Timişoara

Archaeological evidence shows that people were living in the area of present-day Timişoara as early as 4000 BC. The city was first mentioned in documents in the 13th century. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1552 and in 1716 the Austrians took over. By 1848 it was the capital of Vojvodina.

The center of the city was surrounded by fortifications, but the city soon started to spread outside of them. At then end of the 19th century the fortress began to lose its usefulness and city walls and bastions were demolished bit by bit. Nowadays only a few sections of the city wall remain. One of the best preserved parts is the Theresia Bastion.

In 1760 Timişoara became the first city in Europe with street lightning. Electric street lights were installed in 1884; also a European first. In 2013, Timişoara was the city with the fastest internet download speed in the world.

Timişoara was the city where the 1989 revolution against Ceaucescu began, which eventually led to the collapse of his regime. There are countless memorial slabs on walls of all sorts of buildings throughout the city to commemorate those who died during the fighting.

The oldest building in Timişoara is Huniade Castle, which is home to the Museum of Banat. It was destroyed in 1849 and later rebuilt, but it retains parts from other castles that once stood there.

Timişoara is often nicknamed 'Little Vienna', or the 'City of Roses' and has a large number of historical monuments and parks.

Most of the historic sites can be found in the neighborhoods of Cetate, Fabric, Iosefin and Elisabetin.

Cetate

Cetate is the political, administrative and cultural center of Timişoara. It is divided into three parts.

The historic center, the inner city, which mostly consists of 18th and 19th century buildings and an area where most construction took place in the 20th century, on land where the former fortifications once stood.

Timişoara's historic center includes 4 squares, each of which presents a different architectural styles.

Most buildings around Piața Unirii (Union Square) were built in Baroqie style. It is the city's oldest and most beautiful square and often called Piața Domului (Dome Square), because it is home to the Roman Catholic Cathedral, or Roman Catholic Dome. It was inaugurated in 1774. The Plague Column was erected in the center of the square. There is also a Baroque Palace on the square. It was modeled after the Palais Kinsky in Vienna and it is home to the Art Museum. The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral and the Serbian Orthodox Episcopal Palace can also be found there.

Timişoara's central square is Piața Victoriei (Victory Square), also known as Piața Operei (Opera Square). In the 1980's it was made a pedestrian zone. The square sits between the Metropolitan Cathedral, with its 11 bell towers, and the Palace of Culture which is home to the National Theater and Opera. The promenade between the cathedral and the opera is called Corso. There are several 1900's style palaces adjacent to it. On the opposite side of Surogat, 2 palaces can be found. In the center of the square is a statue of a Capitoline Wolf, which depicts a scene from the founding or Rome, and a fountain with fish.

Just to the north is Piața Libertății (Liberty Square), which used to be called Piața de Paradă (Parade Square). It is home to several military buildings. Liberty Square is the pedestrian link between Union Square and Victory Square.

In the extension of the Liberty Square there is the smaller Piața Sfântul Gheorghe (St. George Square). Its former name was Piața Seminarului (Seminar Square). On the east of the square are the remains of the Jesuit Church that once stood there. The church was transformed into a mosque during Ottoman times and demolished at the start of the 20th century. At the center of the square is a statue of Saint George fighting the dragon, which was erected in 1996. St. George's Cathedral is also in the square.

Just south of the town center is the Tokes Reformed Church, where many plans for the 1989 revolution where put together.

Fabric

The Fabric neighborhood got its name from the many factories, workshops and guilds that are located there. The center of the Fabric neighborhood is Piața Traian (Trajan Square), which is a smaller replica of the Union Square. The oldest building in the square is the Serbian Orthodox Church, which dates from 1755. Most other buildings in the square date from the 19th century.

In Piața Romanilor (Romans' Square) you can see the historic Millennium Church. Other sites in Fabric are the Neptune Baths, the Timişoara East railway station, the waterworks and the Timişoreana breweries.

Iosefin

The neighborhood of Iosefin retained its original rural character until 1857, when Timişoara was connected by rail to central Europe. The city's first railway station was built in the north of Iosefin. St. Mary Catholic Church dates from 1775. All other buildings were constructed after 1868. Some of the most interesting sites including the Water Palace, the Délvidéki Casino, the former House of Savings, the Anchor Palace, the twin palaces of Nándor and Tamás Csermák, the Notre Dame Church and the Water Tower amongst others.

16 December 1989 Boulevard forms the border between the Iosefin and Elisabetin neighborhoods. It is lined with several Art Nouveau palaces, such as Besch–Piffl, Kuncz and Menczer, as well as a 1900s-style Fire Station.

The boulevard divides Piața Alexandru Mocioni (Alexandru Mocioni Square) into two halves. The part that was formerly known as Küttl Square and Sinaia Square is part of Iosefin. Most buildings around the square were built in Art Nouveau architecture. The Orthodox Church in the square, however, was built in neo-Byzantine style.

Elisabetin

Just like the Iosefin neighborhood, Elisabetin retained a rural appearance until 1892, when the fortifications were dismantled. THe two oldest buildings in Elisabetin are Dissel House and the Orthodox Church in the Church Square. The church is the city's oldest. Most other buildings in Elisabetin were built between 1890 and 1900.

Piața Maria (Mary Square) is dominated by the neo-Romanesque monument of St. Mary. In Piața Nicolae Bălcescu (Nicolae Bălcescu Square) you can see a 57-meter-high Catholic Church. Piața Plevnei Pleven Square boasts many Art Nouveau residential buildings, such as the House with Peacocks, the Szilárd House and the House with Beautiful Gate.

Museums

There are several interesting museums in Timişoara.

Other historical items are included in the museum collections of the Metropolis of Banat, the Serbian Orthodox Episcopate and the Roman Catholic Diocese.

There are numerous cultural institutions in Timişoara, including three state theatres, an opera and a philharmonic orchestra.

About 30 km from Timişoara is the spa resort of Buziaş. The spa resort of Băile Călacea is 27 from town. The properties of their healing waters have been known since Roman times.

There are many hotels and restaurants in Timişoara. The city has good road and rail connections with several destinations in Hungary and Serbia. as well as other cities in Romania. Timişoara is not far from the borders with Hungary and Serbia, in Romania's Banat region, some 415 km northeast of Bucuresti (Bucharest).