Hotel Astoria Oradea

What makes it special

Stand on Ferdinand Square facing the corner where the building's two fronts meet. Look up at the high pediments and curved outlines: neo-Gothic shapes finished with Secession detail.

Ferenc Sztarill built it in 1902 as his own house, his first Secession building. Turn round and you can pick out two more of his designs on the same square, the Poynár House and the Kolozsváry House.

The ground floor held the EMKE café, decorated in Jugendstil with murals, mirrors and a mezzanine balcony lined with booths. It was the favourite meeting place of the city's writers and journalists. That Jugendstil room is gone, and the Crown Pub restaurant now fills the old café space.

Visiting

Seeing the facade takes nothing more than a stop on Ferdinand Square, a triangular square that holds some of the best Art Nouveau in Oradea. The building is a protected monument, and only hotel guests go inside.

The city heritage office's Art Nouveau walking route stops here, between Ferdinand Square and the Hotel Transilvania. It runs mostly outdoors, with a few courtyards.

Staying, you check in at the front desk, which is open around the clock. Rooms sit behind the original facade.

Guided or on your own

The heritage office runs the Art Nouveau route as a two-hour guided walk from the City Hall tower. Its office is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and closed at weekends, so arrange the walk before a weekend trip.

A guide suits you if you want the story of each building. The Astoria's facade is easy to read on your own.

Tips

Leave breakfast out on at least one morning and walk to one of the cafés and bistros a few minutes from the door. Iancu's March plays from the City Hall tower on the hour and carries to some rooms, so ask for a quieter room if you sleep lightly.