Oradea

A medieval citadel, museums, old buildings restored to their past beauty, all of these are on the list of cultural attractions that the city of Oradea takes pride in.

Daniel Onea, 15.02.2018, 13:20

A medieval citadel, museums, old buildings restored to their past beauty, all of these are on the list of cultural attractions that the city of Oradea takes pride in. Thermal water springs have played a crucial role in the development of the spa segment and aqua parks in Oradea and in the nearby resort of Baile Felix. Oradea is also a good starting point for a variety of routes to the Apuseni Mountains.

Located at relatively equal distances from Vienna, Prague and Bucharest, this city with narrow, medieval streets can be the perfect romantic getaway. One of the most notable historical monuments in Oradea is the Roman-Catholic church, the largest Baroque compound in Romania. Built between 1752 and 1780, this church was labeled “basilica minor” by Pope John Paul II in 1991, and many say it is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Guided tours are available, in most international languages, like German, English, French, Italian, as well as Hungarian, and there is no entrance fee for visitors. The only fee, amounting to a rough 1.5 euro, is charged for visiting the cathedral treasury, which comprises an impressive collection of Baroque and 19th Century art. Visiting hours are 8 AM to 5 PM every day, except for Sundays.

Getting to Oradea is quite easy, says Horia Cartis, director general of the Directorate for regional development in the Bihor County Council: “A major advantage for us was the fact that the city is close to Romania’s western border, so basically it is the country’s entry point for westerners. And I think anyone who stays here for a week will find something to their taste. About a year ago we completed the upgrade works on the Oradea Airport terminal and runway, so now we are better connected to the foreign market. There are direct flights from Oradea to Italy, Spain, England and Germany, so tourists from these countries can get here easily. Statistics say that most of our tourists come from Italy, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and as of recently Germany as well. Oradea is a new destination for European travelers. Lots of tourists also come from Israel, now that we have reconditioned the synagogues, the orthodox and the neolog one. A lot of Jews used to live in Oradea, and the ones that left for Israel long ago bring their families here to show them what Oradea has meant to them.”

The symbol of Oradea is the citadel, with much of the history of the county having revolved around this architectural compound throughout its history. The citadel was originally a spiritual and religious center, later on a Renaissance cultural center and closer to the present a major military fortification. But a stroll around the city enables travelers to discover other old buildings as well, some of them erected as early as the 16th Century. The Viennese engineer Franz Anton Hillebrandt designed the most important Baroque-style buildings in the city.

Historian Dumitru Nanes with more details: “The historical center is defined by Art Nouveau and eclectic architecture. These are very beautiful buildings, among which I should like to mention the State Theater, the Town Hall, and the palaces Apollo Stern, Poinar, Moscovitz and Adorjan. Also, there are the religious monuments, the Roman-Catholic, Orthodox and Reformed churches. Some of them also venue small museums, such as the Basilica, the Partium Cultural Center, the Moon Church and Saint Nicholas Greek-Catholic Cathedral. “

The Assumption of Mary Cathedral or the Moon Church, as it is also known, has a 55 meter-high tower. The interior painting and the iconostasis will surely impress visitors. But the central piece is a sphere with a diameter of 3 meters, placed under the clock tower. The sphere is half black and half golden, representing the moon. With the help of a mechanism that is unique in Europe, the sphere rotates in keeping with the moon’s rotation movement around the earth. The mechanism is designed to make a full rotation on its axis in 28 days, thus indicating the moon phases, depending on the daily cycle marked by the clock mechanism.

If you want to relax and enjoy the healing properties of thermal waters you can do that by going to Baile Felix, the famous spa resort near Oradea, which has been upgraded in recent years. Speaking about that, is general manager with Bihor County Council Horia Cartis: ”At present, Baile Felix spa resort offers a very wide range of services. There are two-star to five-star accommodation units and a brand new five-star SPA center with a constant 90% occupancy rate. That’s how we got the confirmation that people appreciate this kind of services and that thermal waters in combination with quality services generate a state of well-being for all our visitors. “

Bogdan Pater is a councilor with Bihor County Council. He recommends Oradea as a destination for all age categories: ”Oradea is a multicultural city. All religious denominations are represented here. It is an interesting destination for people interested in cultural and historical tourism due to its citadel, its monuments and also its nightlife. The entire area of the former Vulturul Negru passage has been refurbished and now boasts a number of clubs and bars. In early autumn we have the Autumn in Oradea Festival, as well as the International Short Theater Festival. These events are preceded by the Citadel Days. Then in October, we have the Oradea Days. “