Vacation in Bihor County

We start off in the county seat, Oradea, a cosmopolitan city built around an ancient fortress, with many heritage buildings

Daniel Onea, 09.02.2023, 04:14

Today we are heading northwest, to Bihor County. We start off in the county seat, Oradea, a cosmopolitan city built around an ancient fortress, with many heritage buildings, and we head towards the most interesting tourist spots in the county. We will be discovering many traditions and craftsmen. For the last 18 years, tourist guide Mariana Negru shows tourists around Oradea and the environs. Be they domestic or foreign, tourists have a lot to learn from a trip to Oradea when it comes to history.

“This eclectic and cosmopolitan city has always had the power to renew and reinvent itself, keeping its relevance on historical maps. One of Oradeas signature heritage buildings is the most important Art Nouveau construction, a living museum. In February 2022, Oradea won two awards in the European Best Destination standings, taking first place in the category Best Art Nouveau Destination in Europe, and sixth place in the category Best European Destination. Starting in 2011, Oradea has been included in the European network of Art Nouveau cities. There is a campaign in Oradea called Dear Oradea. The tourists who are repeat visitors to the city get gratuities. Starting on March 1, Oradea resumes this campaign for the fourth time in a row. We offer tourists some discounts with assistance from Oradea City Hall. Among the benefits we offer tourists are free access to tourist objectives in Oradea, and free public transportation.”

Described in the 19th century as Little Paris, the city conserves and holds on to the charm of a Belle Epoque architecture, granted by the mix of architectural styles.

“The buildings impress with their size or opulence of the so-called Oradea palaces. The historic cultural objectives that are the most appreciated are part of the Baroque Complex, the biggest baroque complex in Romania. At the same time, the fortification of Oradea, with a millennium history, offers a special Medieval experience. In the 15th century it was the European center of humanism and the Renaissance. The citadel of Oradea, for 203 years, was the fulcrum for drawing maps for great geographical discoveries. The Darvas-LaRoche House is the only Art Nouveau in Romania. As a novelty, the Free Mason Temple, the only one of its kind in Europe, was opened in the building constructed in 1902 for the Oradea Free Mason Lodge. Close by we have the Baile Felix spa resort, a renown European tourist center, the only year-round spa.”

Along the years, there are a few elements to plan your vacation around. These would lead to a better knowledge of the region, according to our guide, Mariana Negru:

“Of the major festivals, I would mention Festifall Oradea and the Medieval Festival. As one of the biggest Medieval festivals in Europe, the Oradea festival brings to Romania for the first time a competition of Medieval sports, confirming the success of previous editions. For three days, Oradea Citadel will become a grand Medieval residence, gathering together craftsmen, knights, foot soldiers, damsels, merry minstrels, and fire eaters. Then we have the Art Nouveau festival called Celebrate a Day, Admire a Life. The festival is the recommended period to visit the city. Tourists can enjoy lovingly offered original tours, film screenings, street art, art galleries, and more.”

As for the rest of the county, according to Mariana Negru, the Apuseni Nature Park is one of the few cave areas with forested covering in Europe.

“These are fairy tale landscapes, unique. The village world of the Craiului Forest has its special charm. The local craftsmen are inviting tourists to share in their experience, at the same time tasting the local cuisine, traditional dishes, the cheese pies, the fruit preserves, the berry syrups, along with the barrel aged plum brandy. At the same time, the caves are some of the most attractive tourist objectives in Craiului Forest. This is the first tourist friendly network of caves in Romania, containing Mina Farcu cave with crystals. The crystal cave in Mina Farcu is the only place in Romania where lay people can admire up close delicate crystals. Tourists visiting this subterranean temple can witness met by spectacular Karst formations, but also by special crystals of various shapes, colors, sizes, which blend underground in a fascinating spectacle. There are only two such caves in the world, but this is the only one open to the public.”

Set up in 2013, the Salonta bison park is the biggest of its kind in Europe. These massive animals, weighing upwards of a metric ton, can be seen right off the road, in their wired off enclosures. Mariana Negru told us you can stop over by one of the farms while on your way to a Bihor wine grower:

“This is considered the biggest bison farm in all of Europe. In Salonta we have 800 of the 5,000 exemplars on the continent. The vineyards on Ierului Valley is another interesting tourist area. Vineyard tourism in Bihor are already a fashion, since wine lovers are looking for authentic stories about the history of this culture in these lands. The first vineyard in Disiog was set up in 1360, during the reign of the Hungarian king Louis of Anjou. Five hundred years later, the area had 700 ha of vineyards, the reason for which a wine growing school was founded here. We can also discover Bihor on bicycle, on the wine road from Ierului to Barcaului valleys. Ierului Valley is referred to as Romanias Tuscany. Here we have the amazing village with one thousand wine cellars.”

Ierului Valley preserves a unique tradition in Romania, hundreds of years old. Wine vats are stacked in small cellars dug into the sides of hills, a stunning image.