Oradea Fortress is one of the most important and beautiful monuments in our city. It was built in the 11th century, and all of it is important, as its outer ramparts are now a tourist attraction and have been converted into a park. What used to be entrenchments and fortifications around the entire fortress is now a completely green space.
This garden is full of many wonderful and colourful flowers, and a large number of different kinds of trees, which form an amazing, variegated overall view of the fortress. This new, green space can allure many people, who love nature and want to recharge their spirit in a place where peace reigns, the birds sing all day, and the flowers are fragrant.
There is also a small lake here, which has a special atmosphere, especially during the summer. In the garden, you can experience a part of history as the old walls of the fortress surround you from every direction.
The park is not only a place for spiritual recharging. Every year, several local festivities are held there, such as the one commemorating the founder of the town: the St. Ladislaus Days in June; and the May Festival on the first Saturday in May.
These festivals are mostly free-spirited and designed to celebrate the founding of the city. People gather inside the fortress and the park, or on top of the old walls, overlooking it, and there are live concerts, during which one can enjoy a wide variety of local and regional food such as lángos (Hungarian street food, deep-fried flatbread with sour cream and cheese), or ciorba (Romanian sour soup with vegetables and some meat) but of course, the beer-lovers will not be disappointed either.
If you are not enjoying the concert, you can take a stroll in the evening in the exquisitely lit garden, which is not only a place for walking, but also for relaxing in the tranquillity of drinking and socializing. It's a place often frequented by many young people.
There are many interesting characters to meet at the festival, such as the local cowboy, who also has an American-style bicycle and is mostly friendly. If you're lucky he'll even buy you a beer or offer you a cigarette.
For me, the fortress reveals a beautiful and colourful history every time I catch a glimpse of it.
By Erik Bereczki
Photos: Tamás Petrus and Tamás Orosz
forrás: en.partium.ro