It gives the best-known view of Cluj, a quarter of an hour on foot from Piața Unirii.
About the place
After Transylvania passed to the Habsburgs, the Austrians built a star-shaped citadel on the hill between 1715 and 1735, to plans by the military engineer Giovanni Morando Visconti, to keep the town under control. For a long time it also served as a prison; the Saxon pastor Stephan Ludwig Roth was executed here on 11 May 1849. Stretches of wall, the gates and a few buildings remain, and the old redoubt became the Parachutists' Tower.
On the plateau there is a park with paths, and to the south, above the Someș, the viewing terrace with the large cross, from where you see the tower of St Michael's Church and the hills around. The Hotel Belvedere, from the 1970s, also stands on the hill.
Good to know
- The viewing terrace and the cross are about 180 m south of the park; the light is best towards sunset.
- You can walk up from the centre on steps and paths in about a quarter of an hour; by car the way up is Șerpuitoare Street.
- On the plateau, look for the Viennese Gate, one of the citadel's surviving gates, and the plaque in memory of Stephan Ludwig Roth.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.