Bistrita
Encyclopedia
Bistrița (ˈbistrit͡sa; , archaic Nösen; ) is the capital city
of Bistriţa-Năsăud County
, Transylvania
, Romania
. It is situated on the Bistriţa River. The city has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and it administers six villages: Ghinda, Sărata, Sigmir, Slătiniţa, Unirea and Viişoara.
remains. The Turkic
Pechenegs settled the area in 12th century following attack from Cumans
. The native Hungarians
called these Turkic settlers "Besenyő" and gave them the district centered on Beszterce. Transylvanian Saxons
settled the area in 1206 and called the region "Nösnerland
". The destruction of Markt Nosa ("Market Nösen") under the Mongols
of central Europe
is described in a document from 1241. Situated on several trade route
s, Bistritz became a flourishing medieval
trading post. The town was named after the Bistriţa River, whose name comes from the Slavic
word bystrica meaning "fast-moving water".
Beszterce became a free royal town in 1330. In 1353 it gained the right to organize an annual 15-day fair
, as well as a seal
containing the coat of arms
of an ostrich
with a horseshoe in its beak. In 1465, the city's fortifications had 18 defensive towers and bastion
s defended by the local guild
s. It was also defended by a Kirchenburg, or fortified church. The town was badly damaged by fire five times between 1836 and 1850.
The city became part of Romania
after 1919, reverting
briefly to Hungarian
control between 1940 and 1944 and being reintegrated into Romania after World War II
.
church, which was built by the Transylvanian Saxons
and originally constructed in the 14th century in Gothic
style but later remodeled between 1559–1563 by Petrus Italus with Renaissance
features. It was renovated in 1998.
The church suffered from fire in 1857, when the tower's roof and the bells were destroyed. The roof was rebuilt after several years.
The Bistriţa-Năsăud County Museum, located in a former barracks
, contains Thracian
, Celtic, and German artifacts. 19th century fires destroyed much of the city's medieval citadel.
's novel Dracula
, the character Jonathan Harker
visits Bistriţa and stays at the Golden Krone Hotel . Although no such hotel existed when the novel was written, a hotel of the same name has since been built for tourists.
In the PlayStation 2
game Shadow Hearts
, Bistriţa (where it is spelled "Biztritz") was a major place and home to the role-playing character Keith Valentine.
via a night train, and Cluj-Napoca
via several trains. Access from Bistriţa to major railway lines is generally through connections in Dej
or Beclean pe Someş, although some other trains stop at the nearby railway junction of Sărăţel
.
Bistriţa also serves as a midway point for C&I, a transport service, and is a changing point for people traveling between Suceava
, Satu Mare, Cluj-Napoca
, Sibiu
, Sighişoara
, Târgu Mureş, and Braşov
.
Nearest airport is Cluj-Napoca Airport
, which is located 110 km. from Bistriţa.
with:
L'Aquila
, Italy
(since 2006) Besançon
, France
(since 1997) Montreuil
, France
(1993) Zielona Góra
, Poland
(since 2001) Columbus, Georgia
, United States
(since 2003) Herzogenrath
, Germany
(since 2005)
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Bistriţa-Năsăud County
Bistrita-Nasaud County
Bistrița-Năsăud is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Bistrița.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 311,657 and the population density was 58/km².*Romanians – 90.3%*Hungarians – 5.9%*Roma – 3.6%...
, Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It is situated on the Bistriţa River. The city has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and it administers six villages: Ghinda, Sărata, Sigmir, Slătiniţa, Unirea and Viişoara.
History
The earliest sign of settlement in the area of Bistriţa is in NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
remains. The Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
Pechenegs settled the area in 12th century following attack from Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
. The native Hungarians
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
called these Turkic settlers "Besenyő" and gave them the district centered on Beszterce. Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
settled the area in 1206 and called the region "Nösnerland
Nösnerland
The Nösnerland is an historic region of northeastern Transylvania in present-day Romania centered between the Bistriţa and Mureş rivers.Beginning in the 12th century and increasingly in the 13th-14th centuries, Hungarian kings invited German colonists to settle in the eastern lands of the Kingdom...
". The destruction of Markt Nosa ("Market Nösen") under the Mongols
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
of central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
is described in a document from 1241. Situated on several trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
s, Bistritz became a flourishing medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
trading post. The town was named after the Bistriţa River, whose name comes from the Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
word bystrica meaning "fast-moving water".
Beszterce became a free royal town in 1330. In 1353 it gained the right to organize an annual 15-day fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
, as well as a seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
containing the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of an ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
with a horseshoe in its beak. In 1465, the city's fortifications had 18 defensive towers and bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s defended by the local guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s. It was also defended by a Kirchenburg, or fortified church. The town was badly damaged by fire five times between 1836 and 1850.
The city became part of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
after 1919, reverting
Second Vienna Award
The Second Vienna Award was the second of two Vienna Awards arbitrated by the Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Rendered on August 30, 1940, it re-assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary.-Prelude and historical background :After the World War I, the multi-ethnic...
briefly to Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
control between 1940 and 1944 and being reintegrated into Romania after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Demographics
According to the last census, from 2002, there were 81,259 people living within the city of Bistriţa, making it the 30th largest city in Romania. The ethnic makeup is as follows:- RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
: 73,613 (90.59%) - Hungarians: 5,204 (6.4%)
- Roma: 1,958 (2.4%)
- GermansEthnic GermanEthnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
(Transylvanian Saxons): 370 (0.45%) - Other: 0.16%
Main sights
The main attraction of Bistriţa's central square is the LutheranLutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
church, which was built by the Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
and originally constructed in the 14th century in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style but later remodeled between 1559–1563 by Petrus Italus with Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
features. It was renovated in 1998.
Recent events
On June 11, 2008, the tower and roof of the church caught fire when three children who went to steal copper set it on fire while playing. The main part of the church suffered just a little damage and is not in much danger, the interior being intact. It is speculated that both bells residing in the tower (one dating from the 15th century, the other from the 17th) might have melted.The church suffered from fire in 1857, when the tower's roof and the bells were destroyed. The roof was rebuilt after several years.
The Bistriţa-Năsăud County Museum, located in a former barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, contains Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
, Celtic, and German artifacts. 19th century fires destroyed much of the city's medieval citadel.
Popular culture
In Bram StokerBram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's novel Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, the character Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is one of the main protagonists in the 1897 horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with Count Dracula and the Brides of Dracula at Castle Dracula constitutes the dramatic opening scenes in the novel and most of the film adaptations.-In the...
visits Bistriţa and stays at the Golden Krone Hotel . Although no such hotel existed when the novel was written, a hotel of the same name has since been built for tourists.
In the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts
is a series of role playing games for the PlayStation 2. The original Shadow Hearts was developed by Sacnoth and released by Midway in the United States on December 11, 2001. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant , was also made by the same group, although Sacnoth reformed itself into a company...
, Bistriţa (where it is spelled "Biztritz") was a major place and home to the role-playing character Keith Valentine.
Transportation
The major cities directly linked by trains to this city are BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
via a night train, and Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
via several trains. Access from Bistriţa to major railway lines is generally through connections in Dej
Dej
Dej is a city in northwestern Romania, 60 km north of Cluj-Napoca, in Cluj County. It lies where the Someşul Mic River meets the river Someşul Mare River...
or Beclean pe Someş, although some other trains stop at the nearby railway junction of Sărăţel
Sieu-Magherus
Şieu-Măgheruş is a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Arcalia, Chintelnic, Crainimăt, Podirei, Sărăţel, Şieu-Măgheruş and Valea Măgheruşului....
.
Bistriţa also serves as a midway point for C&I, a transport service, and is a changing point for people traveling between Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
, Satu Mare, Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
, Sighişoara
Sighisoara
Sighişoara is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 27,706 ....
, Târgu Mureş, and Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
.
Nearest airport is Cluj-Napoca Airport
Cluj-Napoca International Airport
Cluj-Napoca International Airport serves the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It was initially known as Someşeni Airport as it is located east of the city centre in the Someşeni area, which is now within the Cluj-Napoca city limits. In terms of traffic, it is the fourth airport in Romania, after...
, which is located 110 km. from Bistriţa.
Tourism
- Arcalia Dendrological Park (17 km from Bistriţa) it hosts over 150 species of trees (Japanese acacia, silver fir trees, Caucasian spruceCaucasian SprucePicea orientalis, commonly known as the Caucasian Spruce or Oriental Spruce, is a spruce native to the Caucasus and adjacent northeast Turkey. It is a large evergreen tree growing to 30–45 m tall , and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m .The shoots are buff-brown, and moderately pubescent...
fir) - Colibita Lake (artificial dam, situated in Bargau Mountains)
- Lakes Lala Mare and Lala Mic (glacier lakes, below Ineu top)
Natural reservations
- National ParkNational parkA national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Rodna Mountains (37,429 ha in Bistriţa – Nasaud county) - Piatra Corbului – “Raven’s Rock” – (geological and vegetal park, situated in Calimani Mountains)
- The Salt Mount in Saratel
- Tausoare Cave (the deepest cave in Romania – 478.5 m)
Resorts
- Sângeorz–Băi (balneo – climatic resort, situated in Rodna Mountains, approx. 55 km from Bistriţa)
- Colibita (approx. 50 km from Bistriţa)
- Piatra Fantanele (approx. 60 km from Bistriţa, at an altitude of 1100 m (3,608.92 ft) – Tihuta PassTihuta PassTihuţa Pass is a high mountain pass in the Romanian Bârgău Mountains connecting Bistriţa with Vatra Dornei ....
) - Valea Vinului – Wine Valley – (approx. 90 km from Bistriţa)
Museums and exhibitions
- Transylvanian Saxons’ Museum - Livezile
- Museum of Contemporary Art – Sangeorz-BaiSângeorz-BaiSângeorz-Băi is a well-known spa resort and town in the beautiful mountain region of Bistriţa-Năsăud County in Transylvania, Romania...
- Andrei Muresanu Memorial House – Bistriţa
- Liviu Rebreanu Memorial House – Liviu Rebreanu village
- Silversmith’s House – Bistriţa
- George Cosbuc Memorial House – Cosbuc village
- Ion-Pop Reteganul Memorial House – Reteag village
Notable residents
- Arnold GraffiArnold GraffiArnold Graffi was a pioneering German doctor in the area of experimental cancer research.Graffi was born in the Saxon town of Bistritz in Transylvania, then part of Austria-Hungary. He studied medicine at Marburg, Leipzig, and Tübingen before receiving his doctorate at the Charité in Berlin...
(1910–2006), doctor - Andrei MureşanuAndrei MuresanuAndrei Mureșianu was a Romanian poet and revolutionary of Transylvania .Born to a family of peasants, he studied philosophy and theology in Blaj. Starting in 1838, Mureșianu was a professor at Brașov...
(1816–1863), writer of the Romanian national anthemDesteapta-te, române!"Deșteaptă-te, române" is Romania's national anthem.... - George CoşbucGeorge CosbucGeorge Coşbuc was a Romanian poet, translator, teacher, and journalist, best remembered for his verses describing, praising and eulogizing rural life, its many travails but also its occasions for joy....
(1866–1918), writer - Liviu RebreanuLiviu RebreanuLiviu Rebreanu was a Romanian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and journalist.- Life :Born in Târlișua , Transylvania, then part of Austria-Hungary, he was the second of thirteen children born to Vasile Rebreanu, a schoolteacher, and Ludovica Diuganu, descendants of peasants...
(1885–1944), writer - Franz Karl Franchy (1896–1972), writer
Teams
- Gloria Bistriţa playing in RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
's First soccer league, Liga ILiga ILiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
Twin towns - sister cities
Bistriţa is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(since 2006) Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(since 1997) Montreuil
Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis
Montreuil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is the third most populous suburb of Paris...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1993) Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is a city in Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, with 117,557 inhabitants within the city limits and 294,000 inhabitants within the metropolitan area, including three neighbouring counties ....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(since 2001) Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(since 2003) Herzogenrath
Herzogenrath
Herzogenrath is a municipality in the district of Aachen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It borders the Dutch town of Kerkrade, the national border in one section running along the middle of a main road.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(since 2005)