About Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden
At a glance: Parks and gardens in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 20:00. Ticket: 21 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 11 October 2026.
The “Alexandru Borza” Botanical Garden belongs to Babeș-Bolyai University and was conceived by the botanist whose name it bears, who came to Cluj after 1919. The plan was drawn up in 1920, and on 25 June 1925 the garden opened to the general public. It covers almost 14 hectares in the south of the city, on undulating ground crossed by a stream, and is listed as a historic monument (LMI code CJ-II-a-B-07455). The administrator speaks of more than 200,000 visitors a year, and Wikipedia gives more than 10,000 plant species.
The space is divided into sectors: ornamental, systematic, economic, the flora and vegetation of Romania, and the phytogeographic sector, with plants from the Balkans, the Himalayas, North America or the deserts of Africa. Along the paths are statues, among them the bust of Borza, a statue of Mihai Eminescu given by the city hall in 1935 and the figure “Marea Doamnă a Călatei” (the Great Lady of Călata).
What you can see
The Japanese garden, designed by Borza, has at its centre a tea house built over a small lake and covered in wisteria, with two waterfalls, a stone bridge, a red arched bridge, stone lanterns and a torii gate. The greenhouse complex, built between 1957 and 1960, has three greenhouses open to the public: the equatorial one, with the Victoria cruziana water lily, the palm house, 16 m tall, and the Mediterranean and Australian house. In the Roman Garden stand the statue of the goddess Ceres and two sarcophagi from the cemetery of ancient Napoca. The botanical museum, with almost 7,000 exhibits, is on the ground floor of the Botanical Institute, and from the water tower you can look over the crowns of the trees in the systematic sector.
Good to know
The greenhouses are closed on the first two Mondays of each month for maintenance, and the ticket costs less in that period. Visiting hours differ from month to month, and the greenhouses have shorter hours than the garden; the details are under opening hours.
- The Japanese garden, with the tea house on the lake, the red bridge and the torii gate.
- The palm house, 16 m tall, with palms more than 145 years old.
- The giant Victoria cruziana water lily in the equatorial greenhouse, visible from spring until late autumn.
- The Roman Garden, with the statue of the goddess Ceres and sarcophagi from ancient Napoca.
- The water tower in the systematic sector, as a viewpoint over the tree crowns.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the entrance is at Republicii Street no. 42, south of the centre of Cluj, less than a kilometre from Piața Unirii. Enter “Grădina Botanică Alexandru Borza” or the address in your GPS; the administrator does not mention a car park of the garden's own.
Public transport: the official website recommends no particular lines; check the local transport app in Cluj-Napoca for the lines that stop on Republicii Street. From the centre you can also walk, in about 10–15 minutes.
- Where to park
The official website gives no information about parking. In the central areas of Cluj, street parking is usually paid and spaces are few, especially at weekends and on fine spring days: check the signs and the city's parking app.
- Fees & discounts
Adult ticket: 21 lei, or 14 lei while the greenhouses are closed. Children over 3, pupils, students from other universities up to 26 years old and pensioners: 11 lei (6 lei without the greenhouses). Family ticket with the greenhouses open: 48 lei for 2 adults and 1 child, 56 lei for 2 adults and 2 children. Entry is free for students and staff of Babeș-Bolyai University, children under 3, people with disabilities and their companions, children from care homes and war veterans, on presentation of supporting documents. Passes are available monthly (63 lei adult), quarterly, half-yearly and yearly (354 lei adult). Organised groups of 15 preschoolers or pupils with a teacher: 158 lei per group (95 lei with the greenhouses closed). A professional guided tour costs 224 lei, lasts at most 2 hours, is for groups of at most 30 people, Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:00, and must be requested at least three working days in advance. Professional photography or filming, in the outdoor areas only, costs 244 lei per photographer per session. The rates are those on the official website; the page is undated, but it also covers the period when the greenhouses are closed, and a local guide from May 2026 gives the same sums. It is not stated whether the botanical museum is paid separately.
- Rules
Pets, bicycles and scooters are not allowed. The usual rules of a botanical garden apply: keep to the paths, do not break or pick plants, flowers or fruit, do not drop litter, do not walk on the beds and do not feed the animals in the lake. The full visiting regulations are published on the garden's website. Personal photography is normally allowed; professional photos and filming need permission and a fee.
- Facilities
laid-out paths · gate with ticket office on Republicii Street · shop at the gate, with guides, postcards, potted plants and bulbs · botanical museum · sector for visually impaired people, with Braille labels and a tactile map at the entrance · Step-Hear app for orientation · no information on a café or restaurant
Frequently asked questions about Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden
- How much is a ticket to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden?
- A ticket to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden costs 21 lei (reduced 11 lei; family 48 lei). Adult ticket: 21 lei, or 14 lei while the greenhouses are closed. Children over 3, pupils, students from other universities up to 26 years old and pensioners: 11 lei (6 lei without the greenhouses). Family ticket with the greenhouses open: 48 lei for 2 adults and 1 child, 56 lei for 2 adults and 2 children. Entry is free for students and staff of Babeș-Bolyai University, children under 3, people with disabilities and their companions, children from care homes and war veterans, on presentation of supporting documents. Passes are available monthly (63 lei adult), quarterly, half-yearly and yearly (354 lei adult). Organised groups of 15 preschoolers or pupils with a teacher: 158 lei per group (95 lei with the greenhouses closed). A professional guided tour costs 224 lei, lasts at most 2 hours, is for groups of at most 30 people, Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:00, and must be requested at least three working days in advance. Professional photography or filming, in the outdoor areas only, costs 244 lei per photographer per session. The rates are those on the official website; the page is undated, but it also covers the period when the greenhouses are closed, and a local guide from May 2026 gives the same sums. It is not stated whether the botanical museum is paid separately.
- What are the opening hours of Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden?
- Opening hours at Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden: daily 09:00 – 20:00. Summer hours (1 May – 30 September): daily 9:00–20:00. In 2026 the hours change by month: January–February and November–December 9:00–17:00, March 9:00–18:00, April and October 9:00–19:00. Tickets are sold up to one hour before closing. The large greenhouses have shorter hours: 9:00–18:00 in April–September, 9:00–17:00 in March and October, 9:00–16:00 in November–February; the last ticket with greenhouse access is sold 45 minutes before, and the last visitors enter the greenhouse 15 minutes later. The greenhouses are closed on the first two Mondays of each month. The garden is closed on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 24 January. The botanical museum is open Monday to Friday, 9:00–15:00, except on public holidays.
- How long does a visit to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden take?
- A visit to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden takes about 1½ – 2 hours (the garden's recommended time).
- Can you visit Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden with kids?
- Yes, Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden is suitable for children (wide paths, greenhouses, the Japanese lake).
- Where can I park at Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden?
- There is paid parking at Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden (on the street, in a paid zone). The official website gives no information about parking. In the central areas of Cluj, street parking is usually paid and spaces are few, especially at weekends and on fine spring days: check the signs and the city's parking app.
- How do I get to Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden?
- Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden is located at Republicii Street no. 42, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. By car: the entrance is at Republicii Street no. 42, south of the centre of Cluj, less than a kilometre from Piața Unirii. Enter “Grădina Botanică Alexandru Borza” or the address in your GPS; the administrator does not mention a car park of the garden's own. Public transport: the official website recommends no particular lines; check the local transport app in Cluj-Napoca for the lines that stop on Republicii Street. From the centre you can also walk, in about 10–15 minutes.
- When is the best time to visit Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden?
- The best season for Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden: April – October (tulips in April).
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