Oradea is located in the immediate vicinity of the Hungarian border and is a gateway to Romania for many travelers. It is an old merchant and craft center whose center has regained its splendor as a result of recent renovation. It is famous for its Art Nouveau monuments, including the beautiful Black Eagle Passage.
The city was founded in the 11th century on a trade route leading from Hungary to the Black Sea. It quickly became one of the most important centers in the region and due to the constant threat, first a Mongolian and then a Turkish fortress was built in it. Currently, the Academy of Fine Arts is located in its buildings surrounded by starry fortifications.
The buildings of the center of Oradea are today a picturesque mix of Baroque, Art Nouveau and eclectic buildings with wide streets, a boulevard and a large central square. Next to it is the baroque church of La Luna, on top of which a unique mechanism indicating the phases of the moon is placed.
There is also the Art Nouveau Palace of the Greek Catholic Bishops and numerous tenement houses with decorative facades. However, the most important building that the city is famous for all over Europe is the Black Eagle Hotel with its passage, in which a huge stained glass window depicting this bird was placed. The whole is one of the best examples of the Art Nouveau style in Romania, and now there are bars and cafes in the arcade.
The city life focuses on the street leading from the Market Square to the National Theater, where you can see many eclectic palaces and tenement houses where restaurants and cafes operate today. There is also a large synagogue from the beginning of the 20th century in the vicinity of the center.
