Oradea, Art Nouveau City

The city of Oradea may be the perfect destination for a city break

Daniel Onea, 27.04.2023, 02:18

In the northwest of Romania, a few km away from the border with Hungary, and placed at near equal distances from Vienna, Prague, and Bucharest, lies the city of Oradea, maybe the perfect destination for a city break. Oradea won first place in the European Best Destinations standings, in the Best Art Nouveau Destination in Europe category. In terms of best destinations for 2022, the city came in sixth, ahead of London or Prague.

Short of impressing by their size or opulence, buildings in Oradea have always stood out by their beauty. Most of them are in Union Square, in the center. Some of the best are the Black Eagle Palace, the Greek Catholic Palace, the City Hall Palace, and the Moon Church. In fact, at a point in time, Oradea was meridian zero. Even the maps made for Columbus in his great ocean voyage were made based on the meridian zero set in Oradea. Then, the reference line was moved to France, then to Greenwich, where it stays to this day.

To start our incursion into the city, the Darvas-La Roche House is a great starting point. It is known as a symbol of the city of Oradea, part of the Art Nouveau heritage, and a masterpiece of the geometric Secession style by the brothers Jozsef and Laszlo Vago. Angela Lupsa, executive director of the Bihor Foundation for the Protection of Historical Monuments, told us that the sibling architects were famous in their time, at turn of century, for what they planned and built.

“After an ample process of restoration, between 2018 and 2020, the Darvas-La Roche House opened its doors in the year of the pandemic with an impressive interior decoration set. Within we find rooms that were restored to their previous destination, with original decorations, because they are a trip back in time. It is a frontal type of museum space. This means that the visitor can stroll through a living room, discovering the richly decorated furniture, down to the smallest detail of the era it was made in. This detailing is down to open drawers with the proper silverware for a certain dish, or a period teapot.

The visit continues as the tourist goes into a salon for gentlemen, where you can discover their passion for tobacco, with all the paraphernalia. Then comes the ladies’ salon:

“In the ladies’ salon you can see perfume vials or other accessories for high society at the turn of the century. This space takes you back in time, connecting you to the world as it was in 1910. Just as Oradea is full of Art Nouveau palaces, high society back then had on full display activities that were the newest for their time. The ground floor offers everyone involved in museum activities spaces for conferences and temporary exhibitions. It is the same in the cellars, where creative workshops are being held. On the ground floor, the visitor is greeted by new technology, a touchscreen grand panel presenting Oradea and the museum.

The salons for ladies and gentlemen are not the only ones that introduce us to history. Angela Lupsa accompanies us to a special place set up in memory of the Jewish inhabitants of this house who were deported and sent to the death camp at Auschwitz.

“This is a bedroom, which is not in the Art Nouveau style, but which was preserved as it was at the time in memory of those who never returned. We are talking about the owners and renters of that time, people of great wealth, such as Imre Darvas, a Jewish neurologist, who wanted this house to have two street facades, and for the terrace of the domicile to have a view of the synagogue whose member he was. Due to this, this house offers the beginning of a visit to a monument which Oradea Heritage, as we are known online, recommends for a full visit. It is another piece of heritage for the city. At the same time, children will have a surprise when going to he first floor of the Darvas-La Roche House. They can see a ten minute mapping projection, allowing kids to discover the Art Nouveau elements of flora and fauna through the eyes of a child from early 20th century, who back then was treated as a grown up. Kids, as we all know, dream of crossing the oceans, or of being princes and princesses. This is the core of this ten minute screening, educating them at the same time about the stylistic elements of the Darvas-La Roche House.

Also in the center of the city you can find the beautiful buildings housing the Oradea State Theater and the Philharmonic. On weekend evenings, here you can attend shows that carry forward the cultural tradition of the old settlement. Music is universal, but theater plays are held here in both Romanian and Hungarian. Oradea has been part of the Art Nouveau European network, next to cities such as Vienna, Budapest, or Barcelona. It has a vibrant cultural scene. Mariana Negru, tourist guide, told us about it:

“Among the more important festivals I would mention Oradea Festifall and the Medieval Festival. As one of the most important medieval festivals in Europe, the Oradea festival brings, for the first time in Romania, a European medieval athletic competition, building on the success of previous editions. For three days, the Citadel of Oradea becomes a grand medieval residence, where you can meet craftsmen, knights, foot soldiers, damsels, merry minstrels, and fire eaters, all in a unique ambiance. Then we have the Art Nouveau Festival called Celebrate a Day, Admire for a Lifetime. This is the perfect time to visit the city. We gladly offer tourists original guided tours, film screenings, street art, exhibitions, and much more.

Many tourists choose to reach Oradea by airplane. Right now, the Oradea International airport is expanding, without impeding regular flight operations.