Located at 405 m high, it looks like a plateau where it was built, in the 18th century, by the Austrians, a Vauban fortress, with walls, bastions and a redoubt that sheltered administrative buildings, garrison and arm depot. On the exterior it was surrounded by a massive wave o earth. The fortification had a controle role over the city, but it also had a prison role, especially during the Revolution in 1848. Here it was imprisoned and executed the well-known humanist and fighter Stephan Ludwig Roth, one of the heroes of the Revolution. From the old Fortress there is only left part of its walls, few buildings and the redoubt has been transformed into The Parachutists Tower.
Recent history records the construction, on Fortress Hill, of Belvedere Hotel, a massive and modern construction. On Fortress Hill there is located Crucea de pe Cetatuie (The Cross on the Fortress), architect Virgil Salvanu, as a testimony of the martirs of the Revolution in 1848. The cross was put here in 1995, in the plece of the wooden one, destroyed by the commnunist authorities in the 50’s of the past century.
Fortress today
Nowadays, Cluj Fortress is not only an important tourist attraction from where you may admire the city, but also a romantic place where many couples take a walk on this plateau, especially in the evening.
It is said that every couple from Cluj Napoca city has been at least once on a walk on Fortress hill.
Next to the massive Belvedere Hotel, on the Fortress you may find alleys you may take a walk on, a terrace with a bar and from here you may admire the city. On the back side of the Fortress there is part of the wall from the old fortification, a park for children with a basketball course with night vision and a football course. On the foot of the hill, after crossing the park, you get to the intersection of 7 streets, one of the only intersections of this kind in Europe, and if you go left, after the intersections of the 7 Streets, there is the football stadium of CFR Cluj Team.
The Fortress in Cluj Napoca is located on a hill in the central area of the city, as one of the highest and important areas from the panoramic point of view. From here, Cluj has a different image, especially at the sunrise or at the sunset and at night when you see the bright city lights.
As a landmark, on the Fortress of Cluj there is Belvedere Hotel, a massive building which is visible from many areas of the city.
Access
Also called Cetatuia (Fortress) Hill, it is visible from the center of the city especially from Mihai Viteazul Square, Central Park”- „Simion Barnutiu”, Memorandumului and Motilor Street area.
In order to get to Cluj Fortress (Cetatuia), there are few routes you may choose from.
On foot from the center, from Mihai Viteazul Square you cross the bridge over Somes River, near the Chamber of Commerce in Cluj ( former Astoria) and climb the stairs that take you to the very top of the Cetatuia Hill. There are 237 stairs.
Another way is by car, but the route is different:
- From the center, Mihai Viteazul Square area, after the Chamber of Commerce in Cluj on Emil Racovita street, you get to the intersection „Seven Streets”, one of the only of this kind in Europe, an intersection of 7 streets coming from different parts of Cluj. Then you turn left on Cetatii Street, and get to the parking area of Hotel Belvedere.
- From the train station in Cluj Napoca, you go up the bridge about 200 m and then turn left about 50 m and the second street turn right, on Mecanicilor Street, which leads to the „Seven Streets” intersesction. From the intersection you go straight ahead on Cetatii Street towards Cluj Fortress.
- From Hoia area (Tetarom 1) on Romulus Vuia street, near CFR Cluj Stadium you get to the same Seven Streets intersection and from here you turn right on Cetatii street up to Cluj Fortress.
