From Cluj we are going to split, one of us is going to stay with family in Cluj while the other one will meet with family in Targu Mures and then continue to Bucuresti where we will meet again. But to get to Targu Mures, even though it is close, is quite difficult at reasonable hours so we are happy when the family in Cluj offers a day trip to Targu Mures so we can relocate that way. We leave right after an appointment that our driver had and then it is an easy drive mostly on interstates to Targu Mures.
To celebrate and thank the family in Cluj we stop at one of the premier restaurants in Targu Mures to eat a nice lunch. If only we can find parking, everything is busy but our driver is super skilled and finds a small parking space to squeeze in.
The menu is quite expansive and varied and it takes a long time until we decide for some very good traditional food. And then full we drive to the hotel where one of us will be staying the next couple nights before going to Bucuresti.
The hotel is close to downtown in the middle of it all and the room is surprisingly nice compared to the hotel in Cluj. It has some nice features and the window can even be opened as needed. And there is free water which is always welcome.
The views from the hotel area quite beautiful and it is time to enjoy them for a while while resting a bit before going for a walk exploring the old downtown.
First is the National Theater that looks abandoned from the side but actually is fully active with two halls and even two companies performing in it, one in Romanian and one in Hungarian.
Then it is time to descend into the Theater Plaza, the main plaza during communist times. Lots of major stores were located in the commercial locations all around but that is long gone, the bookstore is now a night club and many other locations are just abandoned. A bit sad really.
Then it is time to explore the Rose Square, the central boulevard in Targu Mures really. It is anchored on both sides by Orthodox churches however way back one of them was Greek-Catholic before being taken over during Communist times.
This area has the most preserved medieval and pre-communism buildings with the Culture Palace being the most famous one. Besides a museum and the Philarmonic it is also housing the Children’s library in a storytale location.
Next is the County administrative center, a beautiful building built together with the nearby Culture Palace. In front sits the statue of the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus leading to the founding of Rome, to highlight the relationship of Romania with the Romans.
Next, continuing through the alleys is the EU council building painted in blue to match the flag of the EU, probably. Right next to it is a former high school, which is now a government office, where chess tournaments were held years ago.
Returning to the Rose Square I now face the former Greek Catholic building that was never returned after the communist regime fell. Today is the time to visit it, it is open and there is no one else inside, what a fortuitous coincidence.
As it is typical of Eastern cathedrals it is richly decorated with lots of paintings of saints and biblical images. But more interestingly there is also a panel with all the wooden churches in the county, something to visit some other time.
Now it is time to return back towards the center of the city passing the less impressive but still nice City Hall on the way.
Instead of returning to the hotel it is time to go upwards following hilly streets to the area around the Bolyai High School where the famous mathematician Bolyai lived long ago. From here passing the castle, described in a different post, it is time to descend back into the downtown area.
At this point I am hungry again so it is time to search for something to eat. Something sweet preferably from a cake shop. There aren’t many left but at least there is one to buy some sweet things.
One thing that distinguishes Targu Mures from most other Transylvanian cities are the interesting human shaped columns. The entrances look to lead to palaces instead to hotels and residential buildings.
Another famous point of interest is the flower clock. It is one of the objectives that was maintained also during the communist times, it is nice to see that it is still here. And nearby there is store selling Kürtőskalács, now I have dinner settled.
The evening is spent looking at the rain coming in and the beautiful rainbows, two of them, afterwards as well as meeting with family before falling asleep after a tiring day.
In the morning it is time to get something to eat for breakfast from a bakery while again walking through Rose Square. And then up to the Fortress going around it and then entering the Fortress to explore the museum which is open in the morning, both visits being described separately.
Around noon after the museum it is time to meet with relatives walking known streets that changed significantly towards the meeting point.
Some places have changed really significantly like the major crossing hear the Golden Rooster which is now much less pedestrian friendly compared to how it was previously.
For lunch me and the relatives go to a famous restaurant nearby to celebrate the birthday of one of the relatives. The food is good but quite a lot, it is enough for the whole day really.
Next I explore this artificial island finding places that I still remember from childhood like a Kindergarten I went to for a few months. Much has changed in these years but much has remained the same also, quite interesting.
And then after a visit at the cemetery to see the graves of some relatives which I had a great connection to it is time to return to the hotel for the night as tomorrow we will leave towards Bucharest stopping along the way.
