HISTORY

Located at the crossing of national and international interest roads, the Cluj-Napoca city has always been a tourist attraction, due to its monuments with a historical past and to the various cultural and scientific activity facilitated by the priceless values that lie in the museums and libraries of national importance, by the existence of the drama and lyrical theatres with national and international audience and last but not least by the existence of the first open air museum from Romania, “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographical Park, an open air section of the Ethnographical Museum (a village museum) located in the Hoia area in Cluj-Napoca..

The Premier Hotel Group started its activity since 2005 and is located at 10 minutes away from the centre of the city, in Grigorescu district, on Donath Street, at the edge of the Hoia forest, another of the areas with a strong historical and ethnographical impact.

The legend of Donath, an inhabitant from Cluj to whom the citizens bestowed a statue, was best retraced by Lukacs Jozsef, the author of the book “Povestea
oraşului - comoară" (“The Story of the Town – the Treasure”). The story told by that legend happened when the Turkish were the greatest danger for the country. But because it was known the fact that Transilvania Civitas Primaria, the first Transylvanian city, was protected by big walls and numerous warriors, they avoid a direct attack.
They though about starting a long time siege and to famish the city until they succeeded in conquer it. Cluj city was prepared for a long time siege: the city was big, wealthy, had food resources and the water was not a problem, because the Someş river was flowing right under the walls of the castle.

But the Turkish conceived an evil plan. They though to make a channel through the hill that separated the Someş Valley and the Nadăş Valley and to deviate Someş river into the Nadăş Valley, thus leaving the city without water. They brought into effect the plan and, according to the author, they started “to dig the hill”.

“Fortunately, a shepherd named Donath, who fed upon his flock of sheep near the Hoia forest, noticed what was happening. He realised that the Turkish plan represented a real danger for the city. So he left his flock and ran by the Manaştur Gate to the centre of the Cluj, where he alerted the defenders of the city.

The legend also says that, after he propagated the news, because of the effort and the excitement, Donath died unexpectedly. The citizens of Cluj attacked and beat the Turkish from the city. As a reward and gratitude for Donath’s heroic action, they set up a statue on the Fortress Hill, in the very place where he used to feed his sheep.

Since that moment, from time out of mind it is said that the stone man climbs down every night to make sure that the town is safe and after he replenish his ewer with water from the Someş River, he goes back on the hill top, at Tăietura Turcului (the Turkish Channel).”

Nearby the Hotel Group is also located “Romulus Vuia” Ethnographical Park,an open air section of the Ethnographical Museum, first of this kind in Romania.

The scientific plan of the Park was elaborated in 1929 by Romulus Vuia, as a response to the necessity to make a complex ethnographical museum, where the pavilion exhibition and the open air one will complete each other. The Museum was conceived as a living museum where a part of the transferred objectives were going to be lived by representative families for the areas they were brought in. Coming in anticipation of the history and Romanian traditions, the Premier Hotel Group can offer in the summer rustic meals from the traditional cuisine, on the premises of the “Romulus Vuia” Ethnographical Park.