Arad (Romania)

Arad is an industrial city of some 160,000 population (2011) at the western edge of Romania, close to the border with Hungary. It is a regional transportation hub and a convenient place to stop over on a journey between those countries.

Understand
There is an intact Vauban-style fortress and an interesting old town with a great number of historic buildings. Most of them date from the Habsburg era, ranging from Baroque to Art Nouveau. While some have been renovated, others are left in a state of dilapidation.

The city's cultural life is marked by a Philharmonic Orchestra, several theatres and a museum complex. The latter is particularly interesting for history buffs, as it showcases evidence from various eras of human history that have been discovered in this area. The Arad county wine route starts a few kilometer east of the city.

By train


There are five direct trains a day to Budapest Keleti, taking 4 hr 30 min, fare 100 lei. (This includes an hour waiting at the border; there's also a one-hour time switch between Romania and Hungary.) The last direct train is at 15:30, but there's a 17:00 indirect route taking six hours. The 01:00 train is a through-service to Vienna.

There are only two direct services to Bucharest, both overnight, 11 hr. The best daytime connection is via the midday train to Timișoara.

For Transylvania, take the mid-afternoon train running through Deva (3 hr) and Sibiu (6 hr) to Brasov (10 hr).

There are two direct trains to Iași (one daytime 14 hr, one overnight 17 hr) via Cluj Napoca. There's one other direct and two indirect services to Cluj Napoca (5-6 hr).

By bus


Arad is on the main highway E68 between Budapest and Bucharest. There are buses every hour or two to Timisoara (60-90 min); change there for Bucharest. Buses run every 30 min to Budapest, the fastest in only 2 hr.

For Transylvania, four or five buses run daily to Deva (3 hr), Sibiu (5 hr) and Brasov (8 hr). There are four buses to Cluj Napoca (4-6 hr).

By plane


The nearest international airport is Timisoara (Traian Vuia, ) 40 km south, with 6 or 7 flights a day to Bucharest, and other European destinations. Budapest airport 230 km north-west has more extensive connections.

Get around
Most sights, eating and accommodation are a short walk from City Hall. Buses and trams run along the main strip here, Bulevard Revolutiei. At its north end this curves west into Calea Aurel Vlaicu, with the bus and railway stations. Taxis and car hire are readily available.

See



 * Art Nouveau architecture (or Secession style, as it was called in Austro-Hungary) – Several highly decorative examples of this early 20th-century style, similar to those found in Budapest or other cities of the former Danube Monarchy, with their elaborate floral or geometric ornamentation. However, most of them are in a rather sad state of preservation. Notable instances include:
 * (Str. Goldiș Vasile 1-3)
 * (Str. Horia 3-5/Str. Episcopiei 2)
 * (Str. General Vasile Milea 19)
 * (Str. Goldiș Vasile 1-3)
 * (Str. Horia 3-5/Str. Episcopiei 2)
 * (Str. General Vasile Milea 19)



Do

 * Just east of the Palace is the Mures river, with a promenade for strolling, and a children's play-park.
 * Football: FC UTA Arad play soccer in Liga 1, the top tier. Their Francisc von Neuman Stadium (capacity 12,700) is 500 m west of the railway station.

Buy
Try to avoid shopping in the city center—quite expensive.

The city has 2 market areas where you can buy fruit and basic foodstuffs, plus some days of the week there are also more affordable markets than in the city center, where prices are similar to any European country, in other words expensive.

Arad has several shopping centers on the outskirts of the city, there are A MAKRO that in Romania is called METRO, BILLA, although the city is well supplied, due to its proximity many Romanians go to neighboring Hungary to shop where they are even cheaper, in the towns across the border.

Eat and drink
Strings of cafes, restaurants and bars on Bvd Revolutiei just south of City Hall.

Go next
The main options are to go west towards Budapest, or south via Timișoara towards Bucharest, or east into Transylvania.


 * Timișoara – 50 km south (50 min by train), the capital of the Banat region and "Little Vienna"
 * Sânnicolau Mare – 65 km southwest
 * Békéscsaba – 90 km northwest (2 hr by train)
 * Lugoj – 100 km southeast (2 hr by train)
 * Szeged – 100 km west
 * Oradea – 115 km north, city known for its rich Art Nouveau architecture
 * Deva – 155 km southeast (3 hr by train)
 * Szolnok – 170 km northwest (3 hr by train)
 * Hunedoara – 170 km southeast, Corvin Castle, also known as "Dracula's castle"