One-way ticket to Timișoara
Timișoara, called "The Little Vienna" or "The City of Flowers", is the largest city in western Romania. Here is where the anti-communist revolution of 1989 started. Did you know that Timișoara was the first European city to introduce horse-drawn trams (in 1869) and electrical street lighting (in 1889)?
This city was once again the city of lights and set a new Guinness World Records on August 30, 2019. Thus, at 9:00 P.M., in front of the UBC 3 building, 7,235 LED bracelets were lit simultaneously by an extremely enthusiastic audience, performing an exciting show of color and energy. I was lucky enough to attend there at that time.😍
This city is special for me because here I spent my childhood.😊So let's explore together the best things to do in the capital of Banat😉:
1. The Romanian architectural gem: The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral⛪ - Built between 1936 and 1946, its green and red roof tiles are arranged in a mosaic design. It is able to fit 5,000 worshippers at once under its nine towers. The design was borrowed from the Medieval Byzantine churches of Moldavia in the East of Romania. It is in its own park on the south side of Victory Square.
2. The Union Square💖 - Those who know will tell you that The Union Square is the finest square in Romania.
3. St. George's Cathedral⛪ - It's a Roman Catholic Cathedral on the east side of The Union Square. Built between 1736 and 1754 it represents a fine example of Viennese baroque style.
4. The Roses Park 🌹🌹🌹- Has a history of over 100 years and is recognized for floral arrangements made of roses. The park is used by those who want to take beautiful photographers on different occasions (weddings, graduation etc.).
5. Iulius Mall 😎- A great mall that is well organized and best of all, has a HUGE food court with a wide variety of restaurants to choose from.
6. The "Timeea" Pastry🎂🍨🍩 - On the first floor in Iulius Mall, you can find delicious cakes in the city. I tried several times the "Caramelino" cake (honey, meringue, caramel with milk, fried walnut and almonds). Click the link to see their official site http://cofetariatimeea.ro/.
7. Iulius Town & Gardens 📷👌- Is a real oasis of relaxation next to Iulius Mall. There you can find:
- A carousel for children;
- Lake with vegetation;
- Special lawn, which visitors can sit down to relax, read a book or enjoy the view.
8. The Romanian National Opera Timișoara or Opera House 🎭 - On Victory Square, the Opera House was the scene of protests in the 1989 Revolution, when 40,000 people gathered in front and speeches were given from the balcony. This is one of the buildings that caught my attention (and also the Cathedral located at the opposite side of the square). When I was 7 years old I was a ballerina and performed a show there. Each time I cross the square I remind that show.😊
9. The Botanic Park🌼🌺🌹 - Situated near the city center, the Botanic Park allows you to rest from urban part of Timișoara, breathe the clean air and talk a relaxing stroll among the trees.
10. The Children's Park 👨👩👧👦 - The park has been rebuilt several times and is now quite attractive. It is daily full of children and their parents, the spaces are safe and everything seems pretty well-groomed. If you're just a tourist, it's worth a short visit here as well. You can use the water public transport or rent boats along Bega River.
11. Gelateria Zanoni 🍨🍩🎂- Open since 1998, is an ice cream shop/pastry in Timișoara. Usually I try their pancakes, but last time I tried a Serbian cake. It offers artisan ice cream, prepared according to a recipe of Italian tradition, with over 30 flavors.
12. The Cardinal Points Fountain ⛲ - The fountain was built in 1978. What characterizes this fountain are the decorative letters that mark the four cardinal points (N, E, S and V) and the four intercardinal points (NE, SE, SV and NV). It is considered the most well-known fountain in Timișoara and a symbol of the city. Nearby you can visit the Theresia Bastion (a commercial area and nightlife, with shops, bars, restaurants and clubs in its arches, alongside two branches of the Museum of Banat).
13. Shopping City Timișoara 📹📷 - Is a large shopping center in Timișoara, opened in March 2016. It is the second mall opened in the city and is located on Calea Șagului, in the southern part of the city. If you go there you must see a 4DX movie at Cinema City. It's a nice experience. I watched there Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Also you can try an IMAX movie.
14. D'Arc pe Mal 🍸🍹🍺- Piña Colada? Beer? Aperol Spritz? Lemonade? It's a nice bar along Bega River where you can relax and enjoy the view on a modified barge.
15. The Floral Clock 🌺🌼⏰- Is the symbol of the city. It was built in the 70's on the place of the former Transylvanian Barracks. Tourists used to photograph it and its image appeared on most postcards.
16. The Fountain with Fish ⛲🐟- In 1957 in Victory Square this fountain was built, known as the Fish well, and in a short time it became the favorite place of the photographers, of the youth and of the elderly. It is the oasis of relax of the square, it revives the atmosphere created by the surrounding monumental buildings.
17. Sky Restaurant Timișoara 🍽 - The restaurant is located in the City Business Center near Market 700, on the 6th floor, offering a menu of international cuisine. The view offered to the customers makes the restaurant unique and special.
18. Craft Rooftop 🍽 - Is located on the Modex Building (near the Opera House), with a direct view to the center of Timișoara, offering a unique view of the city. Craft Rooftop is a new concept in the city, relying on the mix between the rooftop experience, the offer of crafted / home made food & drinks and a perfect setting for socializing.
Currency in Romania🤑
The Romanian Leu is the currency of Romania (RON). Even it's part of European Union, Romania doesn't use yet Euro. For more info about exchange rates click the link https://www.xe.com/currency/ron-romanian-leu.
How to get to Timișoara?😉
- By air ✈ - Traian Vuia International Airport (TSR) - The airport is located six miles from the city center. Taxis are readily available outside the arrivals area. Bus #26 offers service to the city center, with stops at Badea Cartan Square and Hotel Continental.
- By train 🚆- Timișoara North - main train station (Gara Timișoara Nord) - For the list of international trains with service to/from Romania please visit: http://www.romaniatourism.com/transportation.html#bytrain.
- By bus 🚌 - Timișoara Bus Station # 1 (Autogara Autotim) - There are many bus routes that connect Bucharest and Romania's main cities with destinations in Europe. FlixBus is also a great option.
- By car 🚗 - The recommended route from Bucharest to Timișoara is:
Bucharest - Pitești - Râmnicu Vâlcea - Sibiu - Deva - Lugoj - Timișoara (A1/E81 - E673 - E70).
Independent travelers entering Romania by car (own or rental) need to obtain a road toll badge, called Rovinieta. It is available on-line www.roviniete.com as well as at any border-crossing point, postal office and most gas stations.
Where to stay in Timișoara? 🏨🏡
A good choice is Hotel Imperial Premium (click the link https://www.booking.com/hotel/ro/imperial-premium.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB). It's a 4* hotel and nearby has restaurants, supermarket, bus station (bus no. 40) that leaves you straight to the center of the city (last stop). And the quality/price is very good. Of course, you can choose other accommodations so click this link https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en.html?city=-1172411&aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB.
Timișoara's Public Transport 🚌
Several bus (autobuz), tram (tramvai) and trolleybus (troilebuz) routes connect Timișoara's main areas and tourist attractions. The public transportation system runs between 4:45 A.M. and 11:15 P.M. .
Tickets must be purchased beforehand and validated in the ticket-stamping machine upon boarding. Tickets are interchangeable for all three forms of transport with the exception of express buses. Click the link for more info http://stpt.ro/taxare/ticketing.html.
You can pay also with your Visa/Maestro Card in the bus the journey. Be sure first if the bus has a blue box for Visa/Maestro Card. For bus no. 40, the blue box is at the end of the bus.
Timișoara City Map & other info
Click the link for the city map - http://romaniatourism.com/romania-maps/timisoara-city-map-harta-orasului.html. If you want to read more about Timișoara or other Romanian cities click the link http://romaniatourism.com/timisoara.html#fastfacts.
Plenty of natural attractions are around Timișoara. Maybe you have heard about the Bigar Waterfall (is world-famous for its pristine beauty). Another amazing natural attraction is Ochiul Beiului Lake known for the unique and fascinating blue colour. If you like castles, you can visit Corvin Castle.
I hope you enjoyed the article and took some great info for your trip! Thank you for your time and have a wonderful and inspiring day!
Andra😘💋
Source for describing the sights: Wikipedia
