In the city of Oradea, the capital of Biho county, northwestern Romania

 “We are hardly ever arbiters of our own fate. We must move, do, live, according to our several duties and our own desires and wishes have to be fitted in with what we can do more often than what we desire to do.” Queen Marie of Romania

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(in northwestern Romania) The city of Oradea, the capital of Biho county, lies along the Crişul Repede River -- where it emerges from the western foothills of the Western Carpathians and flows onto the Hungarian Plain. One of the first feudal states in the area, a principality ruled by Prince Menumorut (at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries), was centered on a citadel at Biharea, northwest of Oradea. The citadel of Oradea was built between 1114 and 1131, destroyed by the Tatars in 1241, and rebuilt in the 15th century under the Corvinus dynasty. Between 1660 and 1692 the community was occupied by the Turks; it then became Hungarian until it joined Romania in 1918.

+ One of the more beautiful places in Romania, Oradea has eye-catching architecture. During the Austro-Hungarian occupation, it was a cosmopolitan center of different cultures and religions. By the beginning of the 20th century, the city was dotted with modern buildings erected in Vienna’s Secession style. Now boasting the Museum of the Cris Rivers, including natural science, archaeology, arts, history and ethnography sections, the splendid Baroque Palace (also known as the The Black Eagle Palace) was designed to look similar to the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.

+ Oradea is known as a cultural center, with a state theater, puppet theater, philharmonic orchestra, regional library, and museum. Since World War II, it has become a major industrial center, producing machine tools, mining equipment, chemicals, processed foods, and footwear.

+ Located just 10 kilometers (~6 mi.) from the border with Hungary, Oradea, one of the most important cities in western Romania, is also the capital of the Criseana Region, known for its mineral and thermal waters, outstanding architecture, royal residences, and wondrous caves. The region's fascinating cities, hidden treasures, and natural sights attract visitors' exploration. While the region is mainly popular for its thermal spas, Crișeana has a particular charm that can make many a traveler fall in love with the area.
+ Featured here is Piata Unirii (Union Square), also known as the Small Square, which took shape around the 18th century. The first building built here was the Serföyö House, in 1714, on the site of today's Black Eagle Palace (pictured here). The corner-built building has a high ground floor and four floors -- actually joining two buildings unified by a famous passage with access to two other streets. (The passage is known for its large stained glass at the entrance that illustrates an eagle flying.) The Palace is also known and appreciated for its stained-glass windows in the central cupola that converts the light into a spectacular vision of brilliant colors.