Tourist Attractions in Satu Mare County

Today we are heading to the northwest of Romania, stopping in Satu Mare County, where many forms of tourism are available

Daniel Onea, 11.02.2021, 13:19

Today we are heading to the northwest of Romania, stopping in Satu Mare County, where many forms of tourism are available. We will find out some of the reasons why we should book a tour of the place. Pataki Csaba, head of the Satu Mare County Council, told us that the county and the city of Satu Mare, placed at the border of Romania, Hungary, and Ukraine, is a miniature Europe, with a multicultural specificity:

“For centuries, here we have had living together Romanians, Hungarians, Swabians, Ukrainians, and Jews. Together they have built one of the most important and interesting areas in CEE. The Satu Mare Municipality is one of the gateways to Romania, in many ways. The city fortification was placed at the confluence of several major pathways in the Middle Ages. This was a transfer point for salt to reach Western Europe. Today, Satu Mare is the social, economic, and cultural center of the county, a dynamic city, with monumental buildings, in styles from Neo Baroque to Secession. One of the oldest buildings in the city is a fortification, called Vecsey, where the treaty was signed in 1711 between the Hapsburgs and the local rebels. As a result of this event, the Swabians were brought in as colonists in these lands, and held on here for 300 years, adding color to the place.”

One landmark in Satu Mare is the Tower of Firefighters, the tallest building until 1904, which has become a symbol of the city in the last 100 years, and dominates the city scenery. Also very special are the houses of worship. Here is Pataki Csaba, head of the Satu Mare County Council:

“One building that stands out in the city is an impressive cathedral, whose building started in 1798, with the altar built out of Carrara marble. The painting of the altar screen, made about 200 years ago, depicts the Lords Ascension. Then there is the SS. Archangels Michael and Gabriel Catholic Cathedral, built in early 20th century. Also here we have a beautiful Orthodox cathedral, dedicated to the Virgins Dormition. All these churches have been recently refurbished with European funds. We also have a building in Secession style, which got a special prize at the world exhibition in Paris in 1905. It is one of the most beautiful buildings, which housed a hotel and casino in early 20th century. It is now undergoing restoration. Also, the so-called Stone Theater dates back to the 19th century, also restored with European funds, and is a true architectural jewel.”

Only 36 km away from Satu Mare is the second largest city in the county, Carei. Pataki Csaba, head of the Satu Mare County Council, told us:

“We have a castle whose first version was built during the reign of Matthew Corvinus, then it came into the possession of the Karoly family, which restored it in the 17th century. This castle was also restored with European funds, and has annually 50,000 visitors, a considerable figure nationally, in terms of cultural tourism. Close to Carei there is the village of Capleni, documented since the 12th century, when the Karoly family built their crypt there, in the St. Anthony of Padua church. Here you can see the old system of burial in sarcophagi, with Baroque embroidery, favored by Middle Age nobility. We also have a beautiful fortification in Ardud, built in the 15th century. Unfortunately, only one tower has been restored, also with European funds. There you can find two permanent exhibitions, and the flux of tourists is significant.”

We continue our journey to reach the Somes Valley. Here there is a long tradition of working with precious metals from the mountains of Maramures. We stop over in Mediesu Aurit. Here is Pataki Csaba:

Here we have Lonyai Castle, which degraded after WWII, but is an imposing building. Close to this castle we find remnants from the 2nd to the 4th century AD. 104 Dacian furnaces have been preserved, showing us the lifestyle of inhabitants from 2,000 years ago. Then, in Crasna Valley, we find an imposing Romantic style church built in 1775, restored last year with the Satu Mare County Councils cooperation. We managed to preserve an 800 year-old building. Also remarkable is the Bixad monastery, in the mountain part of the county. In the county we have surfaces that are 200 meters below sea level, as well as mountains with peaks 1,200 meters high. Another attraction is the Oas County Museum, in the Oas area. Here we can find traditional houses built over the last centuries. Here we can find a wooden church, just like our ancestors were building two to three hundred years ago.”

This year, they are inaugurating a new resort in Satu Mare County, Luna Ses. It will have a ski slope 1,800 meters long, but it will not be the only attraction, Pataki Csaba told us:

“It starts from the Pietroasa Peak, 1,200 meters high, and the altitude difference is over 500 meters. It is and attractive slope, in a picturesque virgin area. It is not laden with too many buildings. The terrain is next to a nature reserve. We want to promote it as a tourist destination for the entire year. In the last two years, we built 12 tourists routes starting from the base of the slope. There are trails for families, even with small children, but also by semi-professionals, from half an hour to trails six or seven years log. By taking these trails you can discover true monuments of nature, such as the Oas Sphynx, a strange volcanic rock on the Pietroasa Peak.”

In Satu Mare you can also find several thermal water centers, known for their medicinal value.