Cluj-Napoca (Romanian) or Kolozsvár (Hungarian), as capital of historical region Transylvania, is one of the most visited cities in Romania. The city, with 310,243 people, is very pleasant, and it is certainly 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 certainly 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.

The unofficial capital of Transylvania, the 2000 years old Cluj-Napoca (during the Roman occupation it was called Napoca) is one of the most vibrant cities in Romania. With a population of around 400000 people out of which around 70000 college students, the city is bursting with energy year round. Located in a hilly area, the city spreads itself around the Somes river towards the surrounding hills. The architecture in the downtown is reminiscent of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, while elements of modernism have now been added to give the city a modern, exciting feel.

There are lots of museums, parks and a European renowned Botanical Garden that are sure to appeal even to the most demanding visitor. Not to mention the countless cafes, restaurants, clubs and discos where one can have a great time at any time of day or night.

You should see Matthias Corvinus' mounted statue and the old St. Michael's Church in the Union Square -- right in the middle of the city. This gothic architecture piece is one of the most valuable in Transylvania. Its murals date from the 15th century, and the 50m neogothic tower was built in 1860. The statue is always scaled by tourists, although officially this is not allowed.

The area around the Union Square is also a must see for the visitor, with the Teleki and Banffy Palaces (the former now housing the National Art Museum), 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 Botanical Garden www.cjnet.ro (Republicii no. 42) 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.

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.

The Cetatuia hill (Fortress Hill) used to hold a stronghold, as its name implies. People were also jailed there. Not much of the old fortress remains, but the Transylvania Hotel (also known to the locals as Belvedere) was built on top of the hill, and besides the great view offers a good restaurant as well. The hill can be climbed by stairs from the centre of the city. On the way you will also find a large iron cross monument. A walkway circles the crown of the hill just below the Hotel, offering a nice view to the city.

As a side-note, Cluj-Napoca is one of the only cities (if not THE only) in the world that has 2 National Opera Houses in two different languages (Romanian and Hungarian). This city's personality comes from its multiculturality and diversity.

Getting to Cluj-Napoca is easy due to its position and its status as a major Romanian city. The International Someşeni Airport of Cluj-Napoca www.airportcluj.ro is offering flights to Bucharest, Timisoara, Budapest, Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Dortmund,Milano, Bologna, Ancona, Bergamo, Florence, Rome, Treviso, Verona , Lviv, Paris, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid and London provided by Blue Air, TAROM, Austrian, Lufthansa, Iberia, Alitalia, Carpatair, Malev and Wizzair). WizzAir, the Polish-Hungarian budget airline, started flying to Cluj-Napoca in October 2007. For European travellers, a budget alternative is to fly to Budapest Ferihegy Airport with a low-cost company, and then shuttle to Cluj-Napoca. The shuttle takes six to eight hours to make the travel. 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 RON (25 EUR).
Car rental by Avis, Budget, Europcar and several local providers is available, as well as on request by Hertz. The Airport of Cluj-Napoca has transport connections to downtown Cluj-Napoca. To get there, travelers can choose between car rentals, taxi, limo service and public transport (bus line 8 running from 5:30AM till midnight, with cheap prices). For the public bus, you need to buy a ticket from the booth in front of either the Arrivals or Departures terminals. You are not allowed to buy tickets from the driver. Also, WizzAir company introduced a bus-shuttle to the center of fixed price of 15 RON (about 4 EUR/ 7USD).