3Entertainment
La CăpiţeLIVE MUSIC
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0720-400 333; www.lacapite.ro; B-dul Pârvan Vasile; h10am-1am Mon-Sat, 10am-noon Sun; W)
Shaggy riverside beer garden and alternative hang-out strategically located across the street from the university, ensuring lively crowds on warm summer evenings. Most nights have live music or DJs. The name translates as 'haystack', and bales of hay strewn everywhere make for comfy places to sit and chill.
National Theatre & Opera HouseTHEATRE, OPERA
(Teatrul Naţional şi Opera Română; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %opera 0256-201 286, theatre 0256-499 908; www.tntimisoara.com; Str Mărăşeşti 2)
The National Theatre and Opera House features both dramatic works and classical opera, and is highly regarded. Buy tickets (from around 40 lei) at the box office ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-201 117; www.ort.ro; Str Mărăşeşti 2; h11am-7pm Tue-Sun) or via email, but note that most of the dramatic works will be in Romanian.
State Philharmonic TheatreCLASSICAL MUSIC
(Filharmonica Banatul Timișoara; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-492 521; www.filarmonicabanatul.ro; B-dul C D Loga 2; tickets 10-30 lei; hbox office 10am-2pm Mon, Wed & Fri, 2-7pm Tue & Thu)
Classical music concerts are held here most evenings. Tickets can be bought at the box office inside the theatre one hour before performances.
German State TheatreTHEATRE
(Teatrul German de Stat; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-201 291; www.teatrulgerman.ro; Str Mărăşeşti 2)
The German State Theatre, located near the National Theatre, has regular performances in German. Buy tickets from its box office ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-435 743; www.teatrulgerman.ro; Str Alba Iulia 2; h10am-3pm & 5-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat).
7Shopping
Calina Contemporary Art SpaceART
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.calina.ro; Str Mărăşeşti 1-3; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm Sat)
This very high-end contemporary art gallery showcases the work of artists from Romania and abroad.
8Information
Central Post OfficePOST
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-491 999; B-dul Revoluţiei 1989 2; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat)
Timişoara County Emergency HospitalHOSPITAL
(Spitalul Clinic Judeţean de Urgenţă Timişoara; GOOGLE MAP ; %0356-433 111; www.hosptm.ro; B-dul Iosif Bulbuca 10)
Modern hospital, located 2km south of the centre, with 24-hour emergency service.
Timișoara Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
(Info Centru Turistic; GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-437 973; www.timisoara-info.ro; Str Alba Iulia 2; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat May-Sep, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat Oct-Apr)
This great tourist office can assist with accommodation and trains, and provide maps and Banat regional info.
UniCredit BankBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.unicredit.ro; Piaţa Victoriei 2; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri)
8Getting There & Away
Air
The Timişoara Traian Vuia International Airport (TSR; GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-386 089; http://aerotim.ro/en; Str Aeroport 2, Ghiroda) is 12km northeast of the centre. Timişoara has excellent air connections to nearly every big city in the country and destinations around Europe thanks to budget carriers WizzAir (%calls per min €0.62 0903-760 105; www.wizzair.com) and Ryanair (%UK, calls per min £0.13 +44 871 246 0002; www.ryanair.com/ro/en).
Express bus E4 connects the airport and the city centre (2.5 lei, 20 minutes).
Bus
Timişoara lacks a centralised bus station for its extensive domestic services. Buses and minibuses are privately operated and depart from several points around the city, depending on the company. Consult the website www.autogari.ro for departure points. Sample fares include Arad (15 lei), Cluj-Napoca (75 lei) and Sibiu (65 lei).
International buses leave from the East Bus Station (Gara de Est; GOOGLE MAP ; www.autogari.ro). The main international operators include Atlassib ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-226 486, local office 0757-112 370; www.atlassib.ro; Calea Stan Vidrighin 12) and Eurolines ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-288 132, 0372-766 478; www.eurolines.ro; Str M Kogălniceanu 20). Belgrade-based Gea Tours (%0316-300 257; www.geatours.rs) offers a daily minibus service between Timişoara and Belgrade (one way/return €15/30); book over the website.
Train
Trains depart from the Northern Train Station (Gara Timişoara-Nord; GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-200 457; www.cfrcalatori.ro; Str Gării 2), though it's actually 'west' of the centre. Daily express trains include services to Bucharest (112 lei, nine hours, two daily), Cluj-Napoca (80 lei, six hours, two daily), Arad (18 lei, one hour, four daily) and Oradea (49 lei, three hours, three daily).
Agenţia de Voiaj CFR ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-491 889; www.cfr.ro; B-dul Republicii 10; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri) sells domestic and international train tickets and seat reservations.
Crişana
Oradea
Pop 196,370
Fans of art nouveau and Viennese and Hungarian Secession architecture dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries will want to make a special stop in Oradea. While many of the once-elegant buildings here have been allowed to fall into disrepair, a lot more are getting long-awaited facelifts. Visitors with a sharp eye will see Secession’s signature lyric design elements and inlaid enamelwork on buildings up and down the main pedestrian walkway, Calea Republicii, and across the Crişul Repede river in Piaţa Unirii.
Oradea
1Sights
1Darvas-La Roche HouseB3
2Moskovits PalaceC1
3Oradea FortressD4
4Orthodox SynagogueB4
5Town Hall TowerA3
6Zion Neolog SynagogueB3
4Sleeping
7Hotel QiuC1
5Eating
8Butoilul de AurB2
9Cyrano Cafe RestaurantB2
10GrafD1
11LactobarB2
12RosecasA4
3Entertainment
13Oradea State TheatreB2
14State PhilharmonicB2
7Shopping
15HumanitasB2
1Sights
The best way to see the city is to stroll along pedestrian-only Calea Republicii, lined on both sides with architectural gems, and cross over the river to dramatic Piaţa Unirii.
Darvas-La Roche HouseMUSEUM
(Casa Darvas-La Roche; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.oradea.travel; Str Josif Vulcan 11; adult/child 5/3 lei; hnoon-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, shorter hours in winter)
This delightful Secession-style burgher house (1912) designed by brothers József and László Vágó, who also built Oradea's stunning Moskovits Palace (Palatul Moskovits; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calea Republicii 13), has now opened as a museum of interiors, furnishings and applied arts. Don't miss the stunning stained glass and dining room. A 10-lei entry fee includes admission to the Zion Neolog Synagogue and Town Hall Tower.
Town Hall TowerTOWER
(Turnulk Primăriei; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.oradea.travel; Str Tudor Vladimirescu 2; adult/child 5/3 lei; hnoon-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, shorter hours in winter)
The 50m-high tower, which is now open to the public, counts four main levels, three of which have viewing platforms. A 10-lei entry fee includes admission to the Zion Neolog Synagogue and Darvas-La Roche House.
Orthodox SynagogueSYNAGOGUE
(Sinagoga Ortodoxă; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.oradeajc.com; Str Mihai Viteazul 4; hclosed to the public)
Oradea's Orthodox synagogue dates from 1890 and was the main house of worship for around a third of the city's Jewish residents before WWII. It survived the war intact, but was badly neglected afterwards and at the time of research was undergoing a thorough renovation, which was close to completion.
Just behind and to the left of the synagogue is a small Holocaust Memorial remembering some 30,000 Oradea Jews who perished. Most of the victims were executed at the German Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland in May and June 1944, after being forced to live in a cramped, sealed ghetto here. The ghetto was located in the area surroun
ding the synagogue and remains a depressed area to this day.
Zion Neolog SynagogueSYNAGOGUE
(Neolog Synagogue; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.oradeajc.com; Str Independenţei 22; adult/child 5/3 lei; hnoon-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, shorter hours in winter)
Of the reformist Conservative (as opposed to Orthodox) branch of Judaism and dating from 1878, this synagogue, with its graceful dome, is one of the most striking elements of the Oradea skyline. It's open to the public and a 10-lei entry fee includes admission to the Town Hall Tower and Darvas-La Roche House.
Oradea FortressFORTRESS
(Cetatea Oradea; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Independenţei; h9am-5pm)F
Oradea's fortress dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and played a key role in conflicts between the Turks, Austrians and Hungarians over the years. The fortress is shaped like a pentagon, with five towers and thick defensive walls, and has frescoed interior walls. It is largely still under reconstruction but you can stroll around the grounds.
Canon's CorridorARCHITECTURE
(Sirul Canonicilor; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Sirul Canonicilor)
Just east of the Roman Catholic cathedral, Canon's Corridor forms a series of 57 arches built between 1750 and 1875, part of the original baroque design as laid out by the Austrian master architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt.
Roman Catholic CathedralCHURCH
(Catedrală Romano-Catolică; GOOGLE MAP ; Sirul Canonicilor; h9am-6pm)
This cathedral, 2km north of the centre, was built between 1752 and 1780 and is the largest baroque church in Romania. Organ concerts are occasionally held here.
TTours
Apuseni ExperienceADVENTURE
(%0745-602 301, 0747-962 482; www.apuseniexperience.ro)
This Oradea-based outdoor-travel outfit arranges multiday hiking and biking trips in the Apuseni Mountains, plus ski touring and snowshoeing in winter.
4Sleeping
oHotel EliteHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-414 924, 0359-332 211; www.hotelelite.ro; Str IC Bratianu 26; s/d from €55/65; pWs)
This beautiful hotel has 38 spotless and well-maintained rooms, but the major drawcard is its gorgeous heated (and child-friendly) outdoor pool straight out of a Hollywood mansion. Swim into the night and dine on the terrace. There's a small spa too.
Nonresidents can use the pool for 30/40 lei on weekdays/weekends. Add 10 lei for the spa.
Hotel StokkerHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0359-444 994; www.facebook.com/StokkerHotel; Parcul Petőfi 16; s/d/apt 170/210/290 lei; paW)
Renovated, rebranded and renamed, the Stokker is a good choice if you're coming to Oradea by train as it's only a 10-minute walk from the station. The 17 rooms are smallish but spotless and have decent artwork; a few have balconies over the garden and fountain. The outdoor restaurant is a festive place for a summer-evening meal.
Hotel QiuHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0733-666 555; www.qiu.ro; Calea Republicii 15; r without breakfast from €40; aW)
This modern hotel boasts an excellent location, right on Calea Republicii in the centre of town. There's no reception; instead, book via the hotel website or by phone. The building is an art nouveau palace in need of renovation, but the five rooms themselves have been given a stylish update and are clean, quiet and comfortable. They also have kitchenettes.
5Eating
oButoilul de AurBISTRO$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0359-427 162; www.butoiuldeauroradea.ro; Str Iosif Vulcan 1; mains 13-30 lei; h9am-11pm Mon-Fri, 9am-midnight Sat & Sun)
The impossibly ornate 'Golden Barrel', with its stained-glass cupola and painted stucco work, dates to 1892. Though there are more complex dishes on the menu, most punters seem to come for the pasta and pizza (14 to 23 lei), the live music at weekends and the stunning surrounds.
LactobarCAFE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-455 154, 0723-234 187; www.facebook.com/Lactobar-Retro-Bistro-152884041477820; Calea Republicii 11; mains 12-23 lei; h9am-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat & Sun; Wc)
Worth even just a look, this charming, very kid-friendly 'retro bistro' with a big cow statue on the main street is decked out in colourful period-piece found objects, including an orange, ultra-cool Dacia automobile. The menu is less amazing, mostly burgers – what's lacto got to do with it? – and sandwiches.
RosecasROMANIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0756-260 185; www.rosecas.ro; Str Traian Moşoiu 17; mains 25-55 lei; h11am-11pm Mon-Thu, 11am-midnight Fri & Sat, 11am-10.30pm Sun; W)
This upbeat, now rather posh place serves excellent home-cooked Romanian and Hungarian fare, such as chicken paprika and duck, as well as delicious salads and home-made chicken soup. In summer, sit on the cosy terrace squeezed in between two buildings. The weekday set lunch is a snip at 18 lei.
Cyrano Cafe RestaurantROMANIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0728-284 722; www.facebook.com/pages/Cyrano/101250046625819; Calea Republicii 7; mains 15-30 lei; h10am-11pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-11pm Sun; W)
Popular hang-out ideal for people-watching from the coveted terrace tables. Though the menu teems with Romanian favourites, the incredible beef stew with tarragon in a hollowed bread loaf (ciorbă de viţe cu tarhon in chiflă; 13 lei) is all the nourishment you'll need.
oGrafINTERNATIONAL$$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-421 421; www.restaurantgraf.ro; Str Barbu Stefanescu Delavrancea 3; mains 35-70 lei; h5-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-3pm Sun; W)
Graf is arguably Oradea's nicest restaurant and a perfect splurge option. The menu features wood-grilled steaks, fish and pork; the caramelised duck leg served on our visit was one of our best meals in Romania. Desserts feature cheesecake and home-made ice cream, and the wine list is top notch. It's undergone a recent renovation.
3Entertainment
The weekly Zi de Zi (Day by Day) events brochure covers what's on.
Oradea State TheatrePUPPET THEATRE
(Teatrul de Stat Oradea; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-440 742; http://teatrulreginamaria.ro/trupa-arcadia; Piața Ferdinand I 4-6; h10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat & Sun; c)
The State Theatre, also known as the Queen Mary Theatre (Teatrul Regina Maria; completed in 1900), is one of the most important heritage buildings in Oradea. Kids will enjoy the puppet shows put on by the Arcadia Troupe (Trupa Arcadia).
State PhilharmonicCLASSICAL MUSIC
(Filarmonica de Stat; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-430.853; www.oradeaphilharmony.com; Str Moscovei 5; tickets 10-25 lei; hbox office 11am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Tickets for performances at the State Philharmonic, with its traditional program of classical music, can be purchased in advance from the theatre box office or one hour before show time. The exterior was undergoing a massive renovation at research time.
7Shopping
HumanitasBOOKS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-472 955; www.humanitas.ro; Calea Republicii 11; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat, 10am-3pm Sun)
Humanitas is a small but helpful bookshop, with a tiny collection of titles in English.
8Information
Banca TransilvaniaBANK
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-410 932; Calea Republicii 5; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Oradea Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-437 000; http://oradea.travel; Piața Unirii; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
In the Town Hall.
Post OfficePOST
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-435 040; Str Roman Ciorogariu 12; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm Sat)
8Getting There & Away
Bus
A small bus station (autogara; GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-418 998; www.autogari.ro/Oradea; Str Râzboieni 81) is situated 2km south of the centre. From here you can catch frequent maxitaxis and regular buses to Băile Felix (3 to 5 lei, 10 minutes), Ştei (for access to Bears Cave; 14 lei, 90 minutes) and Arieşeni (26 lei, 2½ hours).
There’s a small maxitaxi stand ( GOOGLE MAP ) north of the train station for services to cities north of Oradea, such as Baia Mare (40 lei, 3¾ hours).
Train
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br /> Oradea's train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-414 970; www.cfr.ro; Calea Republicii 114) is 2km north of the centre. Daily fast trains from Oradea include services to Budapest (89 lei, five hours, one daily), a slow overnight to Bucharest (112 lei, 12 hours), Cluj-Napoca (45 lei, three hours, six daily), Braşov (102 lei, nine hours, two daily) and Timişoara (49 lei, three hours, three daily).
Agenţia de Voiaj CFR ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0259-416 565; Str Roman Ciorogariu 4; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri) sells domestic and international train tickets and seat reservations.
WORTH A TRIP
CAVING IN THE APUSENI NATURE PARK
The Apuseni Mountains lie for the most part in Transylvania, but their western ranges are easily accessed from Oradea along Hwy 76. The area is known for its spectacular system of caves – both 'show caves' open to the public and 'technical caves' restricted to guided groups.
The best source of information is the Apuseni Nature Park Visitors Centre, with headquarters at Sudrigiu on the approach to Bears Cave near the village of Chişcău.
Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria Page 28