Turda
Turda is a city on the Aries River in Cluj County, Transylvania.
Get in
Getting to Turda is very easy because it is on the junction of 2 major roads in Romania. Turda had a great importance in the history of Transylvania because here, for the first time in Christian Europe, was declared in 1568 the Edict of Religious Freedom, the religious tolerance, a more important edict for Transylvanian identity.
By train
Because Turda doesn't have a train station you have to go to the nearest town called Câmpia Turzii and from there take a bus to Turda, the price of the bus is around €0.75.
By car
Turda is on the A3, E60, E81 European roads so it has great access from all the parts of Romania. It is directly connected to the most important locations in Transylvania: Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia and Târgu-Mureș.
By bus
Turda can be reached by bus from Cluj-Napoca, major cities in Romania, most cities in Transylvania, and a number of major cities in Europe. Search for a route online at autogari.ro.
You can pick up minivans with "CLUJ-TURDA" signs from Piața Mihai Viteazul, Opera bus station or Calea Turzii road (close to the Observatorului roundabout). The trip costs 10-14 lei and takes 30 minutes. The most important company on this line is FANY[dead link].
Get around
Turda has a local public transportation company called Societatea de Transport Public Turda (STP) but taking the bus won't be necessary due to the size of the town.
See
- Unitarian Gothic church
- Catholic Gothic church
- 1 Castra Potaissa (Castrul roman Potaissa). 24 hours. Fortified Roman military camp founded in 126 AD. Nowadays only foundations of the buildings remain Free.
Do
The main attraction and the reason for most national and international tourist for going to Turda is the salt mine. It's not only place for getting an idea about the Austro-Hungarian mining industry of the 19th century but mostly an in-ground leisure park offering pool, table tennis, mini golf and rowing on a lake far below the surface.
- 2 Salt Mine of Turda (Salina Turda) (you can find 2 entrances to the mine; one is easy if you go by foot 1 km west of the city; the other by car on the northwest. As of 2018 April, only the northwest entrance is open. You can catch a taxi there (around 13 lei from the bus stop) or walk for about 40 minutes from Turda city center). Nowadays it's used as an amusement park and tourist attraction, because mining activity was terminated. Inside, the main attraction is a hall 85 meters tall, where you can have a ride on Ferris wheel, play mini-golf or table tennis, rent a boat, and buy souvenirs. Other mine chambers are available and worth visiting, for example, Iosif mine, that generates powerful echoes up to 20 times. Those visits to mines provide little information about mining activities but focuses mainly on entertainment and family day out. Make sure to dress warmly as the temperature inside is constantly about 10 °C. 50-60 lei (adults), 30 lei (students and pensioners).
- Swim in the salty lakes and swimming pools around the city. Entry fees are moderate. A map and more details can be found online (e.g. at inforturda.ro[dead link] or at the Romanian Wikipedia).
- Visit one of the gorges around Turda. 3 Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii). is the most famous of them. You can take the car to the mouth of the gorge. Leave the city in direction of the A3 to Bucharest or Târgu-Mureș but take the DN75 to the village Mihai Viteazu. Right behind the village you take the small street to Cheia on the right. After crossing a river and driving through the village you will reach the entrance to the gorge. Hiking in the valley is rather easy and takes about 1 hr. The surroundings offer longer and more advanced trails.
- Visit the well preserved village of 4 Remeta. which offers an insight in the rural culture of the last centuries combined with a great view at the Piatra Secuiului (1128 m), one of the most beautiful rocks. You can combine your trip there with visiting other sights on the way there:
- Leave Turda in direction of the A3 to Bucharest or Târgu-Mureș but take the DN75 to the village Mihai Viteazu (see above). Behing Mihai Viteazu you stay on the DN75 and follow the road which leads you into the scenic Arieș valley. After a couple of kilometers you see a bridge which crosses the river on the left. Take this road (DN107M).
- You will pass two monasteries on the left: 5 Mănăstirea Soborul Sfinților Arhangheli. and 6 Mănăstirea Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul.. It's worth to stop the car and have a short look at them.
- The next village on the street is Rimetea. Find a place to park and explore the village. It's mostly inhabited by Hungarians and has been an important mining place. The view on the 1128 m high Piatra Secuiului is amazing. The village offers an ethnographic museum and a starting point of hiking trips in the surroundings.
- After visiting this highlight you should consider to drive further to the Colțești, the next village. It offers not only a great restaurant (1 [formerly dead link] Conacul Secuiesc.) but also the ruins of the 7 Trascăul Fortress (Cetatea Trascăului). . Take the first street on the right in the village and drive until its end. From there it's a 25-min walk to the ruin. You will get a great view over the area including the Piatra Secuiului.
Buy
Turda does not offer too many opportunities for shopping. For groceries you can try the local market in the town centre or one of the Kaufland supermarkets.
Eat
Typical for this region is the "Turda Roast" meat with garlic and pepper and a cake with honey that goes by the name of "Turda's honey cake".
Drink
1 Cafe Bar Ilgeo Srl, Strada Gheorghe Barițiu. 3 lei for a bottle of beer.
Sleep
- Castelul Printul Vanator, Str. Sterca Sulutiu nr. 4/6, ☏ +40 264 316 850, contact@huntercastle.ro. A luxurious option. Restaurant in hotel. Single 225 lei, double 275 lei, triple 385 lri.
- For a less expensive option, go for Casa Margareta Turda, on Street Salinelor no. 71, very close to the Salt Mine.
Go next
- visit Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia or Sighișoara
- Salt mine Salina Veche in (quite distant) Slănic