Photogallery of Oradea, Romania

Oradea is a Romanian city that is situated close to the border with Hungary. This is an interesting settlement with rich architectural and cultural heritage. When taking a stroll in the historic city center, it is easy to notice that the majority of dwellings here are built in the Baroque style. This architectural style was typical for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Oradea changes its look closer to the outskirts. Buildings of the communist era are the most widespread in this part of the city. The facades of many residential buildings are painted in different colors – pink, green, white, and blue. This fact makes every building original and creates a fairytale look. Finally, there are more than a hundred of different shrines in the Romanian city. Initially, modern Oradea had another name of Latin etymology – Varadinum. The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1113. A fortress, which gave the town its name, was built in the area at that time. The main purpose of the stronghold was to protect the region from the Mongol Tatar invasion. The fortress is mentioned in the documents for the first time in 1241. Oradea officially became a town only in the 16th century. The area started developing actively and growing in size. At the beginning of the 18th century, Franz Anton Hillebrandt, an architect from Vienna, was given the task of changing the look of Oradea. The idea was to add the Baroque style buildings to the settlement. The building works reached its peak in … Read further