588 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp596–7 and pp598–9
Now Romania’s third largest city, Cluj-Napoca began
life as a Roman colony, although it was abandoned in
the 3rd century. Cluj was refounded in the Middle Ages
by the Hungarians, who brought in Saxon immigrants
to boost regional trade. Periods of Ottoman and
Austrian rule followed, and not until 1918 did the town
become part of Romania. In recent history, the 1989
revolution saw violent demonstrations here, resulting
in many deaths. Today, Cluj-Napoca retains an air of
small-town charm, and its wide pedestrianized streets
are lined with 19th-century buildings connected by
narrow alleys and courtyards.Cluj-Napoca 0
R Orthodox Cathedral
Piața Avram Iancu. # 8am–7pm
daily. 5
Built between 1923 and 1933,
this monumental cathedral
(Catedrala Ortodoxa), with its
massive central dome, domi-
nates Avram Iancu Square.
The high light of its opu lent
interior is a huge gilt iconos-
tasis com prising 18th- and
19th-century icons illustrating
the life of Christ. In front of
the church is a modernist
statue of Avram Iancu, a
19th-century RomanianR St Michael’s Church
Piața Unirii. 5
With a spire over 76 m
(249 ft) high, this Gothic
church (Biserica Sfântul
Mihail) towers over the
city. Its austere interior is
adorned with stained-glass
windows featur ing a portrait
of St Michael, a graceful
cream and gilt altar and a
superbly carved pulpit deco-
rated with doves, angels
and biblical characters.Entrance to the Art Museum in the
Bánffy Palace, Unity SquareE Ethnographic Museum
of Transylvania
Str Memorandumului 21. Tel (0264)
592 344. # 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. &
8 http://www.muzeul-etnografic.ro
Founded in 1922, this museum
(Muzeul de Etnografie din
Transilvania) features a large
collection of Transylvanian
ethnographic objects. Housed
in the 16th-century Reduta
Palace, exhibits include
traditional costumes, brightly
patterned rugs and agri-
cultural tools and pottery
that date back 300 years.
The museum also has an
outdoor section with full-
size replicas of rural dwell-
ings and village churches.Târgu Mureş 9
341 km (212 miles) N of
Bucharest. * 150,000. k £
@ n Str G Enescu 2, (0365) 404
Although it currently lies
within Romania’s borders, the
city of Târgu Mureş has always
had a strong Hungarian influ-
ence and for many centu ries
was known by its Hungarian
name Marosvásárhely. It was
ceded to Hungary for four
years during World War II
and for 15 years, was an auto-
nomous Hungarian province
under Communist rule. Today,
half of its pop ulation is ethni-
cally Hungarian.
Târgu’s most striking
building, the Palace of Culture,
stands right in the heart of
the city. Built between 1911
and 1913, its main attraction
is the Mirror Hall, with 12
stained-glass windows depict-
ing Hungarian folklore. The
art gallery within the palace
exhibits works by famous
Romanian painters. Classical
concerts take place inside the
palace every Thursday.
East of the city centre is
the Teleki-Bolyai Library,
where the Transylvanian
chancellor, Count Samuel
Teleki, opened the region’s
first library in 1802. Today,
it holds over 200,000 ancient
volumes, manuscripts and
other documents.
P Palace of Culture
Str G Enescu 2. # 9am–4pm Tue–
Fri, 9am–1pm Sat & Sun. &
P Teleki-Bolyai Library
Str Bolyai 17. # 10am–6pm Tue–
Fri, 10am–1pm Sat–Sun. &Broad and attractive pedestrianized
streets in Târgu Mureş
Exterior of the Gothic St Michael's
Church on Unity SquareE Art Museum
Piața Unirii 30. Tel (0264) 596 952.
# 10am–5pm Wed–Sun. &
http://www.macluj.ro
Housed in the 18th-century
Baroque Bánffy Palace, the
museum’s (Muzeul de Arta)
collection is dominated by the
works of French-influenced
artists of the 19th and 20th
centuries. Among them are
Romanian masters Nicolae
Grigorescu, Theodor Pallady
and Ştefan Luchian.