Romania - Eastern Europe - page 536

sauna; Jacuzzi; 24-hr. room service; airport and train station transfers; car rental; laundry; medic-on-call. In room:A/C,
TV, Internet, minibar, hair dryer, safe.
WHERE TO DINE
If you've tired of East European meat, and looking for a light southern Europe touch,
La Galleria ( & 0259/47-5490; www.wpg.ro; Mon-Sat noon-3pm and 7-11:30pm)
is the best Italian joint in town (you'll find it right near the State Theater). If not you'll
find plenty of low-key, down-home Romanian/Hungarian options along or around
Strada Republicii. Alternatively, head for the small, agreeable restaurant at centrally
located Hotel Elite (see details above) where you could start with a salad of forest
mushrooms with marinated vegetables, then move on to Moldavian-style pork, or the
Mediterranean-style orata fish, baked with tomato, olives, and oregano.
Scorilo's ROMANIAN/HUNGARIAN There's a stellar menu at this wonder-
ful hotel restaurant just north of the center, and the venue is good too: In winter you
can dine in the cellar, while the summer terrace is lovely, and there's live music on
weekday evenings. You will however have to come well prepared to eat meat: Wild
boar, goose legs cooked in champagne, and traditional Hungarian stew made with
pork and bacon, and prepared with garlic and golden potatoes, are just a few of the
favorites. If you can't decide, go all out and order the “Hunter's Plate,” and sample a
large array of venison.
Hotel Scorilo, Parcul Petöfi 16. & 0259/47-0910 or 0259/41-4681. Main courses L14-L63 ($5-$23/£2.65-£12).
MC, V. Daily 11:30am-midnight.
EXPLORING ORADEA
Oradea has a fairly manageable center, its north and south divided by the Cri @ ul
Repede River, which flows through the city. The two main points of focus—Pia $ a
Republicii (north) and Pia $ a Unirii (south)—lie on either side of the river, linked by
one of several bridges. Running northeast from one corner of Pia $ a Republicii is Calea
Republicii, a long pedestrianized road lined with lovely buildings. Oradea's Citadel
lies east of Pia $ a Unirii, beyond the large Parcul Central, and behind a blight of mod-
ern concrete blocks.
Take a casual stroll down pedestrianized Strada Republicii, recently revamped and
lined on both sides by an endless succession of Secessionist buildings, and you'll wish
you were spending more time in the city, if only to browse the numerous shops and
take plentiful breaks at the cafes. Don't miss a short detour down Str. Roman Cioro-
gariu to look at the colorful and extremely ornate facade of the Episcopia Ortodoxâ
Româna (Romanian Orthodox Bishopric); behind you is a citrus yellow building
housing Stones & Antique Consignatie ( & 0722-823-189; Mon-Fri 10am-1pm
and 4-6pm), which sells all manner of antique kitsch, and well worth a look.
At its southern end, Republicii joins Pia $ a Regele Ferdinand, where the State Thea-
ter ( Teatrul de Stat; & 0259/41-7864; www.oradeatheatre.com) has been under-
going a much-needed revamp to return its facade to the original neoclassical splendor
designed by Helmer and Fellner in 1900. Also worth a gander on this square is the
facade of the Art School (Scoala de Arte Oradea), now the seat of the Philharmonic
Orchestra.
Head south across the bridge over River Cri @ ul Repede to reach wide-open and star-
tlingly empty Pia $ a Unirii; directly in front of you as you cross the river, is a Catholic
Church obscuring the view of a statue of Mihai Viteazul, the great Wallachian prince
said to have passed through the city before the end of his reign (1593-1601). On your