Experience the best of Oradea

Oradea lies on the Crișul Repede river in western Romania, close to the Hungarian border, and grew rich under the Habsburgs. Its centre is one of the best collections of Secession and Art Nouveau buildings in the country, among them the Black Eagle Palace, whose arcade has a glass roof of coloured panes. A star-shaped Renaissance fortress with a moat stands at the edge of the old town.

The Baroque Roman Catholic basilica is the largest Baroque church in Romania, and the Orthodox Moon Church has a ball that turns to show the phases of the moon. Băile Felix, a spa resort just outside the city, is fed by hot springs, and the Apuseni Mountains, with their caves and plateaus, rise to the east. Debrecen, in Hungary, lies to the north-west across the border.

Cafés with cakes in the Hungarian tradition line the pedestrian streets, and the cooking of the Bihor region mixes Hungarian and Romanian dishes, with plum brandy for celebrations. Evenings along the river promenade are lively in summer. Summers are warm and winters cold, and the squares are best seen on a mild evening.