In one stop you see the 1900s Secession buildings Oradea is known for, and it costs nothing.
About the place
The square took shape between 1714 and 1740 as the Small Square. Three churches built between 1720 and 1810 survived the great fire of 1836: the Roman Catholic church of St Ladislaus, the Moon Church and the Greek Catholic cathedral of St Nicholas. Between 1901 and 1908 the town hall, the Greek Catholic bishop's palace, the Moskovits Palace and the Black Eagle Palace went up. The square was rebuilt in 2015. The Moon Church has a 1793 mechanism in its tower that shows the phases of the moon with a half-gold, half-black globe; it is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm.
The Black Eagle Palace was built in 1907–1908 by the architects Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab, with a hotel, a café, concert halls and 35 shops. Its arcade, modelled on the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, has two passages that meet under a glass dome, with exits to the square, to Strada Independenței and to Strada Vasile Alecsandri. The black eagle stained-glass window was made in 1909 by the local Neumann K. workshop. Today the arcade is lined with cafés, bars and restaurants.
Good to know
- Enter the arcade from the square and leave by Strada Vasile Alecsandri to see the stained glass and the dome from both sides.
- The Town Hall Tower was closed in 2026 because of works on the town hall; ask at the tourist information centre whether it has reopened.
- Cross the bridge over the Crișul Repede to Piața Regele Ferdinand and walk on along Calea Republicii, the pedestrian street with Secession facades.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.