Easter weekend in Oradea - Top 8 attractions to visit in Oradea

Oradea, the "capital" of Partium, is only 3 hours away from Budapest. A real jewel on the banks of the Crişul Repede River, with beautiful Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque buildings and charming pedestrian streets. Many will remember the literature classes and the name of Endre Ady, as it was one of the most important centres of Hungarian cultural life in the early 20th century. After the Treaty of Trianon, however, the city became part of Romania.

With 200,000 inhabitants, it is not one of the largest cities, so 1-2 days are enough to explore it, or you can combine it with a trip to Debrecen. We spent the Easter weekend here, which is Easter according to our calendar. In Romania the Orthodox Easter is 1 week later than ours, so we had the opportunity to do some shopping. The BONUS of travelling east is that everything is much cheaper, even compared to prices here. So if you're looking for a low budget trip, don't forget Romania.

1. The Town Hall

Built in 1903 in neoclassical style, the Town Hall and its 50-metre clock tower are the dominant landmarks of the city. The clock tower has 250 steps leading to the top and offers a stunning view of the city centre and Unirii Square.

2. Black Eagle Palace and Unirii Square

You can't miss Unirii Square, where most of the attractions are located. These include the Black Eagle Palace or Hotel (whatever you call it), one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau buildings in Transylvania. Its glass-roofed shopping arcade is home to countless bars, cafes and nightclubs. The glass mosaic of a black eagle above the entrance is also a symbol of Oradea. At the other end of the square are the aforementioned City Hall, the Greek Catholic Episcopal Palace and the Baroque Church of the Moon, which features a sphere that imitates the phases of the moon and rotates in 28-day cycles.

3. Ady Museum

The Ady Endre Memorial Museum is housed in the former Müller Café, an important meeting place for the city's intellectuals in the early 20th century. The small museum is surprisingly rich in relics. 34 Ady works, 51 Ady translations, 28 original Ady manuscripts, 40 original photographs and 305 copies, 7 paintings and 6 sculptures.

4. The castle

Built in the 12th century, it is considered one of the most important medieval monuments in Transylvania. It has recently been completely renovated. It has a star-shaped wall. Many events are organised here, such as an Easter craft fair and food truck show, and performances for younger children.

5. Bank of Crişul Repede River

In spring and summer it's refreshing to walk along the banks of the Crişul Repede River in the shade of the trees, listening to the sound of the water and sipping a lemonade in one of the cafés. There are several elegant restaurants along the banks. And there are plenty of runners.

6. Szigliget Theatre

A special feature of the Oradea State Theatre is that the building is shared by the Hungarian-language Szigligeti Theatre and the Romanian-language Regina Maria Theatre. Built in 1900, the façade of the theatre is decorated with neo-classical and neo-renaissance elements, while the interior is dominated by the neo-baroque style. To the left is the Astoria Grand Hotel, whose ground floor café was Ady's haunt. It was here that he met Leda in the autumn of 1903 and where the Holnap Literary Society was founded.

7. Republicii street and the Holnaposok statue group

Republicii street starts at the Szigliget Theatre. It's worth not only looking at the shop windows, but also taking a look around, as the 600-metre shopping street is lined with beautiful Art Nouveau, neoclassical, baroque and eclectic buildings. It's hard to pick a favourite, but my favourite was probably the Miksa Moskovits Palace. With its bright blue colour, stucco windows and wrought iron balconies, it is a truly unique sight.

This street is also home to the group of Holnapos statues. The statue of the leading figures of the Holnap Literary Society (Endre Ady, Ákos Dutka, Gyula Juhász and Tamás Emőd) is special because there is an empty chair where we can sit for a photo.

8. The Roman Catholic Episcopal Palace and Cathedral

The biggest baroque complex in Romania. The Bishop's Palace was first built in 1777, followed by the Cathedral in 1779. The palace is a miniature copy of the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. There is a beautiful English garden in front of the palace and a Baroque garden behind it, so it is worth taking a break.

To see more of Oradea follow my Instagram and Tiktok page.

Safe travels!

Heni

Accommodations

I always use booking.com when booking. We stayed at the Boutique Rooms with Parking, which is in a very good location, close to the attractions and has very nice rooms. You can find more accommodation at the link below.

More programmes

To extend your trip in Romania, I recommend the following programmes: