The Union Square in Cluj is one of the most important symbols of the city in the heart of Transylvania. With the St. Michael’s Church and the Matthias Corvinus Statue located in its center, the Union Square is an impressive tourist attraction, a central point of attraction, and a meeting place for locals and tourists alike. Here, you are at the zero point of Cluj-Napoca municipality. Historically, the Big Square, as it was called until the mid-19th century, is the second square of Cluj, formed later by the current Museum Square (Small Square in the Old Citadel). Towards the end of the 19th century, it became the Main Square, being transformed into an ornamental square. The name did not last long, and in the early 20th century, the square was called King Matthias Square (Mátyas Király tér). It was only in 1918, following the historical events of that year, that it became the Union Square. However, during the communist period, its name was changed to Liberty Square, only to return to its old name in modern times: Union Square.
In addition to St. Michael’s Church and the statue of Matthias Corvinus, numerous famous buildings are located around the square. The Bánffy Palace, which houses the Art Museum, as well as the two mirrored buildings opening onto Iuliu Maniu Street, are located on the eastern side of the square. On the southern side, we find the building of the former Cluj City Hall, as well as that of the National Bank. The Continental Hotel, one of the most beautiful buildings in Cluj, built as early as 1894, is located on the southwest corner of Union Square. Also, in the center of the square, there are the Roman remains of the old Napoca city! Once, the impressive church building was surrounded by a stone wall to which the stalls and booths of the merchants were attached. Inside the wall, near the church, there was a cemetery. Outside the church wall, there was even a multi-story building that functioned as a school. With the installation of the Matthias Corvinus statue in 1902, the Square began to be landscaped with layers of flowers and small ornamental areas.
Today, Union Square in Cluj is the city’s center, the place where some of Cluj’s most representative events take place.