Travel Guide Dej

Crossed by the Someș River, Dej is a town of 32,000 inhabitants located at the crossroads of many of Transylvania's northern roads. So you're likely to pass through here during a stay in Romania. Highly industrialized, the town is of limited tourist interest. Its center is marked by Piața Bobâlna, where the Sfântul Ștefan church stands, the city's emblematic monument. This large church, with its 72 m high steeple, was built in Gothic style between 1436 and 1536. In the same square, at no. 2, you can visit the municipal museum (open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., admission €1). Pieces unearthed in the Roman fort of Cășeiu, the ruins of which can be seen in this village north of Dej, are on display. You'll also see documents and objects relating to the salt industry. Salt has been mined since the Middle Ages, notably at Ocna Dejului ("the Dej saltworks", in the southern part of the town), where today the saltwater-filled mines are used for cures. At Ciceu-Giurgești, 18 km northeast of the city, stand the ruins of an ancient fortress dating from 1204.