# Romania 2017: Timișoara - Sibiu - Cluj - Oradea



## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

Last month, I visited Romania for a week, partly because Romanian SSC member Klausenburg said I should make some pictures there some time ago, which reminded me that it was one of my favourite countries when I visited it eight years ago, when I had only made crappy pictures.

I visited four cities in the famous north-western region of Transylvania: Timișoara*, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Oradea, each one so different that it is strange to think that they are all in the same country. 

* Correction: Timișoara is not in Transylvania, but rather in Banat, a historical region of which it was the capital. It is shared with Serbia and a small part of Hungary (the biggest part is in Romania).

I had already started posting the photos in my 'Everywhere else I go' thread, but Klausenburg suggested I make a new thread, so here you go.

Timisoara, Sibiu, Tranfagarasan > Page 1
Cluj-Napoca > Page 1 and 2
Oradea > Page 3 and 4


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Timisoara, Part 1*

Situated on the plain near the borders with Hungary and Serbia, Timișoara - where I arrived at the airport and spent two nights - is a university town of 320,000. It is called Temesvar in Hungarian, Timisvar in Serbian, and a variation on the theme in various other languages. 

Despite being quite a big city, the center is quite small, and is situated around three squares:

The largest, Piața Victoriei, which is lined with 19th century Habsburg buildings:

1. 
Timisoara 01 P2250274b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. 
Timisoara 02 P2250287b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. The opera sits at the northern end of the square
Timisoara 03 P2250349b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4.
Timisoara 04 P2250303b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

And two much older squares:

5. Piața Libertății:
Timisoara 05 P2250368b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Piața Unirii:

6.
Timisoara 06 P2260103b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. 
Timisoara 07 P2260125d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Modern (communist-era and more recent) buildings surround the center on the northern side. This picture was taken from Piața Unirii
Timisoara 08 P2260114b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. Piața Ionel I. C. Brătianu, which is where I got off the bus from the airport
Timisoara 09 P2260155b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. Communist mural on the street from the center to the main station, Timișoara Nord
Timisoara 10 P2260419b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. On the same street, but closer to the center, I really love this style of architecture of which there is so much in Romania
Timisoara 11 P2260468d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. And the last pic for today, Piața Victoriei in the evening, with the orthodox cathedral at the southern end
Timisoara 12 P2260495b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Stay tuned for part two of Timișoara, and of course for the other Romanian towns I visited!


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Timisoara, Part 2*

Romania has changed quite a lot since I was last there. For one thing, it now has an increasing amount of bicycle infrastructure, which in some places is comparable to or better than it is in Belgium. So I rented a bike (which I did in 3 of the 4 towns I visited) and, armed with my camera, did exactly what I would do in Belgium, starting by following the river Bega out of town to the east.

13.
Timisoara 13 P2250507b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


14.
Timisoara 14 P2250540b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15.
Timisoara 15 P2250526b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. This was more or less the edge of town. I went a bit further but there wasn't much to see
Timisoara 16 P2250616b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. I came back by a parallel road on the northern side of the river (the center is on the southern side)
Timisoara 17 P2250694b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. 
Timisoara 18 P2250715b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. Which brought me to this rather elegant but slightly crumbling nineteenth century neighbourhood, which starts at a bridge over the Bega
Timisoara 19 P2250994b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. 
Timisoara 20 P2250782b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. The houses get lower as you get further out of town
Timisoara 21 P2250788b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

22. Back towards the river, sadly the sun was shining directly behind the more impressive 19th century buildings
Timisoara 22 P2250832b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Stay tuned for the last part of Timisoara!


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Timisoara, Part 3*

23. 
Timisoara 23 P2250914b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

24. Though the light was perfect for this one
Timisoara 24 P2260320b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

25. 
Timisoara 25 P2260237b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

26.
Timisoara 26 P2260252b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

27. Down a more residential side street
Timisoara 27 P2260327b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

28. And in a more modern neighbourhood slightly to the west
Timisoara 28 P2260366b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

29. The Bega as it leaves central Timisoara in the west
Timisoara 30 P2260372b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

30. I have to say that, though there is nothing wrong with it, I found Timisoara the least interesting of the four towns I visited on this trip, but that one thing is almost unbeatable: Parcul Rozelor, which lies on the the river banks for the whole length of the center, and where all the people seemed to have gathered on the Sunday I was in town 
Timisoara 31 P2260397b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

31. One last look at the Bega river and the orthodox cathedral
Timisoara 29 P2260091b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Stay tuned for the other towns, each one of which is very special in its own way!


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Sibiu, Part 1*

A very scenic six hour train journey - including a change in Arad, which I considered visiting as well - took me the 330 kilometers to my next destination, Sibiu, which I liked immediatly on arrival at about eight in the evening (I'm not showing these photos in the order I took them in).

1. Sibiu is a very well preserved walled city, the architecture of which hinted at something I didn't know yet when I arrived
Sibiu 01 P2270969b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. 
Sibiu 02 P2270907b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Just look how tidy and whitewashed the main square, Piata Mare, is, it could almost be in...
Sibiu 03 P2260590c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

My hunch turned out to be right, Sibiu, also known as Hermannstadt, is a German town, one of the seven fortified Saxon towns that gave Transylvania its German name (Siebenbürgen). The girlfriend of the owner of the hostel I stayed in, who was a Transylvanian Saxon, told me a lot that I didn't know about her people, who I thought had passed into history long ago. But I was wrong: they had been a majority in Sibiu until the 1990's, when most of them emigrated to Germany in search of better opportunities. Some of them are starting to come back now, as she did a few years ago. The Transylvanian Saxons are not to be confused with people from Saxony, as they originate from the Rhine Valley, and their name is spelled Sächsen (with an umlaut) in German. Their dialect is apparently quite similar to Luxembourgish (which I though was interesting because I more-or-less had my first encounter with people speaking that language while making the pictures for the last post on the previous page).

4. The hostel itself (the third house from the left on this picture), La Padre's, was one of the nicest I have ever stayed in. The owner, a retired music teacher and outdoor type "who you can call Padre", had built beds for about ten people in his own house. He really did a good and loving job, and the Mezzanine I slept in was very comfortable!
Sibiu 04 P2260629b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. A church around the corner from La Padre's hostel
Sibiu 05 P2270021c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. View of one of the few ugly buildings in Sibiu
Sibiu 06 P2270038c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Though I spent two nights in Sibiu, I didn't actually have much time to make photos of it, the reason for which you will find out in the next post. But that doesn't really matter, my last evening was enough to give you a quick, touristy impression of how nice it is. 

7. 
Sibiu 11 P2270111b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8.
Sibiu 12 P2270142b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9.
Sibiu 13 P2270174b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10.
Sibiu 14 P2270262c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. The Lutheran church
Sibiu 15 P2270433b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Stay tuned for part 2...


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Sibiu, Part 2*

12. View from the stairs to the church
Sibiu 16 P2270859b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. Another stairway from the lower to the upper town
Sibiu 17 P2270681c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. 
Sibiu 18 P2270699b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. One of the most noticeable features of Sibiu's old town is this street, which starts in the lower town ...
Sibiu 19 P2270593b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. ... and leads through a deep street ...
Sibiu 20 P2270576b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. ... to Piata Mica (small square), which is separated from Piata Mare by a row of houses and a church
Sibiu 21 P2270528b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. Piata Mare again
Sibiu 22 P2270767b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. 
Sibiu 23 P2270810b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. 
Sibiu 24 P2270790b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. I actually made this picture just after I had arrived but I'm posting it now because we're looking towards our next destination, which is situated high in the Carpathian mountains. Expect to see it soon!
Sibiu 26 P2260541b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Ruben, I just had a first quick look at your pics and must say, I'm already
in love with this thread.  Wonderful pics, beautiful, interesting country! kay:

Will come back in the next days to take more time for looking at the details!


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Great pics from the old town of Sibiu, Ruben!


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## Skopje/Скопје (Jan 8, 2013)

Great set, Romania is so _terra incognita_ to me, and I'm always happy to learn and see more about it.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice thread about Romania :cheers:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Transfăgărășan*

Thanks for all the comments guys Yes it's strange how unknown Romania is as a tourist destination, while I would say it has the same touristic potential as for instance France (though I think it's that's more known on SSC).

Now the reason I didn't spend very much time in Sibiu: someone else who was staying at La Padre's hostel on the night I arrived had rented a car and offered to take me with him on a scenic mountain road called the Transfăgărășan, which he had wanted to drive since he had seen in on Top Gear. Padre told me that was an offer I couldn't refuse, so I didn't. The Transfăgărășan (a name which took me about a week to be able to pronounce) was built in the early 1970's to a great financial and human cost, with no other purpose than to be able to evacuate the army in the case of a Soviet invasion (apart from that, it doesn't really go from anywhere to anywhere). Anyway, it was a very spectacular drive, and the driver was Pakistani, so I also learned some things about Pakistan which I won't share with you here as I don't have any pictures to go with it

1. Approaching the mountains in the village of Cârțișoara
Tranfagarasan 01 P2260649b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. As you can see here, the Transfăgărășan climbs and climbs by way of one hairpin bend after the other
Tranfagarasan 02 P2260715c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Even further up now, the temperature here was very pleasant, considering it was 35 degrees celsius down below
Tranfagarasan 03 P2260730b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. There was even a little bit of snow by Bâlea Lake, which lies shortly before the final pass (not shown is that there were also a lot of tourists here: a continuous procession of cars, campers and even bikes)
Tranfagarasan 04 P2260792b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. Now quite far down the other side, Lacul Vidaru and the (hydroelectric?) dam that created it
Tranfagarasan 05 P2260829c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. The lake is overlooked by a communist superhero (it's actually Prometheus, and is meant to symbolize electricity, thanks RD-A)
Tranfagarasan 06 P2260892 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. View back towards the pass we took
Tranfagarasan 07 P2260862b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

From here, the road descended back into the inhabited world, though it was very different, as we were now in southern Romania (it was very nice and I would have liked to make some pictures, but that's the limitation of car tourism)

8. The last picture I made, of the monastery of Curtea de Argeș
Tranfagarasan 08 P2260924b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Padre had told me that I would easily be able to return to Sibiu on the same day, but my premonition that this wouldn't be possible turned out to be right when we arrived in Pitești (where I learned that single i's on the end of words are muted in Romanian, making Pitești 'Piteșt' and București 'Bucureșt') around 7, just to late for the last bus. I could have hitchhiked, but figured that this would take me at least six hours, and got back in the car for the last hour to Bucharest instead. I like Bucharest (where I slept in the car), but decided not to visit it this time (it's much too big), and took a bus back to Sibiu, which I still wanted to visit and where most of my luggage had slept at Padre's hostel

The seven hour trip back by the normal road through the mountains was also very picturesque, taking me through Valea Oltului, whose name taught me something else about the Romanian language. I had already learned 'ul' or 'a' to the end of a word was the article, making 'lacul' 'the lake' or 'valea' 'the valley' from a friendly Romanian lady from France at small museum in Cârțișoara the previous day. Knowing that 'Olt' was the name of the river, and having seen the word 'municipiului' on garbage trucks, it was not hard to guess that the addition of 'ului' means 'of the' (so: Valley of the Olt). 

Anyway, I don't know how many people are actually going to read all this, but stay tuned for our next destination: Cluj-Napoca!


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Now I took the time to read all your commentary, Ruben, and it was worth it! kay:
And I enjoyed your pictures and their details! My favourites:

Timisoara:
11 The Cumulus clouds go so well with this wonderful architecture!
12 Beautiful Orthodox Cathedral
18 lovely
24 I'm a great fan both of this building and your picture - perfect light!

Sibiu:
So many lovely buildings in No. 1, 3, 4 (your hostel), 8, 10, 13, 14, 17
and I love this pic with the view towards the Carpathian Mountains (21)!

Transfagarasan:
Very exciting to follow your adventurous trip! 
I loved the wonderful views in pic 2 and 7, and the monastery (8)!

Superb, thank you very much! kay:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Buna Ziua, Cluj-Napoca!*

Thanks for the correction R-DA, I'll add it in a minute. I just thought he looked like Iron Man 

And thanks Sylvia Actually, Sibiu reminded me a bit of the small towns you showed in your threads

Towards the end of the five hour bus ride from Sibiu, the bus turned a corner reveiling a magnificent view of my next destination: Cluj-Napoca, which has 324,576 inhabitants, making it Romania's second largest city. So, thinking of how to start this thread, the first thing I did when I had rented a bike the following afternoon*, was go back there to make some pictures. I actually went there twice, because it was raining when I got there the first time. As you will see on the pictures (which were all made on one day and on the preceding evening or following morning), Cluj has rather a strange climate in the summer. The day starts with nice weather, and grows continuously hotter until about 1 p.m., when it starts raining. It then rains for a few hours, leaving the city veiled and steaming for a while before the evening turns wonderfully clear (I asked someone about this, and he said it was normal). 

* actually I didn't rent it, I borrowed it from the excellent hostel I stayed at on my second night (Retro Hostel).

1. The road to Turda (a town just outside Cluj through which I had passed on the bus from Sibiu)
Cluj 101 P2290449b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. Cluj has a similar setting to Liège (I like cities with this kind of setting!), though the difference in elavation is quite a lot bigger(between 340-690 meters, I only discovered this later using a google maps app, it wasn't more difficult to get around by bike). The centre is hidden from view to the left of this picture
Cluj 102 P2300682b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

3. 
Cluj 103 P2300647b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. There are a lot of new developments in boom town Cluj-Napoca
Cluj 104 P2290415b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. A more Transylvanian view towards the outskirts
Cluj 105 P2300652b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. We have now entered Cluj-Napoca, by way of a neighbourhood which I later found out (again on Google maps) to be called Buna Ziua, which means 'good day' (as in 'hello') 
Cluj 106 P2290578b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. The road down to town is lined with sprawl worthy of Belgium
Cluj 107 P2290589b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. The construction site of the new Greek-Catholic Cathedral, at the bottom of the hill on the edge of the centre
Cluj 108 P2290630b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. Cluj-Napoca has a few big communist-era housing projects. I think the architecture of some of them is quite interesting, but didn't make any pictures except this one, opposite the Greek-Catholic Cathedral
Cluj 109 P2290690b1 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

I haven't shown you much yet that indicates what an interesting and varied city Cluj-Napoca is, but thankfully have about 80 more photos to show you. Expect to see them soon!


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Cluj-Napoca's hillside suburbs*

1. Agreed. The slowness of traveling by train (which feel like they travel at max. 25 km/h) and bus (stuck in a constant traffic jam) was the only disadvantage I experienced as a tourist. I don't know if it changed since then, but when I visited Bulgaria in 2007, infrastructure was also bad, but the country was packed with backpackers following a kind of tourist trail (and I didn't even go to the seaside).

2. I'm not someone who visits either ski resorts or seaside resorts that often, so you're probably right there, France has much more and better/more modern/more accessible ones. But apart from that I would say that Romania offers tourists about the same: mountains, sea, pleasant countryside and picturesque small towns and villages (outside Paris, France is not that packed with giant museum cities either). 

Therefore it could be just as suitable for northern European families, who often drive somewhere and then stay in the same region for a few weeks (on a campsite, or in a B&B or small house - this is what many northern European families do in the summer in France, Italy, or even Hungary). (I did see people seeing having this kind of holidays in Romania though - mainly Poles, people from the Baltic countries, Scandinavians, Germans, Dutch and French)

I have to say that accommodation is easy to find and cheap in Romania. And though Romania doesn't have a Florence or Venice (no country should try to compare their touristic potential or image to that of Italy - it will leave them feeling quite sad), Italy is often quite underdeveloped regarding tourist infrastructure as well. Just compare the number of hostels in Sibiu to the number of hostels in a prime tourist destination such as Siena. Also, public transport is often almost non-existent in much visited areas between the big towns in France or especially Italy. I think part of the attraction of both France and Italy is that they have managed to stay largely authentic despite enormous numbers of tourists visiting every year.

3. Yes, sadly, Romania has an image problem, but the more people who come back with positive stories, the more this will change. And advertising seems to have worked for Bulgaria, so it could for Romania as well
________________________________________________

Now we will visit the hill on the opposite (= northern) side of town, behind the station, during the veiled and steaming part of the late afternoon. 

10. It was too veiled for good pictures when I was going up the hill, which is why I'll start with this photo of the abrupt edge of town, when it started to clear up
Cluj 201 P2290858b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. Looking the other way from the same spot, new constructions with Cluj in the background
Cluj 202 P2290792b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. 
Cluj 203 P2290818b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. Cluj has two football teams, one of them very rich and successful but which no-one from Cluj likes, and the other unsuccessful but the "team of the people" (at least according to someone I spoke to). The more successful team nonetheless has the older stadium you can see here on the citadel hill (which hides the centre from view), while the other has the hyper-modern Cluj Arena, which I will show you later
Cluj 204 P2290835b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. 
Cluj 205 P2290908b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. The streets of this neighbourhood are slightly reminiscent of some suburbs of Liège (like Saint-Nicolas)
Cluj 206 P2290942b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. Though the houses are obviously in central-European style
Cluj 207 P2290984b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. 
Cluj 208 P2290999b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. A nice wooden church (which was partly hidden behind a high gate)
Cluj 209 P2300009b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. There are a few kinds of modern architecture in Romania. One of them is the playmobil style, which most of you will be shocked to hear I quite like (there's a thread somewhere on SSC full of people bashing this kind of architecture throughout south-eastern Europe and other parts of the world)
Cluj 210 P2300023b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. Like in the rest of Romania, there are people selling things on the street in various places in Cluj, such as here opposite the main bus station where I had arrived the previous afternoon (again something I like which I think there should be more of in western Europe)
Cluj 211 P2300018b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. The bus station is situated next-to the white building on the left, across the tracks from the railway station, where we will start the next part of our tour soon
Cluj 212 P2280625b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Very thoughtful and interesting commentary, Ruben. And what an amazing shot that is of the Transfăgărășan (#11.2)!


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## stevekeiretsu (Sep 25, 2011)

Nice thread, I saw the first few posts in your other one too. Romania is definitely interesting to me although I have been slightly dissuaded from visiting yet for some of the reasons RD-A mentions. There isn't any one obvious attraction/resort city to 'automatically' go to, and since i dont drive, it seems it would be hard to explore all the 'hidden' / 'unspoilt' regions without a car. This thread will make a nice substitute for now, hehe. what's it like in terms of not speaking romanian?


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

ruben alexander said:


> And thanks Sylvia Actually, Sibiu reminded me a bit of the small towns you showed in your threads


I thought exactly the same when I saw some of your pics, Ruben. 

Interesting update and also interesting discussion about Romania as travel destination! kay:

I like those nice views in pic 15, 17 and 21! kay:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Impressive pictures, cities and landscapes, Ruben! :applause:

We just came back from neighboring Bulgaria and there's quite difference in architecture and atmosphere, I notice.

We hope to visit Romania in the near future, so I keep following this thread with interest!


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## Klausenburg (Jul 25, 2007)

ruben alexander said:


> Now the reason I didn't spend very much time in Sibiu: someone else who was staying at La Padre's hostel on the night I arrived had rented a car and offered to take me with him on a scenic mountain road called the *Transfăgărășan*, which he had wanted to drive since he had seen in on Top Gear. *Padre told me that was an offer I couldn't refuse*, so I didn't.


How right he was! I'm Romanian living in Romania, but haven't been yet on Transfagarasan! 


It is great to see your country/city through the lens of someone that visit without having any subjective link with it... Great photos, Ruben!


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## adi.c (Jul 20, 2008)

Klausenburg said:


> It is great to see your country/city through the lens of someone that visit without having any subjective link with it... Great photos, Ruben!


I agree. 
Great thread, I'm looking forward to see about Oradea. :cheers:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*The big streets of central Cluj, Part 1*

Wow, many thanks for all the comments and likes everyone



stevekeiretsu said:


> Nice thread, I saw the first few posts in your other one too. Romania is definitely interesting to me although I have been slightly dissuaded from visiting yet for some of the reasons RD-A mentions. There isn't any one obvious attraction/resort city to 'automatically' go to, and since i dont drive, it seems it would be hard to explore all the 'hidden' / 'unspoilt' regions without a car. This thread will make a nice substitute for now, hehe. what's it like in terms of not speaking romanian?


I can't drive either, so I understand what you mean about not being able to explore certain places, or seeing them from the bus without being able to get off (for fear of getting stuck there). But on the other hand, this is a problem in rural areas in most countries (even in a small country like Belgium. There are some places I never go unless I'm with someone who has a car). But people in rural areas are also often more helpful to people with such problems.

For me, being able to explore cities and towns on foot or by bike and spending the hottest part of every other day in an air conditioned train or bus is already great enough It's quite relaxed if you just focus on one region if you're only visiting for a week (like R-DA said, I only visited Transylvania).

About the languages, that's actually one of the advantages of Romania for tourists: Romanians are often pretty good at them. Most young people speak English (on conversation level), and I spoke to some older people in German or French. And people are generally quite tolarant in the case that you don't share a language (they know that Romanian pronunciation is sometimes very hard for us western Europeans). Hands and feet and my very bad Italian and even worse Spanish, with some Romanian words thrown in for decoration were usually enough to communicate the necessary (or more).



Benonie said:


> Impressive pictures, cities and landscapes, Ruben! :applause:
> 
> We just came back from neighboring Bulgaria and there's quite difference in architecture and atmosphere, I notice.
> 
> We hope to visit Romania in the near future, so I keep following this thread with interest!


Great, I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures I have pleasant memories of Bulgaria too, which means you'll probably like Romania too (unless you didn't like Bulgaria).



Klausenburg said:


> How right he was! I'm Romanian living in Romania, but haven't been yet on Transfagarasan!
> 
> 
> It is great to see your country/city through the lens of someone that visit without having any subjective link with it... Great photos, Ruben!


It definitely was



adi.c said:


> I agree.
> Great thread, I'm looking forward to see about Oradea. :cheers:


I haven't finished processing my photos of Oradea yet (hopefully I will have by the time I've finished with Cluj), but I have to say that I was really surprised by its beauty, and that the light was perfect for much of time that I was there

__________________________________________

Though also one of the 'Siebenbürgen'* (with the Saxon name of Klausenburg), Cluj-Napoca doesn't show as many traces of German heritage as Sibiu. It is rather in the 19th century, during the Hungarian period (when it was known as Kolozsvár), that the city experienced rapid growth (from 19,000 in 1850 to 51,000 in 1900). And as I will show you in the next few posts, this period also left the most visible marks on the urban landscape of central Cluj.

* seven fortified Saxon towns, see the post on Sibiu
** I got this information from Wikipedia, the whole story is quit complicated and involves quite a lot of conflict between the various ethnicities living in the city.

1. Starting where we left of, at the station (I slept in a hotel across the street on my first night)
Cluj 301 P2280591b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. A water tower in a side street opposite the station
Cluj 213 P2300052b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Strada Horea, the street from the station to the centre, which starts off lined with mostly apartment buildings with a few more monumental ones in between...
Cluj 302 P2280672b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. ... but quickly turns into an elegant 19th century boulevard
Cluj 303 P2280726b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


5. The Synagogue
Cluj 304 P2280748b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. This picture is actually from my first brief visit in 2009, when there were less cars but more old Dacias
Cluj 305 RO Cluj-Napoca 2009-07-31 (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. 
Cluj 306 P2300103b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. 
Cluj 307 P2280849b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. An art deco building
Cluj 308 P2280818b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

An elegant ensemble of buildings stand on either side of the bridge over The Little Somes (Somesul Mic) river:

10. 
Cluj 309 P2300120b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Romania :cheers:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*The big streets of central Cluj, Part 2*

11. 
Cluj 310 P2280792d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. The Széki Palace (1893)
Cluj 311 P2280862b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. View towards the citadel hill
Cluj 312 P2300930c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. Cluj-Napoca doesn't have much of a riverfront, but I like the view from the bridge
Cluj 313 P2280207b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. 
Cluj 314 P2280958d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. 
Cluj 315 P2290040b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17.
Cluj 316 P2290002c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. 
Cluj 317 P2280247b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. Looking the other way (east) from the bridge
Cluj 318 P2280273b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. View from the next bridge east (Podul Traian)
Cluj 319 P2290717b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

You got two posts today because I really couldn't split this one, but expect to see more of 19th century Cluj tomorrow!


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## Robi_damian (Jun 15, 2008)

RD-A said:


> ^^
> 
> You're welcome, Ruben.
> 
> ...


I think that this is a common theme in Romania, but not entirely true. Places such as Mexico or Turkey became tourism superpowers despite lacking in extensive infrastructure (Turkey's excellent infrastructure is on the Ankara-Istanbul axis, not in tourist areas). I think Romania lacks 2 things in attracting big tourism numbers: a "big" concentrated attraction (think Budapest, Paris, London, Barcelona) and a proper seaside (beach tourism is still the biggest destination).

Anyway, great pictures Ruben. The photos are very interesting. Looking forward to the last 2 destinations.


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

Timișoara city center is little because back then, it was a fortress there. Still Timișoara have the biggest number of historical buildings from Romania (except Bucharest), because every neighborhood around the fortress built their own little city with their square.


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Wonderful building on the second last pic of #23, and #25 has many superb houses! kay:

I'm looking forward to your next update, Ruben! :cheers:


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## Fallen (Apr 18, 2008)

Great presentation, Ruben! I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures from Oradea, too. :cheers:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*The big streets of central Cluj, Part 3*

Thanks again for the comments Christos, Robi Damian, Velaxa, Sylvia and Fallen And thanks again for all the likes as well



Robi_damian said:


> I think that this is a common theme in Romania, but not entirely true. Places such as Mexico or Turkey became tourism superpowers despite lacking in extensive infrastructure (Turkey's excellent infrastructure is on the Ankara-Istanbul axis, not in tourist areas). I think Romania lacks 2 things in attracting big tourism numbers: a "big" concentrated attraction (think Budapest, Paris, London, Barcelona) and a proper seaside (beach tourism is still the biggest destination).
> 
> Anyway, great pictures Ruben. The photos are very interesting. Looking forward to the last 2 destinations.


I agree with that! I can even think of another much more powerful and famous country that lacks public transport in many more places than Romania but still draws millions of tourists: the U.S.A. (I was recently reading about Wichita, Kansas, a town of almost 400, 000, by chance, and the only way to get there if you don't have a car would be a taxi or a bus that goes once a day from the nearest station, which is 40 kilometers away and where the only train arrives at 3 in the morning. I don´t know how many tourist go there though)

And it´s not as if Romanian buses and trains are uncomfortable or infrequent, they´re just a bit slow.



Velaxa said:


> Timișoara city center is little because back then, it was a fortress there. Still Timișoara have the biggest number of historical buildings from Romania (except Bucharest), because every neighborhood around the fortress built their own little city with their square.


Wow, I saw part of the wall (but don't have any good pictures), but didn't realise that it was such an impressive fortress! But the three main squares are very nice indeed! 
__________________________________________________


22. Looking towards the old town from roughly the corner on photo 15
Cluj 320 P2280193b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

23. Another building in the ensemble of buildings with towers sits on the corner to the right of the last picture, this one the most hated in Cluj. But I quite like it Though removing the advertising would definitely improve it
Cluj 321 P2280881b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

24. Another probably controversial building, this one, from the '60's or '70's sits behind it
Cluj 322 P2280295b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

25. Canalul Morilor (Mill Canal?), around the corner to the left of photo 22
Cluj 323 P2300859b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

26. Heavy traffic and roadworks made impossible to make a picture of the 14th-15th century St. Michael's Church from the front...
Cluj 324 P2300265c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

27. But the part of Piața Unirii, Cluj's main square, behind the church was pedestrianised in recent years. The statue in front of the church is of Matthias Corvinus, who was of Romanian ethnicity, but was king of Hungary from 1458 to 1490 (like the current president of Romania Iohanis Klaus, who is a Transylvanian Saxon from Sibiu). This reminds me that I forgot to write in the introduction of this post that Hungarians were a majority in Cluj until the 1960's, and that they still form a considerable minority (about 50,000) today. The university is even bilingual Romanian-Hungarian (beat that Leuven!).
Cluj 325 P2300381b1 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

28. 
Cluj 326 P2300296b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

29. Looking down Bulevardul Eroilor from Piața Unirii
Cluj 327 P2300338b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*The big streets of central Cluj, part 4*

30. Boulevardul eroilor
Cluj 328 P2300416b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

31. A house which, as I saw yesterday in Pop Bogdan's thread, was renovated some time in the last three years
Cluj 329 P2300713b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr



Pop Bogdan said:


> *Eroilor (Heroes') Avenue*
> 
> Cluj-Napoca - Heroes' Avenue (Bulevardul Erolior) by Samus Vallis, on Flickr[/CENTER]


32. An art-nouveau building on the corner of Piața Avram Iancu and Bulevardul 21 Decembrie 1989 (which runs parallel to Bulevardul Eroilor)
Cluj 330 P2300559b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Piața Avram Iancu is a park-like open space that covers a few blocks (the whole width of the centre), and contains three monumental buildings:

33. Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral (1933)
Cluj 331 P2300504d1 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

34. The Romanian National Opera (1904-1906)
Cluj 332 P2300476c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

35. And finally, the new Greek-Catholic Cathedral that you saw from the other side at the end of the first post
Cluj 333 P2300707c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

That's it for my pictures of the big streets of central Cluj (among other things, I missed the town hall or the view from the citadel hill), so next time I will show you the little streets!


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Again a joy to look at, Ruben: 22, 27, particularly 31 and 32! :applause:


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## prahovaploiesti (May 28, 2011)

Looking at these pictures I question why did the communist plague had to hit the city of Ploiesti. So many great buildings lost.
Great trip. I only got as far as Hunedoara, Deva, Alba Iulia, Baia Mare and Satu Mare and other small towns many years ago.
Sorry for off-topic.


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*The small streets of central Cluj*

Thanks again Yansa Just wait until you see Oradea if you like those buildings

And don't worry about it Prahova, I don't consider it off-topic and your comment is more than welcome A bus I was on on my 2009 trip to Romania drove through Ploiesti, and I have to admit that I thought it was a new town... Sadly, the 1960's and 70's were a bad time for many towns throughout the communist and non-communist world. (I actually wanted to ask how it is today in Romania? Do nice buildings still get demolished often, as they do in Belgium?) 
_________________________________________________

1. An archway on the western side of Piața Unirii takes us into the small streets of Cluj's old town, which date back to a time when the city was more of a village (according to Wikipedia, it had about 10,000 inhabitants in 1787)
Cluj 401 P2290176b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. It was in this area that the hostel (Retro Hostel) I stayed in on the second night was situated
Cluj 402 P2290097b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. .Waking up here the next morning felt like seeing Cluj in a different light, something which is only possible in the best of cities
Cluj 403 P2290114b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. The charm of Cluj's old town...
Cluj 404 P2290149b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. ... is also its weakness, ...
Cluj 405 P2290167b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. ... as it is rapidly becoming the "place to be", ...
Cluj 406 P2290242b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. ... and therefore becoming too expensive for locals, which, as various people I met in and around the hostel told me, was already the case in much of Cluj (sadly, this seems to be a universal problem)
Cluj 407 P2290237b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. As a result, it is in danger of becoming a bit one sided (which I think is also a universal problem, and strange as it may sound to a Romanian, is recognisable to someone from Utrecht) 
Cluj 408 P2300785b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. It is nonetheless very picturesque and charming (and pleasantly bustling), and will remain that way, ...
Cluj 409 P2300797c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. ... which is why I'll leave you with this shot of the city wall that could almost have been taken in Jerusalem or North Africa
Cluj 410 P2300772b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr
That's all for today, but in the last two post on Cluj, I will show you the positive sides of Cluj's explosive economic growth, accompanied by the first fellow SSC member I have ever met in real life.


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Fine set and interesting commentary from this attractive city, Ruben!


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## prahovaploiesti (May 28, 2011)

ruben alexander said:


> Do nice buildings still get demolished often, as they do in Belgium?)
> _________________________________________________


Not at large scale, but most of them are neglected for many years and then either parts of them collapse or they are demolished because of safety reasons. Problem is that when the buildings were nationalized most owners lost their money also and not all of them managed to rebuild their finances, so now they don't have money to renovate. Most properties were retrieved in bad condition. And the newly proposed property tax increased by 500% for these buildings won't help much.


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

ruben alexander said:


> Thanks again Yansa Just wait until you see Oradea if you like those buildings


:banana: Super, I'm looking forward to it! :banana:


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Silicon Valley Cluj-Napoca*

^^ Great, expect to see it soon

And thanks Prahova, I was just curious (yes also because I sometimes saw beautiful buildings in very bad repair). Thanks too for your comment Why-why

____________________________________________

On the evening arrived in Cluj, Klausenburg gave me a tour of things that he thought I wouldn't find by myself, and I'm glad that he did, for it definately showed me another side of the city, which also means that I can show it to you here.

1. Not far from the station, it at first appeared that he was taking me to exactly the kind of place I would find by myself
Cluj 501 P2280135b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. 
Cluj 502 P2280126c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

But this short detour over the tracks had another goal: Liberty Technology Park, which houses more than 30 companies - including big names like Siemens and KPMG - in a renovated nineteenth industrial complex (at least Klausenburg says its from the nineteenth century, I think it looks more modern). The IT sector is booming* in Cluj-Napoca, in part due to there being a lot of talented programmers, who, lacking the real thing, built there own internet in the city during the 1990's. 

*Wages in this sector are high, especially by Romanian standards, but someone else I met told me that there were not enough jobs in other sectors.

3. The complex contains both old (left) and new (right) buildings
Cluj 504 P2280064b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. I would say the old buildings are in a kind of early-modernist style
Cluj 505 P2280085b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. They remind me a bit of postwar architecture in the Netherlands (of a style of which there is a lot in Eindhoven)
Cluj 506 P2280098b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. 
Cluj 507 P2280117b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7.
Cluj 508 P2280105b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Cluj-Napoca Central Park*

With approximately 50,000 students at Babeș-Bolyai University alone (there are also other institutions), Cluj is also one of Romania's most important student cities (Timisoara is another). This means that it is filled with a lot of young, healthy looking people, and I was only there during the summer holidays. And where do young, healthy looking people go? Of course they go to Cluj's magnificent Central Park (Parcul Central), which also houses various faculties of the university. 

Klausenburg took me there too (we ate a Piadina at a franchise in the building on photo 15 in post #23 on the way, and I liked it so much that had breakfast and supper there the next day). It was already to dark to make pictures under the trees, where people were enjoying themselves, some of them relaxing in hammocks, but I managed to make a few pictures out in the open:

1. 
Cluj 509 P2280347b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2.
Cluj 510 P2280358b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3.
Cluj 511 P2280372 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. 
Cluj 512 P2280422c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5.
Cluj 513 P2280402b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. There aren't any people in this rather posh looking restaurant/café, which is situated in the building on the last picture...
Cluj 514 P2280425b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. ... because they're all on the stylish terace at the back
Cluj 515 P2280435b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Cluj Arena - home to FC Universitatea Cluj - sits next to the park. Depeche Mode (I have to admit I had to look on YouTube to realise that I recognise quite a lot of their songs) were performing there the next day, and fans were already pouring into the city 
Cluj 516 P2280450b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. The new Polyvalent Hall behind Cluj Arena
Cluj 517 P2280532b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. And a final shot of the Somesul Mic and the citadel hill from the plinth of Cluj Arena...
Cluj 519 P2280507b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. ... before we went to drink a litre of beer in record time in another posh-looking bar near the park ...
Cluj 521 P2280559B by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

... because, though it was too dark for pictures, Klausenburg still had a number of things to show me. After a lightning tour of the old town (it was getting late and he had to work the next day), we took a taxi* to Baza Sportivă Gheorgheni, which has to be the best sports park I have ever seen: it consists of hundreds of different machines - half way between what you'd find in a fitness center and in a playground - surrounding a running track and tennis courts. I personally find fitness a rather boring activity, but it is much more fun like this, and I would definitely go there if there was something like this near my home. There are are two more similar parks in Cluj, all of them totally free and open 24/7. No wonder the people in Cluj look so healthy!

* The driver didn't have enough change and didn't accept my offer to give him three lei more (about €0,65), thereby making me pay too little for the ride, again disproving a cliché about Romania. 

Lastly, we went to the Iulius Mall, which is one of the biggest malls in Romania, but which was obviously closed at this hour. I don't really like shopping malls or the kind of box-shaped developer's architecture that often surrounds them (it seems to be the same regardless of the country), and Iulius Mall is no exception. But I did like the green setting of Cluj-Napoca's spotlessly clean new neighbourhoods, and the lake behind the mall was very nice indeed. Most importantly, nothing on this evening's tour was what most westerners would expect to see in Romania.

That was all for Cluj-Napoca, but expect to see my photos from the beautiful Oradea soon!


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

Romania is just full of cables, what a shame


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Great updates, and I'm staying tuned for Oreada! kay:


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## status (Nov 16, 2010)

I wait the photos from Oradea. And I hope you will come back here in the future. :cheers:


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## cinxxx (Oct 15, 2010)

The thread is really nice but fyi Timișoara is not in Transylvania, but in Banat. it's a sensitive topic for us


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice updates


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Oradea the Beautiful, Part 1*



Velaxa said:


> Romania is just full of cables, what a shame


Yes, there are really a lot of them, sometimes whole roles on just one building or pole. All my pictures are panorama's made from 10-50 pictures, and cables often don't connect very well, meaning I have to correct them by hand, so believe me I've seen a lot of cables in the last two weeks



status said:


> I wait the photos from Oradea. And I hope you will come back here in the future. :cheers:


Me too



cinxxx said:


> The thread is really nice but fyi Timișoara is not in Transylvania, but in Banat. it's a sensitive topic for us


Thanks for the info, I've now read a bit about Banat on Wikipedia and will look if I can add something to the introduction about it. Can you explain to me why it's sensitive? Hope I didn't make any other sensitive mistakes...

___________________________________________________________________________

While Cluj-Napoca is the most varied city I visited on this trip to Romania, and therefore my favorite, the most beautiful were undoubtedly Sibiu and Oradea. Sibiu is special for being a well preserved medieval town, but Oradea (the capital of Bihor county, pop.: 196,367), is special for another reason that I think is even rarer. And you'll know what that is when I've finished these posts!

1. Arriving at Oradea station after a 3 hour, 157 kilometer trip over the mountains from Cluj, ...
Oradea 01 P2300945b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. ... there are no signs yet of what a gem of a town awaits. The square in front of the station feels dusty, provincial, and even a bit marginal (though as I later found out, only this street does). I stayed in a hotel opposite the station, Pensunea Hubert, which is comfortable, cheap, and for some reason stuffed with Dutch football memorabilia. The staff, most of whom where from the town's considerable Hungarian minority (Oradea is only 14 kilometers from the border), are friendly and communicative despite not being able to speak English (I actually appreciated the fact that less people seemed to speak English in Oradea, because it finally gave me the opportunity to try to speak Romanian, teaching me quite a lot of words in the day I was there). I also spoke (in German) to a priest from a visiting church congregation staying at the hotel, who had been in prison for four years for being a Jehova's Witness (there seem to be quite a lot of them in Romania) during the communist period.
Oradea 02 P2300968b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. But it soon becomes apparent that Oradea is quite an elegant town when walking down Strada Republicii, which goes to the centre
Oradea 03 P2310001b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. Many of the buildings on Strada Republicii are currently being restored
Oradea 04 P2310021b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. 
Oradea 05 P2310043b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. 
Oradea 06 P2310058c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. A side street of low terraced houses in a style quite common in the border region of Hungary and Romania (which also includes part of Ukraine, where I visited Mukachevo in 2012)
Oradea 07 P2320289b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Ugly buildings are rare in central Oradea, and even the few noticeable modernist ones - such as this one on the corner of Strada Republicii and Calea Republicii, at the start of the centre - are (IMO) of high quality
Oradea 08 P2320317b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. One of Oradea's many churches stands at the entrance of Calea Republicii, which is the town's high street
Oradea 09 P2310128d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. 
Oradea 10 P2320352b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Oradea the Beautiful, Part 2*

11. Some typical houses in a side street
Oradea 11 P2320380b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. 
Oradea 12 P2310088c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. Some of the magnificent buildings on Calea Republicii are in a bad condition, ...
Oradea 13 P2310164b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. ... but most of them are being renovated, or, like this beautiful art Noumea one, have already been renovated
Oradea 14 P2310184b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Not only is Calea Republicci lined with buildings in art nouveau and other ornamental styles, but its side streets are as well: 

15. 
Oradea 15 P2330778b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

16. 
Oradea 16 P2330821d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17.
Oradea 17 P2330841b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. There are terraces belonging to bars and restaurants down the middle of much of Calea Republicii. I ate or drank at some of them: the pizzeria situated at the far end of this row wasn't very good or friendly, but the cafes and another restaurant where I ate were fine and the staff very friendly. I also sat here in the shade, drinking a granita bought from one of the many ice cream parlours during the hottest time of day, when it was over 35 degrees (which was when I made this picture) 
Oradea 18 P2330114b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. An even more picturesque ensemble of buildings lines Piața Regele Ferdinand, at the end of Calea Republicii
Oradea 19 P2320534c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. 
Oradea 20 P2320693b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21.
Oradea 21 P2330757b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

If you think you've seen art nouveau today, just wait for what you'll see in tomorrow's post!


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

When I present Timișoara, I always start with this phrase" You are not in Transylvania".
It's sensitive because Banat and Timișoara are not part of Transylvnaia, we are different people with different history and from a different region with different customs.
When someone confuse Banat as being a sub-region of Transylvania, this hurts us. But romanians are weirdo, for example people from Bucovina, dont consider them as being part of Moldovia region, even if they have been part of Moldova for centuries, even if they have the same rural architecture, customs and language accent, and even if their main touristic attractions are the monastaries made by Moldova voivodes.
Romania have a complicated history with many historical regions and sub-regions.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

That's stunning. Some really original secessionist buildings there,. Is it typical of the region? Even the brutalist building has something original about it.


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

skymantle said:


> That's stunning. Some really original secessionist buildings there,. Is it typical of the region? Even the brutalist building has something original about it.


Szecesionism in Timișoara and Oradea was influenced by the multiculturalism of our cities, the szecessionism from Oradea and Timișoara are heavily influenced by magyar rural themes, or even influenced by serbian culture.










Serbian Episcopal Palace from Timișoara


Ciobanu Palace from Timișoara, a palace with rural romanian elements (romanian peasants from Apuseni mountains)


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## cinxxx (Oct 15, 2010)

ruben alexander said:


> Thanks for the info, I've now read a bit about Banat on Wikipedia and will look if I can add something to the introduction about it. Can you explain to me why it's sensitive? Hope I didn't make any other sensitive mistakes...


Ah, don't worry, I only wanted to correct you.
Most people (Romanians included) never heard (or care) about Banat and include our area into Transylvania, while it never was, and it's irritating since we are very proud to be Banatians


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Dreamlike... a great joy to watch this, thank you, Ruben! 

It was hard to decide upon some favourites, but in the end I chosen this ones:
#46/14, 19, 21. :applause:

Hope for more! :cheers:


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## unguru (Apr 26, 2015)

yansa said:


> Dreamlike... a great joy to watch this, thank you, Ruben!
> 
> It was hard to decide upon some favourites, but in the end I chosen this ones:
> #46/14, 19, 21. :applause:
> ...


what you see in no 14, it's only a part of the Moskovits Palace (the name of it and one of the most important secessions buildings from oradea )... the rest of it is still restored, covered by scaffolding.
no 19 - Poynar House
no 21 - Sztarill Palace


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

RD-A said:


> *@ Ruben* Be careful not to mention Oradea as part of Transylvania either, you risk to further hurt people's feelings. :lol:
> 
> Great pics!


Why? Crișana/Partium people are considered culturally as being "ardeleni"


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## cinxxx (Oct 15, 2010)

^^Were you referring to me as one to have his feelings heart? Because if you did, you're just wrong, I corrected a geographic/political mistake in this thread, it's only fair.


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

Guys, calm down, I think it was meant as a joke And I agree, it's good to be as correct as possible when presenting something, so thanks for the information CINXX and Velexa (and R-DA, I was writing this when you posted) Anyway, I'm learning a lot of things I didn't know.

I though maybe I hurt Velaxa's feeling a bit by saying I thought the centre of Timisoara was small, and because I found it the least interesting of the cities I visited on this holiday. But don't worry, I still thought it was pretty nice

About the regions: I think people can be a bit touchy about this everywhere, though maybe this is a bit stronger in eastern, central and southern Europe (not only Romania) than it is in northern Europe. Still, you often shouldn't call Frisians, Gelderlanders or Brabanders "Hollanders" either, as you shouldn't call Walloons French, people from Brussels Flemish, Flemings Belgian (sorry just trolling) or Dutch, people from the English Midlands northerners (probably, I have no idea if this is true), people from Baden-Würtenberg Bavarians, Luxembourgers Germans or Scandinavians all the same Also who's to blame people for being proud of where they come from, it just shouldn't be taken too far.

On another note, it can sometimes be beneficial for tourism to be thought part of a region that you're not part of. Though many may not like it, the brand name "Holland" is probably good for tourism in parts of the Netherlands that are not part of Holland (which is most of the country). Also, it is easier to advertise for a campsite/attraction/hotel/etc in the Ardennes, while it's actually in the Condroz or Land of Herve (which no-one has heard of). I think the same thing may apply to Transylvania, a name which is also very famous.

Anyway, I'll be back soon with more Oradea!


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Velaxa said:


> Szecesionism in Timișoara and Oradea was influenced by the multiculturalism of our cities, the szecessionism from Oradea and Timișoara are heavily influenced by magyar rural themes, or even influenced by serbian culture.


 When I was in Budapest I remember some secessionist buildings there that were said to be influenced by Magyar rural themes. Anyway, I really like looking at vernacular, individual and original style buildings. Thanks for info and to ruben alexander for this excellent thread. :cheers:


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## Velaxa (Dec 3, 2011)

RD-A said:


> Although, the two notions (both of which define cross-boundry regions) don't really overlap: here's Partium and here's Crișana.



So what? Banat or Moldova historical regions dont overlap either with their historical shapes. Crișana is considered the "succesor" of the Partium.



RD-A said:


> Next time you visit W Romania make sure not to miss Baia Mare - capital of Maramureș, Targu Mureș - unnoficial capital of Transylvanian Hungarians/Szeklers, Arad - used to be a political and cultural centre of Romanians within Austria-Hungary, Brasov - the medieval melting pot of the peoples from the 3 Romanian Principalities and of course Alba Iulia - the capital of hearts and symbol of Romanian unity. :cheers:



Nex time he should visited South and East Romania, to see something more differente (București,Iași)



ruben alexander said:


> I though maybe I hurt Velaxa's feeling a bit by saying I thought the centre of Timisoara was small, and because I found it the least interesting of the cities I visited on this holiday. But don't worry, I still thought it was pretty nice


No, is okay, but Timișoara have the biggest historical heritage from Romania, after Bucharest.


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Oradea the Beautiful, Part 3*

I would love to visit many other places in all of Romania but that will be probably be next summer at the earliest. I actually visited Bucharest in 2007 and 2009 (the first time on the way back from a trip through some of the former Yugoslav countries and Bulgaria), and Satu Mare, Brasov and Constanta (as well as Cluj) in 2009. I will see if I have any pictures to post here when I've finished posting this trip (though I know I don't have any good ones of Brasov).
_________________________________________________
Now we will continue where we left off, and explore the banks of the Crișul Repede River in the centre of town.

22. Looking back towards Piața Regele Ferdinand (see the last pictures in the last post) and the city hall
Oradea 22 P2310535bb by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

23. The city hall seen from the bridge adjacent to Piața Regele Ferdinand 
Oradea 23 P2320734c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

24. Oradea's most impressive ensemble of buildings sits around Piața Unirii, the square by the city hall
Oradea 24 P2320789b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

25. These pictures were taken on Sunday morning, explaining the lack of people
Oradea 25 P2320881d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

26. But Piața Unirii was more lively the preceding evening, when a few weddings were taking place in front of the city hall
Oradea 26 P2310375b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

27. IMO the crown jewel of all the elegant buildings in Oradea is the shopping arcade on the right, ...
Oradea 27 P2310418c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

28. ... which is why I don't mind posting pictures of it from different angles (this one was taken from roughly the same place as picture #23)
Oradea 28 P2310329d by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Oradea the Beautiful, Part 4*

29.
Oradea 29 P2310354b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

30. Renovation of the interior seems to be 99% complete
Oradea 29 P2320828b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

31. It includes a stained glass window from 2007, ...
Oradea 30 P2340300b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

32. ... based on a similar one from 1909
Oradea 31 P2340298b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

33. 
Oradea 32 P2340280b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

34. Looking out of the arcade towards the opposite bank of the Crișul Repede, ... 
Oradea 33 P2340286b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## ruben alexander (Oct 3, 2010)

*Oradea the Beautiful, Part 5*

... which we shall explore in the next few pictures:

35. The bridge from which I took pictures #23 and #23, seen from Piața Regele Ferdinand 
Oradea 34 P2310613b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

36. Looking east from the bridge, I don't think I've ever been in a town with a more prominent Synagogue. This is no surprise considering that approximately one third of Oradea's inhabitants were Jewish before the war, part of the most active Jewish community in the Austro-Hungarian empire (according to Wikipedia). The architecture of this building combined with overall atmosphere and loud Romanian music being played at a wedding on Piața Unirii made standing on the bridge in the evening sun a very exotic experience!
Oradea 35 P2310284b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Walking along the green northern banks of the Crișul Repede just enjoying looking at the reflections:

37.
Oradea 36 P2310704c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

38.
Oradea 37 P2320210c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

39.
Oradea 38 P2320159b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

40.
Oradea 39 P2320004c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

41.
Oradea 40 P2320016b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

42.
Oradea 41 P2310903b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

43. Yes I noticed the mistake on this picture, but left it like this as I thought it kind of amusing (you'll find this kind of things on some of the other pictures too if you look carefully)
Oradea 42 P2320028b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

44. In the next post, we'll explore more of area across this bridge, on the southern banks of the Crișul Repede, ...
Oradea 43 P2310940c1 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

45. ... but for now, I'll leave you with a picture of people enjoying the Saturday-evening sun on the northern banks (including someone who was singing 'Country Roads', which I found a bit surrealistic in this setting) ...
Oradea 44 P2310854b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

46. ... and with a last shot of another nice art nouveau house
Oradea 45 P2310840c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Pure joy, Ruben, thank you! 

No. 6, 11, 29!!, 38 beautiful Synagogue reflection and many more wonderful reflections... kay:


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

unguru said:


> what you see in no 14, it's only a part of the Moskovits Palace (the name of it and one of the most important secessions buildings from oradea )... the rest of it is still restored, covered by scaffolding.
> no 19 - Poynar House
> no 21 - Sztarill Palace


Thank you for telling me the names,* unguru*! kay:


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