Want to stay in a place right next to the Old Town’s walls in Cluj-Napoca, Romania? Then the Retro Hostel is your best choice. Located on 11-13 Potaissa Street, a quiet pedestrian street, next to the medieval wall and just a few minutes away from the main square, Retro Hostel is the oldest hostel in the city, opened since 2002.
Besides being rated as one of Romania’s best hostels, the following sections will show you why it’s worth staying at Retro Hostel while you’re in Cluj-Napoca.
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Plenty of room choices
Retro Hostel can accommodate up to 50 people in single, double, and triple rooms or 4 / 6-bed dorms with private or shared bathrooms. Prices range from 60 RON / 13.5 EUR / 15 USD (a bed in a 6-bed dorm with shared bathroom) to 120 RON / 27 EUR / 30 USD (single room with a private bathroom).
The rooms are not the largest, but they are very clean and comfortable, and the beds are also comfortable. The bathrooms are spacious enough and there is good water pressure in the shower.
Fully equipped kitchen space and delicious breakfast options
Free homemade breakfast is included in the room price. You have four breakfast menus to choose from every morning, including pancakes, omelets, fried eggs, veggies, muesli, yoghurt, fruit, honey and more. Breakfast is served in the basement kitchen that’s also used as common lounge area. If it’s rainy, you can hang out there with the rest of the guests, watch some DVDs, play games, have a party, etc. The space is moderately comfortable (no couches, armchairs), but there is enough space to hang out with others.
The kitchen has all the basic utilities, including an oven, fridge, microwave and dishes, so you can prepare your own meals.
Other free services
Free services include bikes for rent, city maps and directions, Wi-Fi, linen and towels, safety deposit boxes, a sauna and friendly staff ready to assist you. There’s also a desk with a PC computer and a printer, should you need them. Not necessarily the ideal workspace for digital nomads (no dedicated space for office work and can get quite noisy when too many guests come and go), but you can get things done in the common area.
Retro Hostel will also pick you up from the airport upon request (for five people or more). For extra fees, you can ask the staff about international calling cards, day trips across Transylvania to places like the Turda Salt Mine, Nicula Monastery, Rosia Montana and its mining excavation areas and ancient galleries, Sibiu, Scarisoara Ice Cave, Maramures, Felix thermal baths (a thermal spa resort 155 km / 96 miles from Cluj-Napoca), Bear’s Cave, Biertan Saxon Village, cycling tours, rafting, horseback riding and more. You can also buy cheap, round-trip bus tickets from Cluj to Budapest (95 RON / 21 EUR / 24 USD).
Nearby attractions
The hostel is in a great location; you can reach the main attractions in less than five minutes. As you come out of the hostel and go left, you’ll see a big portion of the medieval wall of the old town, built in the 15th century. Inside the hostel, there’s actually a portion of the old fortification wall, which you wouldn’t expect to see in a living space.
Right outside the hostel, there’s a quiet pedestrian area with old buildings and cafes. Bulgakov Café is one of them, a vibrant place for food and literature enthusiasts. The traditional “papanasi” dessert (creamy and sweet cottage cheese balls) is very delicious!
Within a short distance, there’s St. Michael church, the second largest Gothic cathedral in Transylvania, after the Black Church in Brasov. Step inside for a few minutes just to soak into the grandeur of this structure. Plus, St. Michael church has some really beautiful stained glass!
Affordable, central hostel
If you’re coming to Cluj and you’d like to stay somewhere really central, then Retro Hostel is a good choice. The staff is friendly and helpful, the decor is rustic and you’re close to the main attractions in the city.
History
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