History Museum Palace

Palatul Muzeului de Istorie Cluj, o clădire istorică maro și albă cu fațadă detaliată și un balcon, situată la colțul unei străzi.

Petrechevich – Horváth House is located at the intersection of the Museum Square west side with Constantin Daicoviciu Street, being built by Major Dániel Petrechevici – Horváth in the early 19th century, with the desire to become the center of social and artistic life of Cluj. But this project was a failure because Reduta Palace already had this role.

At the end of the 19th century, the building became, by inheritance, the Reformed College property, so that in 1925 it was bought by the Romanian state, for the University Institute of Archeology. Since that year it houses huge collections of objects, but also the most important archaeological discoveries in Transylvania. It is currently home to the National Museum of  Transylvania History.

The museum is currently being restored, with only temporary exhibitions opened.

Website: www.mnit.ro

Reduta Palace

Palatul Reduta, o clădire istorică iluminată în albastru noaptea, cu fațadă elegantă și un turn cu ceas, situată pe o stradă centrală

Reduta Palace, witness to many historical events, is an imposing two floors building in classicist style. On its place, in the 18th century, was the “Calul bălan” inn, which was later transformed into a military school.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the municipality built the current building, destined to be the center of the city’s public life. Here were held balls, concerts, meetings of local authorities, the building having a room with balconies with a capacity of up to 1000 people. In fact, hence the name of the building – redoute – meaning public place for music parties.

On the roof of the building you can see a small clock tower. It was built in the middle of the 18th century. The original destination of the clock was the church of St. Michael, but due to its damage during an earthquake it was moved in the tower of the Reduta palace.

The redoute hosted many important events such as meetings of the Transylvanian Diet, concerts by Frantz Liszt, George Enescu or Johannes Brams. The Memorandum Trial also took place here. In 1892, the leaders of the Romanians in Transylvania drafted a petition known as the Transylvanian Memorandum. This petition – sent to the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef – demanded, for the Romanians in Transylvania, ethnic rights equal to those of the Hungarian population, as well as the cessation of persecutions and attempts at hungarianization. After receiving the memorandum petition, Emperor Franz Josef sent it to Budapest, and its perpetrators were tried for treason. The trial took place in Cluj, in 1894, in the building of this palace.

It currently houses the collections of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, established in 1922.

Website: www.muzeul-etnografic.ro/palatul-reduta

The building of the former Continental Hotel

Clădirea fostului Hotel Continental Cluj, o structură impunătoare cu detalii arhitecturale elaborate și un dom central.

In the 19th century, on Napoca Street, which at that time was called Hay Street, at number 1, there was an inn called “Național”. On its place was put into use in 1895, the “New-York” hotel. It is a monumental building, made in eclectic style – neo-baroque style with classicist elements. In the interwar period, the magazine “Gândirea” operated here. During the Second World War, for a while, this used to be the Gestapo headquarters (Secret Police of Nazi Germany). After the Second World War, it functioned as the headquarters of various institutions, as students dormitory, so that, in 1960, it returned to its original functionality, that of a hotel, under the name of “Continental”.

The cafe shop on the ground floor of the hotel has been, over time, the center of the literary-artistic life of Cluj.

Sebestyen Palace

This 4-storey secession-style complex with luxury apartments was built by a wealthy entrepreneur named David Sebestyen from 1912 to 1913.

The first insurance company in Cluj operated in this building. Currently, it hosts the activity of the editorial office of the “Tribuna” magazine, the offices of the Fine Artists Union and the Writers’ Union, the branches in Cluj-Napoca. For decades, on the ground floor, it has been working one of the largest bookstores in Cluj, which had several names over time, currently being called “University Library”. Commemorative plaques are placed on the facade of the building honoring the heroes who died in this place during the December 1989 Revolution.

“Holy Apostles Peter and Paul” Roman Catholic Cathedral

Biserica Romano-Catolica Sfintii Apostoli Petru si Pavel din Cluj-Napoca, o cladire impunatoare cu turn inalt, situata intr-o zona urbana moderna

In the center of one of the modern Cluj boulevards, 21 December 1989 Boulevard, at number 85 is one of the architectural jewels of Cluj from the end of the 19th century, the Roman Catholic Church “The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul”. Built between 1848 and 1850 on the foundations of a 15th century church in the medieval village of St. Peter, the building is a monument of neo-Gothic architecture designed by the architect Anton Karerbauer.

Next to the church we find two fundamental elements of Medieval Cluj: the portal of the St. Michael church brought between 1957-1960 and the statue of St. Mary the Protector, the work of the sculptor Anton Schuchbauer.

Houses of Roman-Catholic Organization (Mirror buildings)

In Unirii Square, at the intersection with Iuliu Maniu Street, we find two buildings unique in Transylvania, which impress by being almost symmetrical. From here their name, due to the mirror effect created by them.

Around the church of Saint Michael, until the end of the 19th century, there were houses with shops belonging to the catholic church. Due to the unsightliness of these buildings, the municipality demolished them, compensating the church. In their place, in 1898, the most elegant palaces in the 19th century Cluj began to be built.

The buildings architecture is inspired by the works of the architect Hausmann, the one who restructured the city of Paris in the 19th century.

Casele Statusului Romano-Catolic
Casele Statusului Romano-Catolic

Banffy Palace

Palatul Banffy Cluj, o clădire barocă impunătoare cu fațadă detaliată, coloane și acoperiș roșu, situată pe o stradă centrală.

Banffy Palace is the most important secular building in Transylvania, built in Baroque style, influencing the entire Baroque architecture of this principality. The Banffy family was one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in Transylvania.

In 1790 the capital of Transylvania moved from Sibiu to Cluj, and Count Gheorghe Banffy was appointed governor. For this he needed a residence suitable for his rank. Thus he hired as a designer and builder the architect of Sibiu, Johann Blaumann, who will build the palace between 1774 and 1786. The main facade is imposing, and holds the coat of arms of the noble family the griffin crowned with sword, heraldic symbol, framed by two other griffins. This facade is decorated with statues representing characters of ancient mythology: Mars, Minerva, Apollo, Diana, Hercules, Perseus, made by the greatest sculptor of the Baroque era in Transylvania, Anton Shuchbauer.

 Among the guests of the palace were Emperor Francis I, Empress Karolina, and Franz Lizt. The first cinema in Cluj was set up in the courtyard of the palace. Starting with 1951, the palace houses the collections of the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum.

Website: www.macluj.ro/palatul-banffy

Hintz House

In Unirii Square, on the corner with King Ferdinand Street, is the building known as the Hintz House, preserving the core of the house that has existed since the 15th century. In fact, there are remnants of the Renaissance style. The current appearance dates from the first part of the 19th century. This building housed the first pharmacy in Cluj, since the 17th century.

From the middle of the 19th century, it came into the possession of the Hintz family, hence the generic name of “Hintz House”, until its nationalization. At present, since 1954, the building houses the Pharmacy Museum, a section of the National History Museum of Transylvania.

Website: www.muzeulfarmaciei.mnit.ro

The Neologist Synagogue

Sinagoga Neologa Cluj-Napoca, o cladire alba cu elemente arhitecturale orientale, patru turnuri si o stea a lui David pe fatada centrala.

Cluj-Napoca was one of the important centers of the Jewish community in Southeast Europe until the Second World War. The neolog synagogue is one of the symbols reminiscent of the former glory of this community. It was built between 1886 and 1887, the facade and the four towers highlighting the Moorish architectural style in which it was built.

Damaged during the interwar period and during the Second World War, it was rebuilt, and two commemorative plaques were installed outside. Also known as the “Temple of the Deportees”, the neolog synagogue is the place of worship dedicated to the memory of the deported Jews during the tragic events of World War II.

The House of the Roman Catholic Parish

The House of the Roman Catholic Parish or the Schleunig House, located in Unirii Square at no. 15-16, is one of the oldest buildings in the city, being the result of merging three houses, the oldest being built in the middle of the 15th century.

The building was built by Gregorius Schleunig, who was pastor of St. Michael’s Church in the late 15th century, whose coat of arms – the lion tied to a bastion of the fortress – can be seen above the old gate of the house.

During the Religious Reformation, the founder of the Unitarian confession, David Francisc, lived here. Also, the building housed The Unitarian College, the oldest educational institution in Transylvania.

Among the distinguished guests of this parish was the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II.