 minute walk from the Union Square, is home to the Franciscan
Monastery (a combination of baroque and gothic architecture dating back to the 14th
Century), the Transylvanian History Museum and the old Obelisk of the City, offered to
the City as acknowledgement of its statute by the Austrian Emperor Franz Ferdinand in
the 19th Century. You can have a nice coffee right by the Obelisk, as during daytime the
surrounding clubs and cafes move out of their inside locations into cool, relaxing
terraces.
The 15th century St. Michael's Church is one of the finest examples of gothic
architecture in Romania. It's the only Catholic church in Europe where the altar isn’t
situated directly in the east (where the sun rises in the autumn equinox), but where
sun rises on November 8, St. Michael’s day (the feast of Holy Archangels Michael and
Gabriel).
The 18-th century baroque Banffy Palace it's an imposing former residence of the
Austro-Hungarian governors. Built between 1774 and 1775, it is considered the most
representative example of baroque style in Transylvania. In 1951, the palace became
the home of the Art Museum. The 22 halls of the Banffy Palace display sculptures,
graphics, weapons, furniture, carpets, and paintings by famous Romanian artists such
as Nicolae Grigorescu (1838-1907), Theodor Aman (1831-1891) and Theodor Pallady
(1871-1956).
For the best views of the city and the surrounding landscape, you should climb some
200 feet up Fortress Hill. The name refers to an Austrian fortress built here in the 18-th
century to ensure control, rather than defense, of the city.
The fortress also served occasionally as a prison, and it was here that Stephan Ludwig
Roth, the 1848 hero of the Transylvanian Saxons, was held, accused of high treason
and executed at the northern gate on May 11, 1849.
Visitors who want to learn more about the region should pay a visit to the open-air
section of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, a true display of folk architecture.
For entertainment, spend an enjoyable evening at the Opera or attend a classical music
concert offered by the Cluj Philharmonic.
From nature lovers, the Botanical Garden spreads over 14 hectares and contains
among others a small Japanese garden, greenhouses for ecuatorial and tropical plants,
a small water course through its middle, and a tower which can be climbed to get a
better view of the garden arrangements. Also the Central Park is a welcome break
from the rush of the city. The middle of the park hosts a small lake and the Chios
Casino, from the terrace of which you can rent rowboats and hydrobicycles to circle
the small island in the centre of the lake.
Cluj dining is some of the best in Romania. Ranging from traditional Romanian,
Hungarian and Transylvanian (a combination of the previous two) to Italian (very good
Italian food), Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, American and International
Cuisine, the city can offer great dining for all tastes. Fancy restaurants are available as
well as local fast food shops and a few international chains (McDonald's, Pizza Hut).
You will find budget fixed menus as well as a-la-carte menus in almost each part of the
city. A large variety of other cuisines is available, but you may like to try the local
flavours (Varza a la Cluj - sour cabbage with pork chops, mamaliga cu smantana - corn
polenta with cream, goulasch - which you can find in Cluj in various variants - from
soup to main dish - and ingredients - beans, potato, pork, veal, chicken, more or less
spicy etc.).
Cluj makes a great base for exploring the stunning Apuseni mountain range, located
southwest of the city. The Apuseni Nature Park protects one of the most interesting
cave systems in the country. Limestone underlies most of the park and is responsible
for the area's impressive landforms and more then 400 caves, many of which can be
explored. Sculptured mountain ridges, mysterious underground rivers and delicate cave
formations will keep your camera busy. Explore Scarisoara Cave, a national monument
and home to the second largest underground glacier in Europe.
If you adore the leisure activities of summer but can't bear to spend time in the bright
light and hot sun, there is an obvious solution: head to a Transylvanian salt mine to
play minigolf and ride paddle boats.
Excavated by hand and machine over hundreds of years(salt was first mined at the
Turda salt mines in 1271), Turda Salt Mine in Romania is now a subterranean
fairground-cum-health-spa. For most of the 20th century, the former mines were used
as deposits for cheese.The current attractions in the 260-by-130-foot space include a
Ferris wheel, biliard tables, a minigolf course, ping pong, a bowling alley, and an
underground lake with paddle boats. A 180-seat amphitheater hosts th occasional
concert. To offset the darkness, bright lights hang vertically on strings from the 160-foot
ceiling,illuminating dripping stalactites with a blue-tinged glow.
The conditions are perfect for sun haters—like the traditional residents of Transylvania—
but also optimum for halotherapy, an alternative health treatment in which people with
respiratory problems spend time in humid, salt-infused air.
Getting to Turda is very easy (about 15-20 minutes by car).
The city has a great importance in the history of Transylvania because here, for the first
time in Christian Europe, was declared in 1568 the Edict of religious freedom, the
religious tolerance, a more important edict for Transylvanian identity.
Just a few kilometres from Cluj, you can enjoy one of the top-rated location with
playground and terrace and with a fabulous on-site restaurant - Pension Lara.
One mile east of Turda, you can relax at Baile Turda, a natural outdoor spa built on the
site of an old Roman salt mine.
The Apuseni Motzi villages are ideal places to find the tranquility and timeless wisdom of
traditional village life, vibrantly alive and intact here as perhaps, nowhere else in Europe.
Along with fine dining, excellent cultural activities, a wonderful historical legacy and a great atmosphere,
Cluj-Napoca will certainly not disappoint those who add it to their travel itinerary.
