Welcome back to our blog! We stop to think about the next place to travel to. For today, we were thinking we might visit the fairy-tale city: the Palaces of Oradea are beautiful and reflect the cultural wealth of a cosmopolitan, developed and relevant city.
Perhaps the grandest palace in Oradea is the Roman Catholic Episcopal Palace, built between 1762 and 1777. The U-shaped complex boasts extensive interior gardens and contains 100 chambers. Maria Terezia and Josif II of Austria are counted among the most famous guests the palace has ever hosted.
The Rimanoczy Jr. Palace, on the other hand, houses the Orthodox Episcopal Palace in Oradea. Built in 1903, it may not take pride in such long history as the Roman Catholic Episcopal Palace, but the building is equally impressive, the Gothic-Venetian style at its best. It comprises two stories and seven facade registers.
The Ullmann Palace was built in the years 1910 in the Viennese Secession style by a rich Jew who had settled in Oradea. The building was designed around an interior yard and comprises three levels and an attic.The exterior is symmetrical, discretely ornamented, displaying Judaic elements, such as geometrical and floral motifs or a menorah guarded by two lions. Along the years, the palace has served several purposes. After the Second World War it becomes a block of flats and the attic serves as workshop for artists.
An iconic building in Oradea is the Vulturul Negru Compound (the Black Vulture), one of the most emblematic examples of the Secession style. It dates back to 1907 and was projected by Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezso under the guidance of the architect Sztarill Ferenc. The building is made up of three bodies and was designed to feature ballrooms, a theatre, a casino and offices. What is striking about this construction is the explosion of curves, stained glass and chandeliers with intricate geometrical and floral motifs.
To admire the fairy-tale city, you can have a tour with Oradea transfers.