Things to see and do Satu Mare

Bus tickets, excursions and car hire.

This vast square consists of a large central park, surrounded by beautiful, colorful old buildings. Among these is the flamboyant Hotel Dacia, with its facade richly decorated with floral sculptures. Built in the early ^20th century in the Hungarian Secession style, it has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The main points of interest are grouped around piața Libertății.

To the north, via strada Ștefan cel Mare or a tiny street past the Firemen's Tower (45 m high and dating from 1904), you'll reach the Hungarian Reformed Church(Biserica reformată). Also known as the "Chain Church"(Biserica cu Lanțuri), it is a Baroque building, completed in 1802, with organs dating from 1814. In strada Horea, you'll find the Théâtre du Nord(Teatrul Nord), a handsome neoclassical monument dating from 1889.

To the south, between piața Libertății and the river, the Civic Center displays its sad 1980s concrete constructions, with the classic Maison de la culture, prefecture, etc. In strada Decebal stands the large Moorish-style synagogue, built in 1889 for the city's once-large Jewish community: over 12,000 people at the beginning of the ^20th century. Most were deported in 1944, after being confined in a ghetto.

To the east, in strada 1 Decembrie 1918, the Greek-Catholic Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, built in the 1930s, boasts beautiful eclectic architecture influenced by Byzantine and neo-Romanesque styles.

In the small town of Carei, 36 km southwest of Satu Mare, this superb Baroque castle is well worth a visit. Built in 1792 by the powerful Károlyi family on the site of a ^15th-century fortress, it was transformed again in 1894 to take on its current eclectic, medieval castle form: several towers were added and the facades decorated with Romantic and Neo-Gothic elements. The interiors, furnished with period furniture, recreate the atmosphere of a late ^19th-century aristocratic residence.

Housed in a 1936 Art Deco building, it features historical, ethnographic and archaeological collections. The ethnographic section, with its rich collections of ceramics, textiles and other everyday objects, reflects the multiculturalism of the region. The history section focuses on the inter-war period, with interesting reconstructions of cafés and salons. The art section, located in piața Libertății, exhibits works by Romanian artists such as Corneliu Baba, Ion Jalea and Aurel Popp, all natives of the region.

This beautiful neoclassical church, with its domed roof and Corinthian column façade, was built between 1830 and 1837. Its two tall towers make it recognizable throughout the city. Inside, you'll notice the organ with over 4,000 pipes and the Carrara marble high altar. A Catholic cathedral, the place is mainly frequented by the Hungarian community of the city and region. Nearby, in strada 1 Decembrie 1918, you can see the bishop's palace (1851), also in neoclassical style.