Oradea Travel Guide, Romania
Oradea Travel Guide – City Overview
Oradea is one of the most important social, cultural and economical centers in Romania. With a population of more than 200,000 - according to the 2002 census-, it is only the 10th largest Romanian town, but one of the most significant ones. Located in the North-Western part of the country, on the banks of the “Crişul Repede” river, the capital city of Bihor County is considered the gate towards the Central- and West European World. Moreover, Oradea is one of the leading tourist destinations in Romania, with the historical atmosphere its beautiful architecture conveys, with its famous spas and the excellent hiking possibilities its surroundings permits, the city attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Oradea Travel Guide – Paris on the River Pece
Since its foundation in the 11th century, Oradea, the city of King Ladislaus (László) I. of Hungary, has always been a significant political and cultural point throughout the course of history. Its late 19th century name: “Paris on the River Pece” reflects beautifully how prosperous the city was by that time. Though the World Wars and the Communist Regime deteriorated the city image badly, in the past twenty years Oradea showed a fast paced development and a real upswing, so that now its old praising name starts to be heard again.
The fine architecture the city center can take pride in conveys an atmosphere that takes us back to the period when Oradea was part of Austria-Hungary. Similar to Arad Travel Guide or Timisoara Travel Guide, the strong historical character of the city has to be highlighted here as well. The rich Baroque architecture and the Art Nouveau buildings combine in a harmonious way, offering a splendid cityscape. The gorgeous Baroque Palace together with the Basilica, the unique “Black Eagle” Palace, the main street and numerous other sites of historical nature, no to speak of Oradea’s Fortress, will make your sightseeing tour plentiful and memorable.
Oradea Travel Guide – Recreational Possibilities
An Oradea Travel Guide would be incomplete without mentioning its famous spas. All the public baths of the city welcomes its visitors with thermal water, and the famed spa Băile Felix is a popular tourist attraction in itself. The thermal spa resort lies only 8 km from Oradea, being very easily accessible by car or bus. The thermal waters (20-48°C) of Felix, which are known for more than a millennium now, are considered to be of the best quality in Romania, being acclaimed for their effectiveness in curing rheumatic, neurological and also gynecological diseases, and the soothing action of muscular and articular aches is also well-known. Băile Felix, which is the largest permanent resort of this kind in Romania, besides its therapeutic character, offers various recreational possibilities to tourists.
Moreover, the hilly surroundings of the city, most notably the Apuseni Mountains, with scenic karst formations, are a must see. Whether you are a hiking fan or just nature lover, a trip in the surrounding mountains will certainly be worthwhile and will make a perfect ending to your visit.
Read our members' reviews about Oradea
Blue Monday, the best club in Oradea
review by blankuci posted more then 30 days ago
The Blue Monday club is maybe the only place in Oradea where they do play live rock music. It is situated in the center of Oradea, under the Black Eagle Palace (Palatul Vulturul Negru).Last evening I attended there a nice concert performed by a rock band called Ce-co from Hungary. They play their...Trasportation in Oradea
review by erato posted more then 30 days ago
Oradea is a very nice town with many beautiful sights, however the local transportation is not the best. There are some newly bought Siemens trams but their lines do not cover the whole city. On the other hand taxis are affordable, they cost only 0.35Euro/km, just don't forget to ask for a bill,...A few days later in Oradea
review by MadSuh posted more then 30 days ago
It's been a few days since I last wrote about life here in Oradea. I had a busy week, partly due to the fact that my laptop had died on me and I was busy getting all programs running on the new machine. Anyhow, I am good now, so I am not typing anymore on my MDA. Last weekend I spent some...
Read our members' travel tips about Oradea
Grand Palace
travel tip by zangazanga posted more then 30 days ago
Garnd Palace Restaurant is only 5 minutes from the city center by walking. It is very luxurious, but not very expensive. The furniture, the decoration, the huge mirrors on the walls, everything is very elegant, in the classical way....Crinul Alb Restaurant
travel tip by erato posted more then 30 days ago
Crinul Alb (White Lily) restaurant is located right on the bank of the Crisul River. The view from the large windows onto the green riverbank is wonderful. The place is lightly elegant and the staff is amazingly kind and very...Transportation in Oradea
travel tip by zdanko posted more then 30 days ago
Avoid public transportation in Oradea, it's horrible!