Bihor

Bihor County stretches from the Hungarian plain to the karst landscape of the Apuseni Mountains. A vacation in Bihor offers a surprisingly elegant city, thermal baths with a long tradition, and caves where stalactites glitter in the lamplight.

Oradea: Art Nouveau on the Crișul Repede River

Oradea, known in German as Großwardein and in Hungarian as Nagyvárad, enjoyed an economic boom around 1900 that produced a wealth of Art Nouveau buildings. The most beautiful of them is the Black Eagle Palace, with its glass-roofed arcade on Unirii Square. In recent years the city has carried out an extensive, EU-funded renovation of its center; pastel-colored facades line the pedestrian zone of Strada Republicii. The star-shaped fortress, once the seat of the bishop, now houses museums, cafés, and event spaces. The Roman Catholic basilica is considered the largest Baroque church in Romania, and next to it stands the Bishop's Palace with its hundred rooms. Promenades along the banks of the Crișul Repede invite you to stroll.

Soaking in Băile Felix

Just a few miles to the southeast, in the commune of Sânmartin, lie Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai. Warm thermal water feeds pools, hotel spas, and large leisure complexes that are open year-round. In a small nature reserve, a water lily that otherwise grows only in Egypt blooms; it has survived in the warm springs since the last Ice Age. The spa resorts are equally popular with families from Romania and Hungary, so they can get quite crowded in summer.

Sights in Bihor: The Apuseni Mountains and Caves

To the east, the land rises toward the Apuseni Mountains. The Bear Cave near Chișcău owes its name to the many skeletons of cave bears found when it was discovered in 1975; a loop trail leads past stalactites and bones. The Meziad Cave is among the largest in the country. Around Stâna de Vale, a mountain resort at more than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), you'll find hiking trails, springs, and, in winter, a small ski slope. Small villages such as Bubești are scattered across the hills, where farming and forestry shape daily life.

Oradea as a Weekend Destination

In recent years Oradea has become a popular destination for city breaks. Besides the Art Nouveau architecture, the large Zion Synagogue on the riverbank, now a cultural center after its restoration, is worth a visit, as is the view over the rooftops from the City Hall tower. A thermal aquapark offers warm water in the middle of the city. In the evening the terraces along Strada Republicii fill up, and in summer concerts take place in the fortress. For excursions into Bihor County, you can also visit wine villages in the hill country and small wooden churches at the foot of the Pădurea Craiului Mountains.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

The cuisine of Bihor has a strong Hungarian influence: goulash soup, chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage rolls, and strudel. Famous is pălincă, a strong plum and fruit brandy that is distilled at home in many villages. Oradea has a small airport, and the larger hubs of Cluj-Napoca and Debrecen are easy to reach. From Hungary, the Borș border crossing gets you into the city within minutes, and trains connect Oradea with Budapest and Cluj-Napoca. The best time to visit Oradea and the mountains is between April and October; the thermal baths are especially worthwhile in the cooler months.