Operas and theaters to visit Romania

The National Theater and the Romanian Opera, founded in 1919, are housed in a Baroque and Rococo building constructed between 1904 and 1906. Cluj is one of the few cities in the world to boast a second operatic institution: the Hungarian Opera, founded in 1948, which shares the same building as the Hungarian Theatre, strada Emil Isac. Close to the National Theatre stands the Tailors' Bastion(bastionul Croitorilor), part of the ^15th-century fortifications.

This elegant neoclassical building was built between 1894 and 1896 by Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer. The hall features a monumental staircase. The 740-seat auditorium, with boxes and balconies, is decorated with sumptuous Baroque and Rococo elements. The institution has seen many illustrious representatives of national culture, including playwright Vasile Alecsandri (1821-1890), a founding figure of Romanian theater. His statue faces the building.

Located at kilometer zero, this imposing edifice is recent: bombed during the Second World War, the National Theater was rebuilt under the Communist regime. Completed in 1973, it was completely reconfigured and renovated between 2011 and 2015, including its facade. It has no fewer than 6 halls and, in summer, a rooftop amphitheater hosts shows. In front of the building, a beautiful bronze sculpture depicts the best-known characters created by the great Romanian playwright Ion Luca Caragiale, who gave his name to the theater.