Cluj-Napoca Travel Forum

I'll be traveling to Cluj as part of a volunteer group building homes in October and was hoping to get as much information on what to see. Where are some of fun places in town to meet people and experience the local culture?

Cluj is an interesting town. Parts from the old town can be visited even today. But really important are the Orthodox Church, St. Michael Church and the panorama over the town from Cetatuia Hill.
Many terraces and bars located in former wine cellars can be found in the soundings of the St. Michal church.

Have fun,
Dan.

the real charm of Cluj consist in the peaople who live there, not the local cluj pople, but the more then 100.000 students, who are studiing at the Universities of Cluj. I am teaching at the Geography faculty, and believe me, the Cluj without the students is not the real Cluj, so if You will there in October is quiet good, because the stdudies starts at 3rd of October on most of the Universities...
there are a lot of pubs, there are cheaper ones, visited only by students (and of course teachers), but you can find very expensive fancy locals too.
Of course, Dan has got right regarding the two big Churches and the overlook from the Cetatuia hill...
but there are a lot of interesting places close to the town, up in the Apuseni mountains, or the salt mine of Turda and of course the gorge of Turda, close to the city of Turda...
You may want to kill a couple of beers in some of these pubs, so please let me know, and I may hekp you to find them

have a nice fly
Zoltan

hi there,

here is a page which can provide you with some info about bars, restaurants and so:

http://www.sapteseri.ro/index.php?page=club&ln=2&city=2

if you click on the "English" link in the upper right corner , then you will have some of the expanations translated in English. Anyway citty center is not so big, you will probably just browse for the club or bar you like. There are all kind. That's about fun.
You will maybe find more about if you try a page like : http://www.cjnet.ro/eindex/index.html
The links I've sent are not neccessary the best source of info, but can help you to have an idea about Cluj.
Have fun.

In the town, go and see the botanical gardens - one of the biggest in E. Europe, and also the ethnological museum which is an open-air reconstruction of typical Transylvanian cottages and churches from the 17th - 18th centuries.

Outside the town, visit Turda salt mine and Turda Gorge; the monastry near Gherla, or take a day trip to the citadel at Sighisoara.

For organised day-trips, speak with Radu at the Retro Youth Hostel, they will organise a trip if there are enough people interested to make it worthwhile.

If you have time, get into a car (with the drivers that say "la turda? la turda?" across the road from the right hand side of the theatre), take the 20 minute drive to Turda and go to the salt mines (salina) - amazing!

Where will you be building? Are you working with Ecce Homo? You're going to have an incredible time, enjoy every minute of it!