Oradea
Oradea[dead link] is one the few undiscovered gems of Romania's tourism. Despite being one of the largest and most important cities in Transylvania, and having a high degree of administrative, economic and commercial importance, it is often overlooked by tourists in favor of other Transylvanian cities such as Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara or Cluj-Napoca. The city can also act as a pleasant stopover if you are coming to Romania from Hungary, or leaving the country.
Understand
The city combines a good location and climate with romantic baroque architecture from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with a lovely jumble of Romanian and Hungarian cultures. The city was passed back many times between Hungary and Romania, with both these cultures giving it a special charm and pleasant mix of architecture.
Oradea, situated 8 km from the Hungarian border (and a whopping 650 km by train from the capital of Romania, Bucharest), can even serve as a starting point for a Romanian journey, as it is served by trains coming in from Budapest and other parts of Europe. Many tourists also make a stopover in Oradea before travelling further on to Cluj-Napoca, Brasov or Bucharest. Tourism is booming and people are even considering attributing the name Le Petit Paris (the Little Paris) to it.
Oradea is in the county of Bihor (BH), in Transylvania. The city proper has a population of 196,367 (according to the 2011 census); this does not include areas in the metropolitan area which bring the total urban area population to approximately 350,000. Oradea is one of the most prosperous cities of Romania. The city is on the Crişul Repede river, and has a sizeable Hungarian minority. It is also home to many renowned shoe factories.
Talk
Oradea is a bilingual city: most residents speak Romanian but Hungarian is also largely spoken. If you speak either of these two languages, you are bound to get along well. Despite all the Romanisation efforts of the communism era, Hungarian influences are still apparent in the bilingual shop signs or speakers to be found. Furthermore, most public signs are now in both languages.
Oradeans also tend to be fairly good at foreign languages: English, French and German are taught in all high schools and have been for a fairly long time, so even older speakers may know how to speak one of these languages. In general, you won't have problems speaking in French, German or English, or even Italian, in Oradea. English is becoming increasingly popular, and it is spoken fairly fluently by the younger generation, and by many of the middle-aged people. In supermarkets or shops, you can confidently speak in English, especially if the staff members are young. However, it is always good to know a few words in the local languages.
Get in
By train
- 1 Oradea railway station (Gara Centrală din Oradea).
Getting into Oradea is moderately easy, from Romania or from Hungary. Most visitors arrive by train, as Oradea is located at the western extremity of the Romanian train network. For a good domestic trip finder see Romanian Railways. For an international pan-European trip finder try Deutsche Bahn European Timetable.
If you're travelling from Bucharest, there are 2–3 trains per day, one of which is a very comfortable yet fairly inexpensive night train, especially if you decide to travel in a refurbished first-class sleeper. However, if you visit Oradea from any other place, the worst idea is to do it from Bucharest—the journey from Bucharest is a 10-hour, 650 km trip across Romania. Book tickets well in advance for the first-class sleeper cars because the tickets sell out quickly.
Getting to Oradea from other parts of Transylvania is a lot easier and quicker. There are now fast InterCity (IC) connections with brand-new trains from Germany to Cluj-Napoca, Arad and Timisoara. Besides these, there are fast trains that link Oradea at least once daily with nearly every major city in Romania.
If Oradea is your entry point to Romania, and you are coming from Hungary or Central Europe, there are five trains per day from Budapest to Oradea (some of which continue onwards to Brasov and Cluj-Napoca). Two of these trains are early in the morning, and one leaves Budapest in the afternoon and arrives in Oradea in the late evening, after about four hours.
By bus
Intercity bus and coach services running through Oradea are increasing, and most of the residents see them as a welcome departure from what they see are slow, uncomfortable trains. This is because intercity coach travel is a novelty in a country where trains and aeroplanes have been the primary form of public transportation for decades. Even today, train is by far the recommended way, being much more comfortable and increasingly modern and luxurious.
Bus services are private, and are either run by large cross-European companies such as Eurolines or small Romanian or Hungarian companies which operate coaches between, say, Oradea and Budapest.
Many buses from Budapest who go in Romania stop at Oradea.
Autogenn[dead link] mini buses leave every 90 min from Timișoara via Arad can be found in the carpark next to the Medlife clinic on Boulevard Gen. Ion Dragalina, the main road going south from Gara de Nord. (40 lei, 3 hr 15 min)
From Oradea it is easy to transfer to other northern cities such as Cluj-Napoca—a good option if you miss the earlier train or bus.
By plane
- 4 Oradea International Airport (OMR IATA)) (5 km southwest of the city). This small domestic airport has flights from Bucharest, provided by TAROM.
Oradea's closest large international airport is Budapest's Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD IATA), which serves flights from all corners of Europe. See above for information on train connections to Oradea. Cluj-Napoca is another option for most flights from elsewhere in Europe.
Get around
See
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The beautiful city center is worth visiting, as are the Băile Felix health spas, accessible by train or bus and located outside the city.
Other sites worth visiting are:
- 1 Criș Land Museum (Muzeul Țării Crișurilor). History section: historic documents, historic photographs. Art section: painting, sculpture. Ethnography section covering the west of Romania. Natural sciences section.
- 2 Baroque Palace (Palatul Baroc). A wonderful Baroque castle in Viennese style with 365 famous windows. Built in honour of Maria Teresa, it was the Roman Catholic bishop's palace until 1945, when the Communist regime took the building into public ownership. It was returned to the Roman Catholic church in 2003.
- 3 Roman-Catholic Basilica (Bazilica Romano-Catolică). The biggest Baroque cathedral in Romania.
- 4 The Oradea Fortress (Cetatea Oradea).
- 5 Moon Church (Biserica cu Lună). A church unique in Europe, with a type of astronomical clock depicting the phases of the moon.
- 6 Black Eagle Passage (Pasajul Vulturul Negru), Str. Independenței 1. Art Nouveau-style hotel and shopping arcade, built in 1907–08.
- 7 Ady Endre Museum (Muzeul Ady Endre). A museum dedicated to the greatest Hungarian poet who worked here.
- 8 State Theatre (Teatrul de Stat). Designed by two Austrian architects who had built around 100 theatres and opera houses in Europe by the end of the 19th century.
- Republicii Street (Str. Republicii). Displays an incredible number of Art Nouveau buildings.
- Darvas-La Roche house (Iosif Vulcan street) – a historical and architectural monument in Oradea, designed by the brothers József and László Vágó, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. The residence is built in Viennese Secession style and is today the first Art Nouveau Museum in Romania.
There are around 100 religious sites of different denominations in Oradea, including three synagogues (however, only one is said to be still in use) and the biggest Baptist church in Eastern Europe.
Do
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- 1 Băile Felix (from the center/station take tramvai no. 3 util the end (Nufărului) and then bus no 511). Health spa resort. Adult day ticket for Strandul Apollo costs 30 lei.
Learn
- University of Oradea. An English-language university, and there are good packages for foreign students. Studying in Oradea enables you to get a European education and life experience with costs that are a lot lower.
Buy
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Souvenir shopping, food shopping.
Eat
Dining in Oradea is usually a pleasure. Most restaurants serve local recipes, which are similar to other Central European cuisines. Additionally, some Chinese and Middle Eastern restaurants have opened.
Budget
- 1 Don Giovanni Pizza, Strada Vasile Alecsandri 13, Oradea 410325, Romania.
Mid-range
- 2 Euphoria Biergarten, Strada Mihai Eminescu 18.
Splurge
- 3 Restaurant Palazzo, Strada Ciheiului 55.
Drink
Sleep
Hotels in Oradea range from modern and gleaming structures with all the amenities to cosy, wonderful and very elegant pensions to old, charming but somewhat uncomfortable hostels. Prices of hotels tend to be fixed, so it's not much use haggling. Note that prices are increasingly being quoted in euro, not Romanian lei, and euro is accepted in most places. Hotels in Oradea are slightly cheaper than typical in Western Europe.
In the "satellite quarters" of Oradea there are few hotels, except in the Nufărul quarter, where it's not worth staying. Try finding accommodation in the city, near Str. Republicii or the Town Hall, or near Bd. Magheru and the Civic Center. Though the Str. Republicii features a lot of shopping, dining and partying, the street is noisier than others.
- Hostel Oradea, Str. Mihai Eminescu nr. 11, ☏ +40-259-437 011. The building has no sign on it, go through the archway to the back and turn left. You'll see a doorway with the Hostelling International Logo. Find the groundskeeper, but he only speaks Romanian so maybe grab a local speaker as many Romanians stay here too. Spacious, clean and right in the center of town. €12 per night for a bed in a 4 person room.
- 1 Avalon Hotel, Primariei nr 35, ☏ +40 744 522 523. Check-out: 11:30. Free parking, internet wireless, phone/fax access. Secured access during night, restaurants table reservations and airport transfer. €20.
- Hotel Atlantic, Str. Iosif Vulcan 9, ☏ +40 259 426 911, fax: +40 259 410 788, office@wpg.ro. A four-star hotel located in a quiet area with a restaurant, air conditioning and minibar in every room, as well as good room service, video security all night, parking, spa. Singles: €35; Doubles: €45; Suites: €70.
- Hotel Ramada, Calea Aradului nr.9 (Calea Aradului is the road leading to the city of Arad), ☏ +40 359403333.
Splurge
- Continental Forum Oradea, Aleea Ştrandului nr 1 (between the Civic Center and the Aquatic Center), ☏ +40 372 598 800, forum.oradea@continentalhotels.ro. Dacia Continental is the largest hotel in Oradea with conference rooms, bars, swimming pools, secure parking space and thermal spa treatment.
Stay safe
In terms of major problems and on a Romanian scale, Oradea is fairly safe. On a Western European scale, the city is even safer. In fact, you will rarely find problems with organised crime against tourists, or more serious offences. What you will find more abundantly, unfortunately are petty scams or thefts. Keep an eye for beggars, who beg for money and may attempt to distract you while your wallet or watch are snatched.
Concerning tricks and scams, these tend to occur more regularly in Oradea. When exchanging money, don't do so on the black market, as these people generally rip you off. Try to stay away from people selling souvenirs or products at the railway station. These usually aren't of quality and aren't worth buying. Also, when taking a taxi, make sure the taxi is certified.
Some bars are also in the habit of providing foreign customers with a menu with grossly inflated prices compared to what the locals pay. These menus tend to show the prices in both new and old lei. At least the "tourist" prices seem not to have risen in line with inflation, but are still higher than what is commonly paid on the Black Sea coast.
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