Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance
Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance
Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance
4.5
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
341 reviews
Excellent
244
Very good
75
Average
16
Poor
5
Terrible
1
Roland H
Cluj-Napoca, Romania75 contributions
Oct 2020
Sad but beautiful experience in a communist prison - turned museum. The real history they still don't teach in schools unfortunately. 3 floors with with papers, pictures and memorabilia, nicely arranged showing what was actually behind the curtains of the 'Romanian golden age'. Not sure if English audio guide is available, I believe it would be a good addition if not.
Written January 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
evanderhorrified
Glasgow, UK135 contributions
Mar 2022
A worthwhile visit at any time,maybe more so as conflict rages relatively close by. An era and story that I knew little about. Beautifully restored building and courtyard, thought provoking inside and out. Very central location with cafes and shops jyst outside.
Amount of detail overwhelming at times, a lot of time and work has gone into this project. Displays in local language but English language folder available at entrance.
Helpful friendly staff.
I would rate this as a must see in Sighetu. Very impressive.
Amount of detail overwhelming at times, a lot of time and work has gone into this project. Displays in local language but English language folder available at entrance.
Helpful friendly staff.
I would rate this as a must see in Sighetu. Very impressive.
Written May 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Csal2800
3 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Well worth the trip. Visited all the attractions. Must see for all. We plan to move to area within the year. I can’t wait for the slower pace of the suburbs and the action within the city.
Written May 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
danipopescuro
Bucharest, Romania11 contributions
Sep 2020
This place feels like a book. The story is captivating, but the experience is, literally, like reading a book. You enter a cell and read stories printed on large pieces of paper or plastic panels. That is all you do - pick a cell, read a story. It would probably take days to read all of them. We live times when some sort of augmented immersion is 'a must' for a museum.
Nevertheless, I salute the brave initiative of opening this painful and, to some degree, shameful topic for Romanians.
Nevertheless, I salute the brave initiative of opening this painful and, to some degree, shameful topic for Romanians.
Written September 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tiberiu_Baranyi
Timisoara, Romania18,820 contributions
Sep 2020
...Seeking no truth ... (thus ending the quote from Metallica).
A tragic place, a place of darkness, a place beyond reasoning. A place best described by the immortal words of Dante "Abandon all hope ye who enter here!".
It is a former political prison (on of the many) of the communist party , one of the best known and most brutal, the final detention place for many great Romanian statesman and cultural figures.
It is a sad Memento , a must see place , bluntly honest presentation of facts, details are straight in the face of the visitor ... details are everywhere and there are tons of information - pity for the time being only in Romanian language (the audio guides in other languages are disabled - C19 measures .... so for those of you who don't speak Romanian currently is a bit complicated to understand - you need a translation).
It also gives a lengthy , but complete lesson in history from 1945 to till the demise of the communism in 1989 (and some insight in the years after the revolution and details on Corneliu Coposu , another great Romanian politician who spent decades in exile).
So take your time, please don't take children with you (I don't recommend it under the age of 14 ) , go in with an open mind and try to see , ... and by the end of the tour you shall understand what went terribly wrong for almost 50 years.
You will learn about the persecution of the politicians, of the religious leaders, you will learn about the resistance - yes there were "freedom fighters" especially in the area of Maramures and all over Romania ,people who tried to resist communism ... true national heroes, people who wanted something else....and sacrificed everything for those ideals.
In the courtyard you shall find the statues - 18 in total - women and men , naked , oppressed , suffering , led to nowhere b y a headless leader that is standing aside of the group. Over the years it has become the symbol of the Memorial.
The great thinker George Santayana said : "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again", so I urge you to go and see for yourself and remember in order to not allow these....to ever happen again .
A tragic place, a place of darkness, a place beyond reasoning. A place best described by the immortal words of Dante "Abandon all hope ye who enter here!".
It is a former political prison (on of the many) of the communist party , one of the best known and most brutal, the final detention place for many great Romanian statesman and cultural figures.
It is a sad Memento , a must see place , bluntly honest presentation of facts, details are straight in the face of the visitor ... details are everywhere and there are tons of information - pity for the time being only in Romanian language (the audio guides in other languages are disabled - C19 measures .... so for those of you who don't speak Romanian currently is a bit complicated to understand - you need a translation).
It also gives a lengthy , but complete lesson in history from 1945 to till the demise of the communism in 1989 (and some insight in the years after the revolution and details on Corneliu Coposu , another great Romanian politician who spent decades in exile).
So take your time, please don't take children with you (I don't recommend it under the age of 14 ) , go in with an open mind and try to see , ... and by the end of the tour you shall understand what went terribly wrong for almost 50 years.
You will learn about the persecution of the politicians, of the religious leaders, you will learn about the resistance - yes there were "freedom fighters" especially in the area of Maramures and all over Romania ,people who tried to resist communism ... true national heroes, people who wanted something else....and sacrificed everything for those ideals.
In the courtyard you shall find the statues - 18 in total - women and men , naked , oppressed , suffering , led to nowhere b y a headless leader that is standing aside of the group. Over the years it has become the symbol of the Memorial.
The great thinker George Santayana said : "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again", so I urge you to go and see for yourself and remember in order to not allow these....to ever happen again .
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriella A
Cluj-Napoca, Romania229 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
It's a must visit in Sighetu Marmatiei. There are many tourists from other countries who come to visit this place and also people from Romania who want to understand more about communism. It just helps us all realize what it was, how the communists were able to take control and oppress so many people for such a long time. Worth spending some time there.
Written September 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hamilstra
sydney,australia260 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
A comprehensive and well laid out museum however English speakers are at a severe disadvantage as there is no English signage. Each room had some leaflets of explanation provided in German and French but no English.At the end we found a shop and were able to buy a a booklet that helped explain what we had seen.
Written September 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChristianDC
Washington, DC13 contributions
The Sight Memorial to the Victims of Communism is located in Sighet in the far reaches of Transylvania, 2 kms from Romania's border with Ukraine. It's quite an amazing place - established by former dissident and poet Ana Blandiana and her husband Romulus Rusan on the site of a former Securitate (Romanian secret police) prison where the Romania's political elite was incarcerated during the Ceausescu regime. You can look at the former prison cells which housed some of Romania's foremost intellectuals and leaders; some of the cells have turned into exhibits on the history of the prison and communism (and persecution under communism) in Romania. There is a memorial wall reminiscent of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, and despite an enormous effort at restauration (perhaps at times more than I would have preferred) you can still get a feel for what a desolate place it was in the 1940s and 1950s. While the memorial & museum did not get much public or government support initially, today this site has been designated by the European Council as one of three or four most important sites commemorating the victims of communism. Ask about the cemetary outside the city that is part of the Memorial - it's where executed prisoners or those wo died in prison are presumed to have been buried.
I visited Sighet in July 2006 to participate in a summer school conducted annually by the Sighet Memorial and had a fantastic experience with the students and other faculty.
Getting there: We took the overnight train from Bucharest (Sighet is one of the stops); for those who do not like to spend a night on the train I recommend flying to Cluj and taking a bus from there to Sighet (4 hours).
A very worthwhile experience is Transylvania is on your itinerary!
I visited Sighet in July 2006 to participate in a summer school conducted annually by the Sighet Memorial and had a fantastic experience with the students and other faculty.
Getting there: We took the overnight train from Bucharest (Sighet is one of the stops); for those who do not like to spend a night on the train I recommend flying to Cluj and taking a bus from there to Sighet (4 hours).
A very worthwhile experience is Transylvania is on your itinerary!
Written August 27, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bas W
Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands17 contributions
Oct 2019
While visiting the wooden churches and the old villages in Maramures, I took some time to stop at this museum / memorial / library. And it was time well spend. The museum gives you an excellent insight in a recent, dark period in Rumanian history. In my opinion, for a full understanding of the country you visit and all its beauty, this is a must see to get the complete picture. The museum is very detailed, but it is also possible to get the general idea without too much effort. Most of the information is in Rumanian, but you get a leaflet with more than enough details, written in perfect English. The way the museum is set up, really gives you a feel for the history. It made a huge impression on me. Many compliments to those who have made this possible.
Written October 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RogerParkinson
42 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
I remember the fall of the communists in Romania, but what I remember are news reports arriving on the other side of the world. This highlights what really went on in those dark times. Do see it, but you might need to walk on past some of the grimmest rooms.
Written June 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vorrei sapere se posso portare i miei figli di 9 e 10 anni oppure se vi sono immagini non adatte a dei bambini.
Grazie mille
Francesca
Written July 11, 2018
Non ci sono immagini forti, l’esperienza è comunque forte in sè.
Written August 7, 2018
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