What can you do on a weekend in Oradea?

Romania is extremely generous when it comes to choosing a touristic destination, so in your vacation plans it is worth including the beautiful cities of the country. You can start in the West with Oradea, the city that, during the interwar period, was nicknamed “the little Paris on the Crisul Repede”.

The city of Oradea is a mix between Western and Romanian culture, benefiting from strong influences from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This is also visible today, the city of Oradea being very similar to Cluj-Napoca or Timisoara, Brasov, but quite different from the cities in the south or east of the country.

At present, Oradea is also called the Art Nouveau capital of Romania due to the large number of constructions belonging to this style. The city impresses with the architectural beauty, owning most of the buildings in the Secession style in Romania, but also concentrates a lot of restaurants, pubs and tea shops, so as to keep your curiosity and good will active.

So, if you are planning a city break in Oradea, here are some activities and objectives worth considering:

1. The Oradea Fortress

Must be visited if you arrive on a trip in the city of Oradea. The famous construction is of a beautiful site and has so much story to tell you, so you have no reason to bypass it.
Reintroduced into the touristic circuit, being reconditioned with European money, it has become a grandiose monument, of amazing magnitude, which makes you want to return to the Middle Ages to admire its beauty.
The visiting program of the museum inside the citadel can be found here: www.oradeaheritage.ro

2. The Nymphaea Aquapark

The Nymphaea Aquapark has an area of 7 hectares, is located on the former public baths of Oradea and has cost 88.3 million lei (of which 32.3 million lei come from the European Union, the financing being non-refundable). Nymphaea is open throughout the year. Between May and September, both the inner and outer parts operate, and between October and April, only the inner part, equipped with eight pools, four slides, a sauna area, a Turkish bath, a playground for children, the fun area, relaxation, spaces for massage, restaurant and bar.
For rates and other details we invite you to the official Aquapark website: aquapark-nymphaea.ro

3. Explore the architectural beauty of Oradea

The city’s architecture successfully combines elements from ancient times with the modern ones, giving birth to a pleasing mosaic. The constructions in Oradea that you must not escape are:
Ulmann Palace, Vago House, Moskovits II Palace, Deutsch Palace, Fuchsl Palace, Markovits Mathezer, Moskovits I Palace, Apollo Palace, Stern Palace, Astoria Hotel, Darvas La Roche House, Black Vulture Palace, Stern Palace, Sonnefeld Palace and the Adorjan Palace these constructions are the most representative buildings belonging to the Art Nouveau style.

Besides these, you should not pass by the Baroque Complex, which consists of the Baroque Palace, the Roman Catholic Basilica and the Lords of the Canons, the Moon Church – the only church in Europe with a mechanism showing the phases of the month and the Zion Synagogue.

4. The Moon Church

Another architectural and religious objective that cannot be missed is the Moon Church, unique in Europe thanks to the mechanism of the church tower, which sets in motion a sphere of the moon shape. The mechanism of the globe is related to the mechanism of the clock, also at 28 days, the globe rotates around its axis, indicating the phases of the month.

For this reason, the dweller received the name of “The Moon Church”. On the wheel anchor of the clock you can read today, written in German the name of the builder: “Georg Rueppert in Grosswardein, 1793”. So do not forget the camera, because Oradea has a perfect photographic potential!

5. The Unirii Square and the Black Eagle Palace

There are two objectives in the “untraceable” category, located next to each other. The Unirii Square is the main public space of the city and one of the most modern in Romania.

In Unirii Square, numerous architectural styles are combined, embodied in special monuments, such as: the Black Eagle Palace, the Oradea City Hall, the Kovacs House, the Adolf Moskovits Palace and his sons, the Greek-Catholic Cathedral “Saint Jerome Nicolae”, and good taste, being surrounded by greenery, parking lots, bike paths, giving the impression of a city for people.

6. Calea Republicii walkway

It is a pedestrian street where the locals, but also the tourists retreat for a well-deserved break, after a few hours of haunting on the city streets. At the ground floor of the buildings on this pedestrian, you can find a lot of terraces, located on the ground floor of the historical buildings, where you can have lunch, dinner or just drink a simple Viennese coffee.

7. Culinary experiences

When it comes to food, you should never fear that you will remain hungry in the city of Oradea. With restaurants of every kind on every corner, the city ranks among the most fascinating cities in terms of gastronomy. You can try a portion of sarmalute, a wonderful Hungarian goulash or other dishes collected from all over the world. If you want a more consistent meal, opt for Allegria, Cyrano or VIA29 restaurants.

So, if you decide to add Oradea to the list of cities to explore from during your Romanian adventure, we hope you will use this virtual guide as a landmark and do not forget that we are waiting for you at the Lyra Hotel, where accommodation and comfort awaits. Improve your travel experience. Leave your worries at home and pack in your luggage with optimism, good mood and adventure spirit. Reservations and information here: www.hotel-lyra.ro

Photos by Valcan Vasile & Cosmin Iovan from Pixabay
More destinations in Oradea:  www.oradeainimagini.ro