Transylvania

Transylvania... What comes to mind when you say this word? Dark castles? Vampires? Is it really "one of the wildest and least known parts of Europe", as Bram Stoker put it in 1897?...

Cluj-Napoca - The capital city of Transylvania

The city of Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg) can trace its origins back to the 2nd century AD, when the Dacian settelement "Napuca" is first mentioned. After the Romans conquered Dacia, they renamed the city "Napoca", which received the rank of "municipium" in 124 AD. The city quickly advanced socially and economically, and during Marcus Aurelius' reign, Napoca received the title "colonia", the highest possible urban status in the Roman Empire.

The name Cluj comes from "Castrum Clus", first used in the 12th century as the name of the citadel surrounding the city. "Clus" means "closed" in Latin, and is related to the hills that surround the city. Today's name is therefore made of two parts: "Cluj" (the Roman name of the former citadel from the middle ages) and Napoca (the Dacian name of the city that existed here about 2000 years ago).

Currently, the city is the socio-economic center of Transylvania. The stable population of the city is around 330,000. However, the city has six state (and several private) universities, of which the Babes-Bolyai University, with over 43,000 students, is the largest and most diverse university in Romania. Consequently, the student population of the city is quite significant, making Cluj-Napoca the city with the largest percentage of student population in Romania.

Five european and nine national road segments meet around Cluj-Napoca, and work is ongoing at the Bors - Cluj-Napoca - Brasov motorway, currently the largest road project in Europe. When finished, Cluj-Napoca will be placed on one of the most important road corridors in Europe, linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Black Sea.

Transportation within Transylvania

Driving is probably the most convenient way to visit Transylvania, especially if time is a constraint, since tourist attractions are scattered in various places. However, if you do have more time, using public transportation might add more to your experience in Transylvania. Rent-a-car companies are available in most cities. Currently there are no motorways in Transylvania, although some 600 km are either in construction or planned to be finished by 2012. National roads are (mostly) two-lane roads of variable quality (however, the entire network is paved).

Dining in Transylvania

Transylvanian cuisine reflects the region's diversity, with influences to be found from all the neighboring cultures. However, be warned that food in Romania is much more meat-oriented (especially pork) than most people are used to. Drinking and smoking age in Romania is 18.

Communications

Public phones in Transylvania use phone cards which you can buy from newspaper stands. Most phone numbers are of made of a 4 digit prefix and a 6 digit number. Emergency services have 3-digit numbers: police: 955, ambulance: 961, fire: 981 (all are toll-free numbers; starting with 2005, one number, 112, will exist for emergencies of all types). To place an international call from Transylvania, dial 00+country code+number. To place an international call to Transylvania, dial your intl. access code+40+ten digit number. Internet cafés are widely spread, and can be found even in small towns. Typical rates are around $0.5 per hour.

Language

If you speak a Latin-based language (such as Italian or French), Romanian may be easy for you to understand. You can however, get around in Transylvania if you speak one of the following: English, German, Hungarian and (to a lesser extent) Italian.

Accommodation in Transylvania, hotels

Shopping

You will find a wide spectrum of shopping facilities, ranging from modern supermarkets to small cornershops. Also, you will find food markets and few street sellers (these are the only cases where prices are negotiable). You will find here any merchandise that you find in the US or Western Europe, with very few exceptions (earplugs come to mind). In some small stores you might find "brand" clothing that is actually fake.

Weather

Average temperatures in Transylvania vary from 20C (68F) in July to 10C (50F) in April and October, to -2C (28F) in January. Most of the tourists visit Transylvania between May and October, except for those interested in Winter sports.

Other things

• Sometimes it will seem that everyone in Romania is a smoker. Many restaurants do not have a non-smoking section. However, smoking in hospitals, public institutions, public transportation (except trains) is forbidden.
• Questions about income level, political or sexual orientation, religion are considered natural here, so try not to get offended if you are asked such things.
• Do not even think about recreational drugs. You will get many years for even being a consumer. No, you won't be able to bribe your way out of this one.
• US, Canada and EU citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days in Romania. EU citizens only need a valid ID card, US and Canada citizens need a valid passport.