CRONSTADT, a town situated near the S. E. extremity of Transylvania, and capital of a cognominal district, which also bears the name of Burzenland, from the Burze, a tributary of the Alt, which waters the province. From the branches of the Carpathians which intersect it, the surface of the district reaches a high elevation, and the climate is intensely cold. It is, however, a rich agricultural and pastoral country, and is inhabited by an industrious population, composed of Hungarians, Wallacks, Armenians, Greeks, and Szeklers. The town of Cronstadt is built in a narrow valley hemmed in by mountains, and is commanded by an isolated hill, on which is a fortress of considerable strength. It consists of an inner town, which is defended by walls and towers, and three suburbs on the N., E., and S. The suburb of Blumenau is inhabited chiefly by Szeklers; the suburb of Bulgarey (which communicates with the inner town by a large esplanade), and that of Ulstadt, are the residence chiefly of the Wallack population. The principal buildings in Cronstadt are the Protestant church, with a tower 140 feet high, the Lutheran church and college, the gymnasium, and the market-house erected in 1546. Besides the churches already mentioned, there are others belonging to the Roman Catholics, Greeks, and Calvinists.
The transit trade of Cronstadt carried on between Vienna and the principalities was once very extensive, but has recently considerably declined. The principal manufactures are those of cottons, woollens, linen goods, and paper. Cronstadt was the first place in Transylvania at which a paper-mill and printing-press were established. Pop. 36,000.