Monuments to visit Oradea

Built between 1114 and 1131, this citadel was destroyed in 1241 by the Tatars. Rebuilt, it was rebuilt in the 15th century, then especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, according to plans inspired by Vauban and entrusted to Italian architects, who developed it with a typical star shape. From then on, it became the epicentre of the city and a real bulwark against the Ottoman invasions. The majestic princely palace dates from the reign of Gabriel Bethlen, at the beginning of the 17th century.

Recently restored, the citadel now hosts restaurants, craft workshops, medieval demonstrations and numerous cultural events. It is also home to the city museum, whose sections are divided among the various bodies of the princely palace. You can visit a lapidarium in the basement, an art gallery, a bread museum, a memorial to the communist resistance and repression, temporary exhibitions... One of the permanent exhibitions is devoted to the history of photography, another focuses on the musical tastes of young people in the harsh 1970s and 1980s... Don't miss the Griffon Hall, the most beautiful in the palace: decorated with stuccoes representing fantastic and real animals, it was probably originally used as a reception hall. The two adjoining rooms have superb painted vaults. As for the old moat, it has become a beautiful park, where one can walk along the imposing red brick walls.