Timisoara

Place description

The capital city of the county of Timis, Timisoara is an important historical, economic, financial, cultural and scientific center, a true gate of Romania to Western Europe. The city has benefited from the introduction of the newest achievements of science. Thus: in 1854 was launched the telegraph, in 1856 was commissioned the railway, in 1857 was introduced the street gas lighting, in 1869 was commissioned the horse-drawn tram, in 1881 were started the works at the phone network. A European premiere was the introduction of the public street lighting operated based on electricity on November 12, 1884 and in 1889 in Timisoara people used to move the electric tramway, a national premiere.
Due to its numerous parks, public gardens, squares and green spaces, Timisoara has won the reputation of "city of flowers". In addition, the various concert halls, theaters, museums, exhibitions, historical and architectural monuments, cinemas, stadiums, swimming pools, etc. offer the opportunity to spend a pleasant stay, where every moment can be exploited to the fullest extent.

Tourist attractions in the town and surrounding areas:

The Victoriei Square - Formerly the Operei Square, it is the central square of the city of Timisoara.  It is the place where the revolutionaries from Timisoara gathered and where Timisoara was proclaimed on December 20, 1989 the first free city in Romania.

The Opera House - The National  Theatre - The theatre in Timisoara was first mentioned in a document in 1753. Between 1761-1874 theatrical performances were held in the former building of the Rascian magistrate (today, Nikolaus Lenau High School). In 1846, Franz Liszt held here three concerts. In addition, in 1847 Johann Strauss (the son) conducted a concert. In 1868, the band Pascaly, to which Mihai Eminescu was part, gave three performances.

The Metropolitan Cathedral - It is one of the landmarks of the city, which was built between 1936 and 1946 in Byzantine style combined with old Moldavian elements. It has 11 towers and a height of 96 m. The harmony of the seven bells, power driven, poured from a rare material that was brought from the Islands of Sumatra and Borneo, is the best in the country.  The basement of the Cathedral houses the old ecclesiastic art collection of the Timisoara Archiepiscopacy.

The Museum of Banat - It is housed by the Huniade Castle, an impressive monument of the city of Timisoara. It hosts the largest collection of archaeological artifacts from Banat.