The best road cycling routes in Bistrița-Năsăud

Ovidenia is the old name of the holiday in the Orthodox calendar on November 21, which corresponds to the Entry of the Mother of God into the Church. The main Orthodox church of Bistrița is dedicated to this day. The building was originally the church of the Minorite Monastery of "St. Andrei", also called the Crown Church, which dates back to the 13th century. It is a hall church with cross vaults and pointed arches, representative of the early Transylvanian Gothic of Cistercian origin. The church was bought by the United Romanian Parish (Greek Catholic) in 1895. In 1948, with the proscription of the United Romanian Church by the communist regime, the entire complex (church and monastery) was handed over to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Bistrița is located in a wide depression, surrounded by rolling hills that dominate the landscape. The settlement was founded when the region in the north-eastern corner of Transylvania, which at the beginning of the Middle Ages lay between the royal possessions, was settled by settlers from Hungary, but above all by groups of Flemish, Walloons, Saxons and Bavarians, who were later grouped together under the name "Transylvanian Saxons". Through the Golden Bull of the Saxons of 1224, they were endowed with a number of rights and freedoms that brought them high social status and economic privileges. The first mention of the place dates back to 1241, when in the codes of the Echternach monastery, between the settlements destroyed by the Mongols, "oppidum Nosna" is mentioned, the name given by the settlers to the settlement founded on the banks of the Bistrita river.

Historic church from the 16th century

This natural curiosity was discovered by John Chintauan several decades ago. He originally wanted to call it Soldiers' Ravine, because the stones, he said, looked lined up like soldiers ready to go into battle. But after further research, he realized that the stones looked more like Russian dolls. The nature reserve known as “ravin aux dolls” has only two hectares and is made up of a vertical wall with compact sands, on which we can observe marly clays, marls, and concretionary sandstones. These layers form all kinds of patterns, which look like dolls, mushrooms, and even animal heads.

Bistrița is one of the seven Saxon fortresses in Transylvania. This city has an interesting history which can still be read through the architectural style of the many buildings and religious complexes. The evangelical church is the emblem of Bistrița. It is located in the center of the city. It is an architectural monument representative of the transition from Gothic to Renaissance style in Transylvania. The church tower is perched 75 meters high. It is one of the tallest towers in Romania. You can go to the top of the church by taking an elevator. Admiring the panorama of a city helps you better understand its layout and also helps you get your bearings.

The interior of this church is worth a detour. The Orthodox never take half measures in terms of religious art.

It is a very beautiful synagogue in the neo-Gothic style. Now a historic monument, the religious building reminds us of the vibrant life of the Jewish community living in the Bistrita of yesteryear, in the middle of a once multi-ethnic city.

Doroléa is a village which is part of the commune of Livezile. This town is an ancient Saxon colony. The Saxons have long since disappeared from the village, but the architecture remains. In the middle of the village, on a small promontory, stands the parish church in classical style. The village is part of a group of three with the same structures and the same historical development. It is a good example of what was a border village of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.