The green side of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca is a very beautiful city with a continuous development in terms of culture, events, lifestyle and culinary experiences. But as much as we enjoy walking every day on the busy streets of the city, we often daydream about a green fairy-like place where we can just relax and take a deep breath of fresh air to prepare us for a new week. Because of the good geographical positioning of Cluj-Napoca we have the choice to stop dreaming and start doing. I picked a few places that I find most inspiring and are also close to the city so they can be visited in a one day trip.
#1 Turda Gorge
Turda Gorge is a natural reserve and it’s situated about 15 km south-east of Cluj-Napoca. It is formed through erosion and it’s visited by hundreds of people from all over the country and even Europe. More than 1,000 plant species can be found in the reservation. The most spectacular and rich karst landscape can be found here ( karst is landscape underlain by limestone which has been eroded by dissolution producing fissures, ridges). Turda Gorge is one of the main rock climbing sites in Romania.
#2 Lake Tarnita
Lake Tarnita is another popular destination for weekend retreats as it has a cabin nearby named after the lake “Tarnita Cabin” where you can spend the night and admire the stars. The lake is a reservoir covering 215 ha with a maximum depth of over 70 m. There you can also find the Tarnita Dam which was built in 1947 with a height of 97 meters focusing on producing electrical energy. People come here to enjoy different activities like fishing, swimming, boats or jet-ski rides.
#3 Hoia Baciu Forest
This forest is best known for its ghost stories and legends which made it a popular tourist attraction. It is believed that many paranormal phenomena happen there and there are many stories related by tourist. But besides the witchy side of the story, the forest is rather beautiful with unique trees like the ones in the picture. The forest is situated west of Cluj-Napoca near the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. Sports such as paintball, airsoft and archery take place in the forest as well as a biking park.
#4 Făget Forest
Făget is a national protected wooded area and its rich in beech, oak and hornbeam trees. It is situated south of the city. There are many bike rides trails also popular for running and walking. Some people enjoy even a quiet picnic here between the dense trees. This forest is also one of the oldest leisure area in Cluj-Napoca.
These are some of my favorite places and as I wrote about them, my spirit of adventure kicked in so I might as well plan a weekend far away from the city’s buildings before the snow comes. See you in the forest!
by Teodora Andone
