Bihor County has cities full of history, villages rich in traditions, and fair landscapes.
Bihor County has cities full of history, villages rich in traditions, and fair landscapes, catering to all tastes in terms of tourism, and to all pockets in terms of prices.
The focal point in any trip to Bihor has to be Oradea, the county seat. Here you can admire one of the biggest Roman Catholic churches in Eastern Europe, believed to be the biggest Baroque monument in Romania. No less famous is the pipe organ in the church, which dates back to 1780, a gift from Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. In the centre of the town you can also admire the so-called Moon Church, with its 55-meter high steeple. Under the clock in the tower there is a sphere 3 meters in diameter, half gold, half black, representing the moon. Thanks to a mechanism unique in Europe, the rotation of the ball mirrors that of the moon. The city of Oradea is documented since the 11th century. It is a multicultural city, with a wide array of religions and cultures, as historian Dumitru Nanes told us:
Dumitru Nanes: “In addition to Oradea fortress, which blends Renaissance and Baroque architecture, the city prides itself with several Baroque monuments, one of which is actually named the Baroque Mansion. I would definitely recommend the historic centre of the city, with a rich Art Nouveau and eclectic architecture. There are many beautiful buildings, such as the State Theatre building, the City Hall, the Apollo, Stern, Poinar and Moskovits mansions, in the historic centre. We have other monuments as well, some of them with their own museums, such as the Basilica, the Partium Cultural Center, the Moon Church, or St. Nicholas Greek Catholic bishopric church. Leaving Oradea, and moving towards the south east of the county, near Beius, we get to an area where we can admire lots of churches built entirely in wood, such as Rieni, Bradet, and Stancesti. In the south of the county we also have a number of historical monuments, some of them dating back to the 13th century.”
Adrian Iohas, manager of a tourist agency, told us that rafting is beginning to be a more and more popular activity, even for children:
Adrian Iohas: “We are only 60 km away from the border with Hungary. Tourists from that country account for 30% of the total here, because our rafting programme is aimed at tourists, not at athletes. In Bihor County you can practice many types of tourism, because we have rivers, plains, and historical monuments, both in Oradea and elsewhere. In Cris Valley we have the tradition of white pottery, a very old tradition. In the Beius area we have extraordinary folklore traditions. In Rosia we have a water mill, unique in Europe. The Karst area is extraordinary, in Cris Valley we have 300 caves, of which only three are open to the general public, without special gear.”
If you get to Bihor in June, you must not miss a special event:
Adrian Iohas: “In Cris Valley there used to be the Salt Customs. In the 18th and 19th century, salt was being shipped from Romania to Hungary. We have a special circuit, a re-enactment with a traditional wooden raft. The oars are also wood, and the raft is driven by young men in traditional costumes, transporting a load of salt. There is also a customs agent, as they had in the olden times. The salt was loaded in carts at the salt mines in Praid, taken to the Huedin area, and there it was set on rafts. The rafts went to Hungary, where they sold both salt and wood, and the raft people went back by land. Each raft had to leave a bag of salt at the customs. This is a really interesting circuit, which brings loads of tourists to the area. Each June we have a weekend event dedicated to the Salt Customs. Over 2,000 people are involved in this activity.”
Paul Iacobas is the manager of an ecotourism association, and he told us about the key elements that the tourist programmes available in Bihor County capitalise on:
Paul Iacobas: “First I would recommend the area inhabited by the moti, the mountainous part of the county, and the caves, which are some of the most interesting caves in the country. A trip to the Moti Land is essentially a cultural experience, but beyond that, you have lots of other choices, depending on how much physical effort you are willing to put into it. First I would mention horse riding. The area is perfect for that activity. Then you have trekking, which can take you to plenty of interesting places, like Karst plateaus, gorges, canyons, etc. Then there are cultural programmes taking you to places where you can witness unique activities, like the local woodwork, the painting of Easter eggs, and the building of wooden churches, which rival those of Maramures.”
Viorel Lascu is a local entrepreneur in the Padurea Craiului Mountains. He set up a project to showcase the beauty and simplicity of wooden houses. His proposal for tourists is to live for a few hours to a few days like a local villager, enjoying local life and customs:
Viorel Lascu: “In the 1980s I was exploring the area of Padurea Craiului, around Rosia, more to the point the caves in the area, which contain prehistoric vestiges. In addition to the special landscapes, I was impressed with the 100 to 200 year old houses with thatched roofs and a clay hearth. We started renovating them, starting with a 200 year old house flanked by a couple of cherry trees, which are probably older than the house itself. We restored the houses to their original state, with the old kind of furniture, trying to adapt them to modern life without an impact on the environment, providing them with running water, heating and means of cooking. Since I have been interested in caving for a long time, a few friends and I set up a school of speleology. We have expert guides, who speak English, French, Hungarian, even Norwegian. They can teach someone who's never set foot in a cave to explore the wild caves in the area, with various levels of difficulty.”
You will have no difficulty in finding accommodation. Oradea has plenty of hotels, and in villages you find plenty of B&Bs, with prices for all.
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