Cluj-Napoca

Cluj-Napoca (Romanian), Kolozsvár (Hungarian) or Klausenburg (German) is the capital of Cluj county and the unofficial capital of the historical region of Transylvania. The city, with about 320,000 people (2016), is very pleasant, and it is a great experience for those who want to see urban Transylvanian life at its best. Along with fine dining, excellent cultural activities, a wonderful historical legacy and a great atmosphere, the city will not disappoint those who add it to their travel itinerary. What's more is the fact that Cluj (as it's called for short) is so easy to access and get around.

Understand
Today, the biggest ethnic group in Cluj-Napoca are Romanians. However, this was not always the case as many different groups have inhabited the city throughout its history. The first trace of humans was neolithic settlements dating back thousands of years. Later the settlement was conquered and inhabited by Romans. The archaeological reminder of Roman Napoca can be seen in Unirii Square in the city centre. Saxons were next to occupy the city: they built the wall around the city which still stands. The city carries the German name of Klausenburg. In the 19th century, ethnic Hungarians were the majority of the population and remained so until 1955. They call the city Kolozsvár. The construction of non-Catholic religious buildings in the city centre was forbidden for a while, yet eventually, Romanians were allowed to build Orthodox churches. During communist times, the remaining minorities migrated for a higher standard of living, for example, Jewish people migrated to Israel and ethnic Saxons migrated to Germany.

Cluj-Napoca has reminders of its past all around the city. You might wonder why Cluj-Napoca architecture is similar to that in Germany. This happened during Austro-Hungarian period when local architects been educated in Vienna. Moreover, communist buildings can be found just outside city centre.

Many people still refer to Cluj-Napoca by its previous name, Cluj, because the ending "Napoca" was added in 1974 by the Communist Party.

Cluj-Napoca has emerged as a tech hub being informally named as a silicon valley of Romania. Technology related events organised all around the city include conferences attracting speakers from all around the world. Technology companies mainly offer out-sourcing services yet startups exist too. This continues to increase prices in the city which is high compared to other cities in Romania but still much cheaper than in Western Europe.

Talk
The official language is Romanian, a Romance language. Most educated people born after about 1970 will speak reasonably good English and will likely be proficient in one or more second Romance languages; most educated people born before about 1970 will speak reasonably good French and Italian. Hungarian is a common language, spoken by the relatively large Hungarian minority. The Roma people (Gypsies) speak their native Romany, as well as Romanian. Beyond that, as in any major city, there will be a smattering of other languages.

Get in
Getting to Cluj-Napoca is easy due to its position and its status as a major Transylvanian city.

By train


As with many other Transylvanian cities, the train is the easiest way to reach Cluj because it is an important Romanian railway hub. There are 4 trains daily to Bucharest and 4 trains daily to Budapest (via Oradea). There are train connections to most Romanian or Transylvanian cities, including fast InterCity connections to Oradea, Arad, Timisoara, Brasov, Sighisoara, Ploiesti and Bucharest.

Important to know, that in Romania there are three kind of trains.

On a few routes like from/to Oradea and Târgu Mureș, you can find private companies like Transferoviar grup, which offer cheaper tickets.

By bus


Cluj-Napoca can be reached by bus from Bucharest, major cities in Romania, most cities in Transylvania, and a number of major cities in Europe.

There is also an on-demand bus to Cluj-Napoca from Budapest by Eurobusways.

By plane


Getting there and away:
 * By bus – Bus line 5 and 8 running 05:30–00:00, for 3 lei one-way (as of Jun 2023). For the public bus, you need to exit the airport, turn right at the main street and walk to the next bus stop. There is a ticket machine. Remember to stamp your ticket on board. You are not allowed to buy tickets from the driver.
 * In May 2023, a new Airport Express Line (A1E) was introduced, which stops in front of the airport and goes to Mihai Viteazu Square. Tickets can only be bought inside the bus at the POS by using a credit or a debit card. The price for one trip is 6 lei. During the journey from the Airport to Mihai Viteazu Square the bus will stop at bus stops only at the request of passengers by stop button inside the bus.


 * By shuttle – WizzAir offers a shuttle bus to the center for a fixed price of 15 lei.
 * By taxi – Taxis are abundant but probably only worth if you are several people or have too much luggage.
 * By rental car – At the airport car rental by Avis, Budget, Europcar and several local providers is available.

Another alternative is to fly to Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport and then shuttle to Cluj-Napoca. The shuttle takes 6–8 hr to make the trip. Many companies travel this route. You can find shuttles from early morning till late night. Reservations have to be made in advance, make sure you leave at least two hours between your flight arrival and the departure of the shuttle, to account for any flight delays. Prices are around 60 to 80 lei.

By car
Cluj-Napoca has good road connections. European road E60 links it to Bucharest and Brasov to the south, Oradea and Budapest to the west, through Bors customs. E81 leads to Zalau and Satu Mare to the north, Brasov and Bucharest to the south. E58 links Cluj-Napoca to Dej, Bistrita, Baia Mare and Vatra Dornei.

By public transport


Public transport in the city is possible by means of 25 bus lines, 7 trolleybus lines, and 3 tram lines, all operated by the RATUC company (Regia Autonomă de Transport Urban de Călători). For most lines servicing the city center you won't need to wait more than 15 minutes. The tariff is 6 lei for two trips. Tickets can be bought inside busses and trams by public transport card, Visa/Mastercard (contactless only), via SMS, at machines on major stations or for cash at special booths at most stops, identifiable by the RATUC logo and possibly the text "Bilete si Abonamente" (meaning "short and long-term tickets"). Be careful to correctly punch an unused half of your ticket once in the vehicle, ticket control is relatively common and the fines are sizable. A route planner is available online.

Transport in the Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area is covered by many private bus companies, one of the most important is FANY which provides numerous daily connections to neighboring towns and villages.

By taxi
Taxis are relatively more expensive than in other parts of Romania, but still cheap, and very convenient. The tariff is around 2.25 lei/km, and the same is applied as start fee. All the respectable companies charge the same price. Typically you won't pay more than 13 lei for a travel between the city center and some point in the suburbs. Payment is always done in cash, and paying by credit card is not possible. It is customary, though not mandatory, that the sum is rounded up to 0.50 lei multiples (e.g., if the meter shows 3.20 lei you will probably be expected to pay 3.50 lei, leaving the extra 0.30 lei as a tip). If you do not have exact change, the driver might keep this tip himself when paying back the change. If he tries to keep too much (like rounding from 3.50 lei to 5 lei, for example), do ask for the change.



Taxi cabs come in all shapes and colors, they are identified by the company logo on the sign on top of the car, which will also be placed somewhere on the car body. Taxis cluster around important locations in the city, and clusters are usually no more than 1 km apart. Take care to always use respectable companies, such as Atlas, Diesel Rapid, Diesel Taxi, Pritax, Nova, Terra and Fan, Pro Rapid. There might be underground, "shark" drivers as they are called, which try to exploit unknowledgeable strangers by overcharging. You should avoid them as they charge at least several times the normal fee. They mostly hang around the train station and the airport. Shark drivers might sometimes "helpfully" offer a ride themselves; you won't see a usual driver do that. Usually shark drivers' cars are marked TAXI and nothing else. Search for name of company on the door of car! Respectable firms typically have several cars parked at each station; that's an easy way to identify them. Also, the price per kilometer is sometimes displayed on the cab door. It should be no more than 2.25 lei. Avoid the Activ Taxi cars.

Cabs can also be phoned in. You typically need to give a name, and wait for the number of the car to be relayed to you. Cars will arrive after a period on the order of minutes.

It may happen that you will be driven around on a longer route if you don't know the city. This may happen even with respectable firms. You can't do much to help that, unless you are able to read a map very well, especially if you're easy to spot as a foreigner. The best thing to do is to appear confident, jump in the car and state your destination unhesitantly as if you knew exactly where it was.

Some of the taxi companies in Cluj-Napoca:
 * Nova Taxi – (0264) 949, +40-745 151000
 * Diesel Rapid – (0264) 946
 * Atlas Taxi – (0264) 969
 * Diesel Taxi – (0264) 953, +40-744 646663, +40-745 381532, +40-722 859093
 * Pritax – (0264) 942, +40-744 159720, +40-788 550000
 * Pro Rapid – (0264) 948
 * Terra Fan – (0264) 944
 * Clima&Confort Taxi – (0264) 943, +40-742 012280, +40-723 012280, +40-768 347379, +40-264 422224, +40-364 310673

By rental car
Cars can be rented from the numerous operators throughout the city. Many small tourism agencies also act as intermediaries for renting cars, and you might be able to get better rates there. You can find such agencies scattered throughout the city centre.

See
The area around the Union Square is a must see for the visitor, with the Teleki and Banffy Palaces (the latter now housing the National Art Museum), the Franciscan Monastery, the first Unitarian Church in the world, the Piarist Church, the Mirror Street (Iuliu Maniu Street, a unique architectural accomplishment dating back to the late 1800s) and Matthias Corvinus' place of birth, a 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.

Museums

 * Emil Isac Memorial House, Emil Isac nr. 23
 * Emil Isac Memorial House, Emil Isac nr. 23
 * Emil Isac Memorial House, Emil Isac nr. 23



Notable buildings

 * Palace of Justice, Calea Dorobantilor nr. 2
 * Palace of Justice, Calea Dorobantilor nr. 2

Statues

 * [[Image:Matia Corvin Statue nov 2010.jpg|right|thumb|St. Michael's Church, with the statue of Matthias Corvinus.]]

Do

 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.
 * Watch football at CFR Cluj, who play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, capacity 23,500, is 500 m southwest from the railway station.

Shopping malls


You can also visit Sora Shopping Center, Central and Galeriile Ferdinand (very expensive). At a lower budget you can find lots of cool clothes in Piata Marasti (shopping center).

Eat
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).

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Mid-range




Drink
Cluj has a vibrant night life, guaranteed by the over 60,000 university students living here. There are bars, cafés, clubs for all preferences and budgets.


 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Oscar – A good after-hours haunt.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.
 * Zorki Off the Record – In the basement under Zorki. Where concerts sometimes happen. You can grab a beer or a glass of wine.

Sleep
The last three years have seen a boom in the Cluj lodging scene. There are lodging options for all budgets, including a 5-star hotel. Other than that, you can find something that suits your needs.

Stay safe
Cluj-Napoca is in general a safe city. Even after dark, it is safe to walk through the city center and some of the other neighbourhoods. To be on the safe side, unless you know exactly where you're going and how to get there, suburbs should be avoided at night, especially the neighbourhoods of Manastur, Marasti, and Iris, and the train and inter-city bus station areas.

You should, as always, take care of your belongings and pockets. If your wallet is stolen or lost, it is likely that it will resurface after a while, but without the money and credit cards (so be sure to call your credit card company and lock the credit card as soon as you notice it is missing).

Emergency numbers
As throughout the rest of the European Union, the police, ambulance, and fire department are reachable at the number 112.

Connect
Cluj-Napoca and its approach roads have 4G from all Romanian carriers. As of Aug 2022, city centre has 5G from Digi, Orange and Vodafone.

Go next

 * Brașov – There is only a daily bus to Brasov early in the morning 06:30 that leaves from Autogare North (at the other side of the bridge next to the train station). Another option is to get a minibus (at 11:30, 14:45 first one) from same Autogare to Târgu-Mureș (20 lei) and take another minibus there to Brașov (at 14:20 and 16:20).
 * Turda – A city famous for its world class mine and a gorge nearby, 40 min by bus.