From Budapest the plan was to catch a train straight to Suceava in the north east corner of Romania. On realizing it’s not possible, we opted to make a stop in Oradea, a city just across the Romanian border. The train ride from Budapest takes about 9hrs and as long as you pack enough food, drink and something to amuse yourself then it’s bearable. The scenery in this area isn’t exactly what I would call spectacular unless you’re a big fan of the plains! The eastern plains of Hungry are literally full of sunflower fields which look quite spectacular for the first thirty fields!
Upon our arrival into Oradea we had to hail a cab to our camp ground as the Lonely Planet guidebook only listed the address, but no directions! As the camp ground is located outside the city limits in Baile 1 Mai, the cheerful taxi driver charged us two different rates, the first rate for within the city limits and the other for outside. A fare rate although we quickly learned the best way to get there is to catch a local bus at a fraction of the cost.
There are several camp grounds in Baile 1 Mai and ALL are inexpensive and give easy access to Oradea.
BAILE 1 MAI
This small and charming little village tucked away just outside Oradea seems to be the location of many Romanian family vacations. The several camp grounds and Pensions that dominate the small community are welcoming to foreigners and with a little hand gesturing and pointing the language barrier can be overcome. We’d already been informed of facilities somewhat lacking at camp grounds outside the cities in Romania, but this did little to deter us from spending two nights at Campare Stefan! If we’d spent a little more time walking up the road however we would have stumbled upon the camp ground with a pool and more atmosphere. Two nights were enough for us in the end as the Corgi security dog barking all night and the flood light shining onto our tent was enough to send us running for the hills let alone any actual intruder.
The two nights spent near the foothills of the Apuseni Mountains did however leave a lasting impression on us as first time visitors. The people were genuinely friendly, helpful in times of need and had enough sense of humor to chuckle at us as we tired to master a mere, “thank you” in Romanian. The hot days for many were spent bathing in cool watered pools and lapping up ice pops while we were on the hunt for train tickets and painted monasteries to the north. Sometimes it’s best to look to the locals for a real piece of authentic pie and take time to soak up the atmosphere.
ORADEA
Oradea is situated in the north-west of Romania and is famous for its thermal springs. The center of town is crossed by the river Crisul Repede which affords the city a picturesque beauty. Oradea’s beauty can also be attributed to the mixing of Communist era buildings situated mainly in the outer edges of town to the Baroque and Art Nouveau styled buildings in the center. During communist rule and during the post communist transition many of these beautiful buildings were left to fall into disrepair. Fortunately thanks to an economic boom in Romania many buildings have now been restored to their former glory.
Oradea is an inexpensive welcoming city with true Romanian charm and a slow pace. The main sights of the city are the two squares, Piata Unirii and Piata Republicii and the main pedestrian street which had lots of cafes and shops.
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