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Several thousand years ago, first tribes settled in the area around present-day Oradea.
But a town was not mentioned before the year 1113. The place was known as Varadinum
(see the Hungarian and German name above!).
At that time, the area was part of the Hungarian Kingdom and became an important Catholic stronghold.
From 1660 to 1692, Ottomans occupied the town, but the town continued to grow. Since 1692,
Oradea was part of the Habsburg-ruled Austrian empire, which shouldn't change until the defeat of Austria
in the year 1918. Ever since, Oradea marked the western border of the Romanian kingdom. In 1940,
Hungary invaded the town, and so it remained under Hungarian control until 1944. Again it became a part of
Romania, with a strong Hungarian minority, which was about to play an important role in the 1989 revolution.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Oradea was also called 'Petit Paris'. When you walk around the old town
you will understand why.
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View over Crişul Repede to the Hotel Vulturul Negru |
The area around Piaţa Unirii and Piaţa Ferdinand is particularly interesting.
The two squares are joined by a bridge spanning the river Repede. Among the buildings facing Piaţa Ferdinand, there's
the National theatre and other magnificent buildings.
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Viteazul Statue on Piaţa Unirii
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At Piaţa Unirii, there's the large Hotel Vulturul Negru, which is under reconstruction (as of summer 2004).
There's an old and beautiful shopping arcade inside the hotel. Within sight, there's the crumbling synagogue,
which doesn't seem to be used at the moment. In the middle of Union Square, there's a statue of
Mihail Viteazul - a Wallachian prince from the 16th century. Another highlight at Union Square is the
Orthodox Moon Church with a clock adjusted to the moon's orbit, which is quite unusual. Unfortunately it's not
possible to see the clockwork. Furthermore, the city hall as well as the library are worth a closer look.
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The somehow morbidly fascinating citadel of Oradea
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Walk eastwards from Piaţa Unirii for a few minutes and you will get to the Central Park with the Palace of Culture
standing in the middle of it. Within spitting distance of the park, there's the large Cetatea Oradiei (Oradea Citadel),
which was already built in the 11th and 12th century. The red-brick fortress shows the typical jagged ground plan.
It is surrounded by a wide and deep moat and has countless cellars and underground passages. Since the fortress is not
restored at all, it's possible to walk around freely and have a closer look at the remainings. A fascinating place.
Some of the buildings inside are more or less intact and used by the Academy of Arts, which is obvious when you see all the
artworks installed in the courtyard.
As of May 2004, parts of the citadel were under reconstruction. However, it's a very large citadel and it will take many years if not decades to
accomplish the task.
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Great but dilapidated buildings on Str. Republicii
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The main pedestrian zone in town is called Str. Republicii, starts at Piaţa Ferdinand and runs
direction north-east. Many hotels, restaurants, cafés, boutiques etc line up along the street making it a popular
shopping street. There are also some magnificent houses built around the year 1900 during Oradea's heyday.
Unfortunately, many of the buildings are in a very bad condition, but some of them have been already restored.
Especially the buildings around the corner of Str. Republicii and Str. Eminescu are particularly beautiful.
If you want to see a well-preserved Habsburg town, Oradea is the place to go. You won't see something similar in Hungary or Austria.
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There are several inexpensive hotels in the centre - among them