# Central Cemetery (Hajongard)

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> One of the oldest cemeteries in Cluj-Napoca, founded in 1585 and spread over 14 sloping hectares: crypts, columns and gravestones of notable Transylvanians.

**At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. Opening hours: daily 08:00 – 21:00. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 1 – 1¼ hours. Information verified on 27 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 08:00 – 21:00 — Visiting hours: 1 April – 15 November 08:00–21:00, 16 November – 31 March 08:00–17:00, every day.
- **Ticket:** Free — free entry
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1¼ hours — depending on the avenues walked
- **With kids:** Yes — a quiet walk
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the surrounding streets
- **Best season:** All year round — spring and autumn
- **Address:** Avram Iancu Street 28, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County
- **Coordinates:** 46.7625, 23.5947
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajongard_cemetery
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q714902
- **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Central Cemetery (Hajongard)

The Central Cemetery in Cluj-Napoca, also known as Hajongard (Házsongárd in Hungarian), is one of the oldest cemeteries in the city. It was founded in 1585, during a plague epidemic, on a slope south of the walls of the medieval town; today it covers about 14 hectares, and the entrance is on Avram Iancu Street.

From the start it was a public cemetery, open to all regardless of religion or nationality, so Saxons, Hungarians and Romanians found their resting place here. The oldest surviving gravestone dates from 1599, in the Lutheran part. The ensemble is a listed historic monument (LMI code CJ-IV-s-B-07839), and almost 400 graves and funerary monuments are also listed individually. Because of the notable people buried here, the place is sometimes called the "Pantheon of Transylvania".

### What you can see

The avenues climb a wooded slope among gravestones four centuries old: gabled stones from the 16th and 17th centuries, Neo-Gothic crypts such as those of the Mikó and Donogány families, the Mauksch–Hintz crypt with Empire-style bas-reliefs, the Neo-Romanesque Bethlen crypt, obelisks and the Kendeffy column, guarded by four lions. Buried here are, among others, the humanist Apáczai Csere János (1625–1659), the linguist Samuel Brassai (1797–1897), the writer Miklós Bánffy (1873–1950), the scientist Emil Racoviță (1868–1947) and the human rights activist Doina Cornea (1929–2018). From the higher parts, the spire of St Michael's Church can be glimpsed between the trees.

### Good to know

It is a place of reflection, also visited by families remembering their dead: keep quiet and dress modestly. The avenues are on a slope, sometimes with steps. The neighbouring Jewish cemeteries are separate cemeteries.

## Don't miss

- The oldest gravestones, from 1599, in the Lutheran part of the cemetery.
- The Neo-Gothic, Empire and Neo-Romanesque crypts of noble families, among them the Bethlen crypt.
- The Kendeffy column, guarded by four lions.
- The graves of notable people such as Apáczai Csere János, Samuel Brassai, Miklós Bánffy, Emil Racoviță and Doina Cornea.
- The view between the trees, from the upper avenues, towards the spire of St Michael's Church.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** The cemetery is south of the historic centre, ~2.5 km from Piața Unirii (~4 minutes), ~3.5 km from Cluj-Napoca railway station (~5 minutes) and ~9 km from Avram Iancu International Airport (~15 minutes, depending on traffic). The entrance is on Avram Iancu Street.

**Public transport:** it can also be reached on foot from the centre, the cemetery being less than 1 km from Piața Unirii.

### Where to park

Parking around the entrance is paid, and spaces are few and fill up quickly on days with many visits, for example around 1 November. From the centre it is simpler to come on foot.

### Fees & discounts

There is no charge to enter the cemetery.

### Rules

It is a place of reflection: keep quiet, dress modestly, no food, no walking on graves and no climbing on monuments. Dogs and other pets are not allowed, nor are street vending and begging. Religious ceremonies are not photographed, and graves are photographed discreetly, without disturbing families visiting the cemetery.

### Facilities

Cemetery administration office on the grounds

## Details

- **Historical period:** since 1585

## Frequently asked questions about Central Cemetery (Hajongard)

**How much is a ticket to Central Cemetery (Hajongard)?**

Admission to Central Cemetery (Hajongard) is free (free entry). There is no charge to enter the cemetery.

**What are the opening hours of Central Cemetery (Hajongard)?**

Opening hours at Central Cemetery (Hajongard): daily 08:00 – 21:00. Visiting hours: 1 April – 15 November 08:00–21:00, 16 November – 31 March 08:00–17:00, every day.

**How long does a visit to Central Cemetery (Hajongard) take?**

A visit to Central Cemetery (Hajongard) takes about 1 – 1¼ hours (depending on the avenues walked).

**Can you visit Central Cemetery (Hajongard) with kids?**

Yes, Central Cemetery (Hajongard) is suitable for children (a quiet walk).

**Where can I park at Central Cemetery (Hajongard)?**

There is paid parking at Central Cemetery (Hajongard) (on the surrounding streets). Parking around the entrance is paid, and spaces are few and fill up quickly on days with many visits, for example around 1 November. From the centre it is simpler to come on foot.

**How do I get to Central Cemetery (Hajongard)?**

Central Cemetery (Hajongard) is located at Avram Iancu Street 28, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. By car: The cemetery is south of the historic centre, ~2.5 km from Piața Unirii (~4 minutes), ~3.5 km from Cluj-Napoca railway station (~5 minutes) and ~9 km from Avram Iancu International Airport (~15 minutes, depending on traffic). The entrance is on Avram Iancu Street. Public transport: it can also be reached on foot from the centre, the cemetery being less than 1 km from Piața Unirii.

**When is the best time to visit Central Cemetery (Hajongard)?**

The best season for Central Cemetery (Hajongard): All year round (spring and autumn).

## Nearby attractions

- [Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-botanica-cluj-napoca) — Parks and gardens · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 21 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 1 km
  The botanical garden of Babeș-Bolyai University, on almost 14 hectares in the south of Cluj: a Japanese garden with a tea house on a lake, greenhouses more than 60 years old, a water tower and a botanical museum.
- [Reformed Church on Ulița Lupilor](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-reformata-ulita-lupilor-cluj-napoca) — Churches · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 30 min · 1 km
  The Gothic hall church begun in 1486 for the Franciscans, with a 17th-century star vault, the 1646 pulpit, the 1913 Angster organ and the Apafi tombs.
- [Tailors' Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-croitorilor-cluj-napoca) — Fortresses and fortifications · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 30 min · 1 km
  A 15th-century defensive tower of Cluj's old citadel, rebuilt in 1627–1629 under Gabriel Bethlen; today an urban culture centre with exhibitions, a conference hall and a café.
- [Cluj-Napoca National Theatre](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/teatrul-national-cluj-napoca) — Monuments and historic sites · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 2 – 2½ hours · 1 km
  The neo-Baroque building of 1906, designed by the Viennese firm Fellner & Helmer, home to the “Lucian Blaga” National Theatre and the Romanian National Opera; seen at performances and on the Opera's guided tours.
- [Piața Unirii (Union Square)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-unirii-cluj-napoca) — Monuments and historic sites · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · Free · 30 min · 1 km
  The central square of Cluj, with the Gothic St Michael's Church, the 1902 equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus and the façades of the Bánffy Palace and the surrounding houses.
- [St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Cluj-Napoca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sfantul-mihail-cluj-napoca) — Churches · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 30 min · 1 km
  The Gothic hall church on Piața Unirii, built in the 14th–15th centuries, with a 76 m Neo-Gothic tower, a Baroque pulpit and the frescoes of the Schleunig chapel.

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Last updated: 27 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania