In the unofficial capital of Transylvania, Mihail Onaca wanders the streets to capture the Romanian city’s magnificent windowframes and doorways

“Cluj-Napoca may not exactly be the perfect setting for a Dracula movie, as people would tend to imagine, but it is definitely a gemstone of Transylvania,” explains Mihail Onaca, a theatre actor and keen Instagrammer based in the northwest Romanian city.

“The city is a great mix of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and modern architecture, making it very interesting for those who take to the streets on foot,” he says. “It is impossible to walk around this city without noticing the vast diversity of its beautiful doors and windows.”

As well as capturing these architectural features, Mihail constantly photographs the urban landscapes of Cluj-Napoca, particularly the old town with its narrow cobblestone streets and large squares. Part of the reason he obsessively photographs his city is to preserve something he feels is being lost: “I am scared we are losing our sense of aesthetics. Wonderful pieces of architecture are being forgotten or replaced. I like to photograph these – it’s my way of preserving them.” Mihail’s parting tip for city dwellers? To slow down and admire what is around us.

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