# Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal)

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Cluj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/cluj) › [Cluj-Napoca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/cluj-napoca)

> Cluj's first Orthodox church, a Baroque building of 1795–1796 with an octagonal nave, an iconostasis painted in 1796 and a churchyard with an old Orthodox cemetery.

**At a glance:** Churches in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 7 November 2026.

## Key facts

- **Visit duration:** 30 min — the interior and the courtyard
- **With kids:** Yes — short, quiet visit
- **Best season:** All year round — all year
- **Address:** Strada Bisericii Ortodoxe 10, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County
- **Coordinates:** 46.76532, 23.58895
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_on_the_Hill_(Cluj-Napoca)
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1413401
- **Categories:** [Churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/churches), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monuments-and-historic-sites)

## About Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal)

The Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity, known to Cluj residents as the Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal), is the first Orthodox church in Cluj and a Baroque historic monument. The city's Orthodox community, which included many Romanian, Greek and Aromanian merchants, asked for permission to build a church as early as 1788; approval from Vienna came in 1790, and the land was bought a short distance from the walls of the fortress, on Hajongard hill. Building took from 1795 to 1796, with help from Romanians in Brașov and Wallachia, and the first liturgy was celebrated at Christmas 1796.

Between 1921 and 1933 the church was the cathedral of the Diocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, until the new cathedral opened. In the interwar years the parish house in the courtyard hosted the literary circle of Victor Papilian, which Lucian Blaga also attended.

### What you can see

The church is small: it is ~19 m long and ~9 m wide, with a bell tower of ~19 m. The porch is separated from the nave by three arches, and the massive corner pilasters, set at 45°, turn the nave into an octagonal space, typical of the Baroque, covered by a Bohemian cap vault. The iconostasis was painted in 1796 by the deacon Constantin Zugravul (the Painter) from Șcheii Brașovului; the mural painting inside is recent. Around the church lies a courtyard with an old Orthodox cemetery, with crosses and stone funerary monuments. The building has been repaired several times, most recently between 2003 and 2010.

### Good to know

The church belongs to the Orthodox parish of the Holy Trinity and is in use, so visiting takes account of services.

## Don't miss

- Cluj's first Orthodox church, built in 1795–1796.
- The octagonal nave, with corner pilasters at 45° and a Bohemian cap vault.
- The iconostasis painted in 1796 by the deacon Constantin Zugravul.
- The ~19 m bell tower above the west entrance.
- The courtyard with the old Orthodox cemetery and its funerary monuments.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the church is on Strada Bisericii Ortodoxe, south of the historic centre, ~1.5 km from Union Square (Piața Unirii, ~4 minutes) and ~3.6 km from Cluj-Napoca railway station (~7 minutes).

**On foot:** it is ~650 m from Union Square (~10 minutes) and ~2.7 km from the railway station (~35 minutes).

### Rules

This is a working church: keep quiet and dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered); services take priority over visits. Photography inside is done with the agreement of the priest or the church attendant. Animals are not allowed.

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1795–1796
- **Dedication:** Holy Trinity
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Baroque
- **Historical period:** early modern period

## Frequently asked questions about Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal)

**How long does a visit to Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal) take?**

A visit to Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal) takes about 30 min (the interior and the courtyard).

**Can you visit Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal) with kids?**

Yes, Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal) is suitable for children (short, quiet visit).

**How do I get to Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal)?**

Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal) is located at Strada Bisericii Ortodoxe 10, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal)?**

The best season for Holy Trinity Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal): All year round (all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/alexandru-borza-botanical-garden) — Parks and gardens · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 21 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 0 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.
- [Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ethnographic-museum-of-transylvania) — Museums and memorial houses · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 1 – 1½ hours · 1 km
  The permanent folk culture exhibition in the Reduta Palace, the building in central Cluj where the Memorandum Trial was held: tools, costumes, ceramics and textiles from Transylvanian villages.
- [Piața Unirii (Union Square)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-unirii) — 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/st-michael-s-roman-catholic-church-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.
- [Central Cemetery (Hajongard)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/central-cemetery) — Monuments and historic sites · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · Free · 1 – 1¼ hours · 1 km
  One of the oldest cemeteries in Cluj-Napoca, founded in 1585 and spread over 14 sloping hectares: crypts, columns and gravestones of notable Transylvanians.
- [Bánffy Palace in Cluj-Napoca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/banffy-palace-in-cluj-napoca) — Castles and palaces · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 16 lei · Top 100 · 1 km
  The finest Baroque palace in Transylvania, built between 1774 and 1785 on Cluj's Union Square, with classical statues along its attic; it houses the Art Museum, with five centuries of Romanian and Transylvanian painting.

## Featured in the guides

- [Things to do in Cluj-Napoca: what to see in 1–2 days, in the city and nearby](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/things-to-do-in-cluj-napoca) — Union Square and St Michael's, Bánffy Palace (16 lei), the free Firemen's Tower, Cetățuia, the Botanical Garden, the Ethnographic Park. Winter hours, day trips.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/holy-trinity-church-on-the-hill
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-sfanta-treime-din-deal-cluj-napoca.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/dreifaltigkeitskirche-auf-dem-huegel.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/chiesa-della-santissima-trinita.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/eglise-de-la-sainte-trinite.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/iglesia-de-la-santisima-trinidad.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/szentharomsag-ortodox-templom.md
Last updated: 7 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania