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Crişana &

Includes  Why Go? Banat...... 151 Western , with its geographic and cultural ties to Timişoara...... 151 neighbouring Hungary and Serbia and its historical links Crişana...... 157 to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, enjoys an ethnic diversity Oradea...... 157 that much of the rest of the country lacks. Timişoara, the regional hub, has a nationwide reputation as a beautiful and Băile Felix...... 161 lively metropolis, and for a series of ‘firsts’. It was the world’s Arad ...... 162 first city to adopt electric street lights (in 1884) and, more importantly, the first city to rise up against dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu in 1989. The three major centres of Timişoara, Oradea and Arad Best Places all boast some wonderful examples of art nouveau (or Se- cession) architecture and many buildings are now getting to Eat a long-awaited facelift. Outside these metropolitan areas, ¨¨Caruso (p156) there are spas at Băile Felix, while the remote and pristine ¨¨Casa Bunicii (p155) western ranges of the Apuseni Mountains are criss-crossed with kilometres of isolated hiking trails and dozens of amaz- ¨¨Graf (p160) ing caves that cry out for exploration. ¨¨Don Restaurant (p164) ¨¨Nora (p155) ¨¨Picasso Restaurant When to Go (p165) Timişoara °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 5/125 Best Places 30/86 4/100 to Sleep 20/68 3/75

¨¨Picasso Boutique Hotel 10/50 2/50

(p163) 0/32 1/25 ¨¨Hotel Elite (p159) -10/14 0 ¨¨Vila La Residenza (p155) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ ¨Hostel Costel (p155) Apr–May Budding Jun–Aug Summer Sep–Oct ¨¨Hotel Arad (p163) tree blossoms brings warm, Timişoara’s make a striking sunny days perfect cultural scene ¨¨Casa Noastră (p163) backdrop to a city for hiking in the awakens from its break in Timişoara, western Apuseni summer slumber. Arad or Oradea. Mountains. Cluj- Cluj- Sibiu e

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T R A N S Y L V A N I A I N A V L Y S N A R T Re E60 ul Arie¢eni E79 Bears Cav Chi¢c©u Cri¢ Apuseni Meziad Mountains Ro¢u ðtei O»elu Bihor (1849m) Ale¢d Caransebe¢ Pade¢ul (1378m) Beiu¢ S©vâr¢in (p161) (p161) Felix Băile Mountains Apuseni Remetea aking to the thermal waters waters the thermal aking to E70 (p161) Hiking around or or Hiking around (p161) Apuseni’s at the gazing simply ranges. western 6 5 T resort. at this spa E68 B©ile 1 Mai Gozna (1446m) Re¢ita Oradea

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¢ul im ri T C a (p151) (p151) Timișoara L (p161) Cave Bears Curtici a Moravi»a Enjoying a night of opera, opera, a night of Enjoying and restaurant dinner at a fine or Victoriei on Piaţa a nightcap Unirii. Piaţa 4 3 at the ancient stalactites and at the ancient stalactites in this magnificent stalagmites underworld. limestone E70 Gyulá Arad E671 Timi¢oar Békéscsab 40 km 20 miles Foeni N©dlac Belgrade E70

E68 S E R B I A Museum of the 1989 the 1989 of Museum (p157) (p157) Oradea

Mare 0 0 H U N G A R Y H U N G A Exploring the city’s stunning stunning the city’s Exploring art renovated and increasingly monuments. nouveau 2

1 Crişana & Banat Highlights etting Getting (p151) Revolution in Romanian lesson a riveting Timişoara. in history Sânnicolau

Hódmezôvásárhely

BanatZrenjanin Highlights &

Crişana & Banat 150