Odorheiu Sights and Landmarks Guide, Romania

Odorheiu Sights– General Setting

The city situated on the banks of Tarnava Mare River, with cities like Baia Mare and Satu Mare nearby, has plenty of natural beauties to display and architecturally remarkable buildings. The city hall is one of the masterpieces, but there are many others to see. Most buildings are 200-300 years old; among the oldest constructions still standing probably since the Middle Ages is Jesus Chapel. The surroundings of Odorheiu offer the same style of landscapes: generous nature and ruins of old castles, like the 10th century Budvar hill site. Modern architecture is represented by accommodation facilities (especially the interior of hotels is very refined; the outside generally looks traditional in an elegant way).

Odorheiu Sights -Museums

In a place called Liberty Square, there is Szekely Tamadt medieval fortification, a symbol of the old and modern city. Close to it, the memorial house of Tompa László is allowing a glimpse into the life of the famous author and translator.

There is also a place to admire permanent exhibitions (17 by the latest estimation) of archeology, folklore, ethnography, numismatics and everything that forms the charms of local history. It is Haáz Rezső Museum. Its buildings also shelter around 75000 books. Szejke Bath is the place to celebrate two other symbols of the city: its mineral waters and the famous gates of the regions, some of them included in a restoration program. For those willing to stay more in open air, this is not the only outdoor site: there is a memorial park with 13 statues of remarkable Hungarian figures. Do not forget to buy souvenirs, from postcards to traditional Corund vases.

Odorheiu Sights - Spiritual Life

Odorheiu sights has a lot to offer tourists. Among them there are churches belonging to many confessions. Some even changed or shared the rite like the Franciscan church and monastery, which is in fact Roman Catholic. Still, since the Romanian 1989 revolution it has sheltered some Franciscan nuns. Besides this, there is another Roman Catholic Church, destroyed by Tartar invasions and rebuilt. The Unitarians have their own praying spot. A Neo Byzantine Orthodox Church was built in 1920 and a Greek Catholic one in the 17th century. The population is 90 per cent Hungarian, still there is a cemetery for Romanian heroes. The religious life means also schools, so the former Catholic Gymnasium is also to be taken into account for admiring the building. It has become Tamási Áron College, so it cannot be visited inside. Some other schools offer a beautiful view like the Reformed College or Benedek Elek Pedagogical School.