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.

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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.

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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...
Brief presentation of Oradea
review by bicska posted more then 30 days ago
An old and interesting city in the northwestern part of Romania, it played an important role throughout the country's history, as a major cultural, economical and military location. It is worth a visit because of the large number of historical monuments, museums and other cultural landmarks, as...
My visits to Oradea
review by MadSuh posted more then 30 days ago
There is not too much I can say about Romania. Lots of fun at night and lots of work during the day. I usually get to the office at around 11-12 and I stay until about midnight. I had my new iPod with me, so I can listen to some music when I walk home. This time I went to see some open pools...

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Read our members' travel tips about Oradea

Public transportation is better
travel tip by asterix posted more then 30 days ago
If you are in Oradea better to travel with tramways or on foot, the roads are really jammed, especially from 12 o'clock to 17 o'clock
Clubs, bars and discos
travel tip by zdanko posted more then 30 days ago
Nightlife in Oradea is awesome, you should definitely try it out! There are many bars, clubs and discos which are open all night long.
The baroque historical center
travel tip by erato posted more then 30 days ago
Also visit the historical center of Oradea with plenty of old monuments built at the begining of the 19th century. The architecture of the center is simply fascinating with it's baroque and Art Nouveau buildings.