Tirgu-Mures



Tirgu-Mures

The Tîrgu-Mures Medieval Citadel The Medieval Citadel is placed in the vicinity of the town centre. The whole Citadel complex lies on a surface of 4.3 hectares and it is made up of a fortified inner area and 7 bastions united by walls, thus forming an inner yard, where the Protestant Church and the Bakery Building are located.
The first fortress of the town, built on the current place in 1492, at the disposal of the duke of Transylvania, Báthori István, was finalized between 1602-1652, under the guidance of judge Borsos Tamás. In a pentagonal plan, surrounded by defence walls, the citadel has seven bastions, five of which bear the name of the guilds that, according to the tradition, supported them. Regarding its architecture the whole complex bears the signs of late Renaissance style. Constructed on 3-4 levels, the bastions have an infrastructure made of stone, usually of river stone, and the walls of brick are 80 – 190 cm thick.
The bastions have a plain style, being plastered on the exterior and ornamented simply in the interior. The bastions' floors lean on thick wooden rafters; they are connected to each other from the exterior, directly or through interior wooden staircases. As precincts of the town, the Citadel with its historical monuments has determined the building of public and private establishments that would later define the urban structure of the future town. According to the traditions, the citadel has become the adequate place for the main cultural manifestations of the town. It is here that the festival called "Tîrgu-Mureş Days" takes place, being an event that gathers annually over 80,000 participants. Since 2001, the Citadel has become the host for the Beer Festival, the Wine Celebration, The Children's Town, as well as other events of interest for the citizens. The Tîrgu-Mureş City Hall has recently initiated a conservation and valorization project of this monumental complex. The feasibility study proposes from an architectural point of view, the conservation and rehabilitation of the existent buildings, preserving their specific elements. The refurbished buildings will have various destinations: social, cultural, tourist, commercial and public catering. The refurbishment of the building and the arrangement of the exterior fitting outs of the field surrounding the Medieval Citadel are going to be achieved through Phare funds within the framework of the Program for Regional Politics and Social Cohesion: "The Industrial Restructuring and the Development of Human Resources" - the tourism component, coordinated by the 7th Centre Regional Development Agency.

The Corneşti Plateau Situated at the highest level of the town, the Plateau offers a large panorama over the town and the Mureş river valley. The main attraction is represented by the Zoological Garden, divided in five sections: primates, tropical house, carnivores, herbivores and birds. It is the second largest park in the country, as far as the extension and variety of species are concerned. The Zoo is situated at 488 m altitude, above the Black Sea and at 197 m above the town, surrounded by a vast oak and hornbeam forest, called The Great Forest. Those who love walking tours and nature in general may take several walking routes.

The Zoological Garden - www.zootirgumures.ro
Established in the '60s, the Zoological Garden of Tîrgu-Mureş represents an important attraction for the local population and also for tourists. At the inauguration of the establishment there were only 10 animals, donated by the Hunters Association and the Forest Exploitation Enterprise - 3 wolves, 2 bears, 2 wild boars, 2 pheasants and a deer. The Zoological Garden had at that time an area of only 600-700 m2.
In 1965 the area destined to the Zoo was extended to 20 hectares, followed by the construction of the first unit, "the House of Lions", between 1965-1967. In this period the first paths for visitors were finalised. In 1983 the "Exotic Pavilion" was constructed, where one can admire the fish aquariums, the bird and reptile cages, all placed in an exotic framework given by exotic plants.
In 1989 "The Bear Cave" is completed in parallel with the refurbishment of the place destined to the tigers and the renovation of places destined to small mammals. "The Primates’ Pavilion" (The Monkeys’ Pavilion) was built between 1983-1989, so that the monkeys could move in their new home. In the Primates’ Pavilion there is a large amphitheatre with 108 seats. With the civilization development, one witnesses the animal reign destruction. Thus, the Zoo must have, by means of educational programmes, an important role in the animal protection, especially in that of endangered species and wounded wild animals.
Besides private activities, the Zoo invites the Associations for Animal and Environment Protection to participate in these courses. Each year, on the 4th October the Zoo celebrates "The International Day of Animals", an occasion when several educational programmes and photo exhibitions take place. Though the Zoo did not participate in "ex-situ" protection programmes, it has offered, shelter and adequate care for the wounded animals belonging to the local fauna.
The Palace of Culture - 2, Enescu street Situated in the centre of the town, it is one of the most representative Transylvanian buildings. Built in the manner of the Lechnerien school, at the initiative of mayor Bernády György, the palace is impressive not only for its interior design but also for the exterior one. From this harmonious unit, one can distinguish the majolica roof, the monumental mosaics and relieves dominating the facade as well as the interior frescoes and the colored glass windows, especially within the Mirror Hall. The long hall (45 meters) made of Carrara marble and delimited by two Venetian mirrors is really impressive, creating the sensation of infinite. Within the Palace of Culture there are many cultural institutions: the State Philharmonics, the County Library, the Art Museum, the Galleries of Fine Artists, and the permanent exhibition of the History Museum.

The Teleki-Bolyai Library - 17, Bolyai Street Built between 1799-1804, under the direct supervision of Count Teleki Samuel himself, the library hosts over 60,000 volumes, among which 66 are incunabula and a number of prestigious works and rare book editions, as well as the memorial exhibition of the mathematicians Bolyai Farkas and Bolyai Janos – later being the discoverer the un-Euclidian geometry.

The National Theatre - 1, Teatrului Square
With its two departments, Romanian and Hungarian, the theatre runs its activity in a building harmoniously integrated in a modern architectonic assembly. Its activity started officially in 1978. There is also the Studio Theatre (6, Köteles Sámuel street), within the building of the Theatre Academy, as well as the Ariel Theatre for Children and Youth (2, Poştei street)
The Administrative Palace - 2, Primăriei street
Was the first building meant to give a modern, urban aspect to the centre of the town at the beginning of the 20th century. It was constructed between 1905-1907 and for over 55 years it had been the headquarters of the Town Hall. The palace is impressive by its 60 metres high tower, constructed initially as a fire alarm tower. Afterwards it became the administrative headquarters of the Mureş County Council and the Prefecture.

The Mureş County Museum - 24, Horea street It is one of the most important buildings in Tîrgu-Mureş specific to Neoclassicism and constructed between 1890-1893, at the initiative of the Economic and Cultural Society of the Seklars. It was meant to be an Industrial Art Museum. The works were produced by two masters: Sófalvi József and Pál Sóos.

The Folk Art and Ethnographic Museum - 11, Trandafirilor Square This building bearing the name "Toldalagi Palace", after its founder, count Toldalagi Laszlo, is one of the most beautiful Baroque palaces of Transylvania. The Folk Art and Ethnographic department of the County Museum has been in this building since 1984. The Museum of Natural Sciences - 24, Horea street Was built in Neo-Baroque style, bearing elements of the Italian Renaissance. It was initially destined to become a place for the Seklar Art Museum. Nowadays it hosts several exhibition materials belonging to the Mureş area's natural treasures.

The Teleki House - 3-5, Bernády Square Residence of count Teleki Domokos, built between 1797-1803 is presently the property of the Protestant Church.
The Bányai House - 12, Trandafirilor Square Built in an eclectic style between 1904-1907, by Pál Sóos after the plans of architect Nagy Gyözõ, the building was the residence of Mayor Bernády György between 1933-1937. The Köpeczi-Teleki House - 1, Revolutiei street Is the oldest palace in the town. It was built in 1554, at the initiative of Köpeczi Tamás, a noble man during the reign of Queen Isabella. The House with Arcades - 1, Calarasilor street Initially the building hosted the Roman-Catholic school, under the auspices of Queen Maria Teresa. The building, partially destroyed by the Great Fire in 1873, was reconstructed in 1905. Court of Appeal - 30, Bolyai street The building was constructed in 1789, in late Baroque style, presenting also Classic elements. Today is the headquarters of the Mureş Court of Appeal. Ever since 1827, the building has hosted the Transylvanian forum of appeal - the Royal Board. Young Romanian chancellors such as Avram Iancu, Al. Papiu Ilarian took part in this committee. The Apollo Palace - 5, Trandafirilor Square This building was constructed in an eclectic style by count Teleki Sámuel, between 1821-1822. It was the performance place of theatre companies visiting the town.

The "Mureşul" Entertainment and Sport Centre Taking benefit from a particularly pleasant environment - a park on the shore of the small collecting lake formed by the embankment over the Mureş river - The "Mureşul" Entertainment and Sport Centre offers multiple and varied possibilities for entertainment and relaxation.

The "Mureşul" Entertainment and Sport Centre, known locally even under the name "Weekend", has been refurbished and utilized since the end of the 19th century, around an ex-backwater of the Mureş river. The centre started from a canoeing area, including, at present, other four pools, of different dimensions and depths, destined for both swimmers and non-swimmers.
"The Guest House", within the Centre, belonging to the City Hall, has a restaurant with 70 seats, a conference room with 30 seats, a terrace with 100 seats, allowing accommodation for 22 persons. The Centre offers the possibility of renting boats for the canoeing area, as well as other equipments necessary to sport activities. There are mini-football, basketball, handball, volleyball and tennis grounds as well as areas for other recreational activities.
In the summer season an average of 6,000 persons/day spend their spare time in the Weekend Centre. In this period there also take place several open-air performances, discos, competitions and sport events. The Tîrgu-Mures City Hall is concerned about involving and attracting investors to promote high-standard modern services, to establish public-private partnerships for the benefit of both the town and the investors. In this respect, those who are interested are offered the possibility to refurbish an entertainment park, and to take into concession fields within the Centre, in order to implement sport, entertainment and relaxation projects.