It is the most reviewed place in Sighet, with 4.7 on Google from more than 13,000 reviews, a listed monument of national value and a holder of the European Heritage Label.
About the place
The prison was built in 1897. Between 1950 and 1955 it was a maximum-security prison: more than a hundred former ministers, academics, historians, journalists and politicians were brought here, followed by Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic bishops and priests. Iuliu Maniu and Gheorghe Brătianu were among the inmates. Of about 200 prisoners, 54 died. Ana Blandiana and Romulus Rusan proposed the museum to the Council of Europe in 1993, and it opened on 20 June 1997.
The former cells became about 60 rooms, arranged in chronological order. In the courtyard are the Space for Recollection and Prayer, with the names of almost 8,000 people who died in prisons and camps, and a group of statues by Aurel Vlad. A visit takes about an hour on average. It holds 4.7 on Google from about 13,200 reviews.
Good to know
- Until 14 April it is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; from 15 April to 14 October it is open daily, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
- The Paupers' Cemetery (Cimitirul Săracilor), dedicated to the political prisoners who died here, is about 2.5 km away and belongs to the Memorial.
- The Elie Wiesel Memorial House is about 400 metres away; you can see both on the same day.
Opening hours
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:30–16:30 |
| Wednesday | 9:30–16:30 |
| Thursday | 9:30–16:30 |
| Friday | 9:30–16:30 |
| Saturday | 9:30–16:30 |
| Sunday | 9:30–16:30 |
Hours may change on public holidays. Check before you go.