Oradea

There are also numerous architectural surprises, due, above all, the spectacular beauty of some of the city’s buildings, such as the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the largest Baroque religious building in Romania, which was designed following the layout of the Church of Jesus in Rome; the Moon Church, which has a mechanism that reproduces the lunar phases; as well as the ancient citadel, one of the best preserved in Europe, which features a fortress in the shape of the five-pointed star and is today the site of art and craft exhibitions throughout the year. There are some 100 churches of different denominations throughout the city, which offer evidence of the important multi-ethnic character of the city: there are 27 synagogues, testifying the widespread presence of Jewish people, such the one in Moorish style of a delicate pink colour, the Zion synagogue and the Grand Temple.

 

The museums describe the history of this beautiful city and region, such as the Crisanu Regional Museum with its rich collection of Romanian artists, the Ady Endre Museo, the museum-home of one of the greatest Hungarian poets who, with his words, promoted friendship between the Romanians and Hungarians, the Iosif Vulcan Museum, which was the home and editorial office of the ‘Family’ magazine and contains a collection of books of poetry, novels and a complete collection of issues of the magazine.

 

Among so much energy, even the local cuisine has adapted: it is rich in spicy flavours, such as pepper and paprika, which feature in the local, typically Hungarian dish of goulash, a meat stew flavoured with onions, carrots and potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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