ARAD

Bodrogu Nou

Bodrogu Nou (16 km west from Arad): the Hodos – Bodrog Monastery, certified since 1177, is one of the oldest monastic settlements on the territory of Romania. The oldest part of the monastery is the church (XIV. century), restored in 1766 when the spire in the baroque style is added. The museum collection of the monastery includes manuscripts from the XV-XVIII. centuries, objects of clerical art.

Felnac (3 km away from Bodrogu Nou): the Ruins of the Felnacului Fortress (XIV. century), border bulwark repeatedly conquered by the Turkish troops and demolished at the end of the XVII century.

Fântânele (11 km south-east from Arad, 6 km from the DN 69, Aradu Nou): castle XIX. century and dendrological park.

Ghioroc (18 km from Arad, ramification to Siria, 5 km away from Sambateni): lake for fishing, entertainment area; the castle Kolna (XIX. century) – in neoclassical style, the place for wine tasting and food store that offers traditional food.

LIPOVA

The locality is traversed by the Mures valley, situated on the E 68/ DN 7 33 km away from Arad. Documentary certified in the XIIth century, it becomes an important handicraft and trade centre in the XV – XVI. Century, the springs of mineral water being used since the middle age.

Touristic Attractions in the locality (south of Mures river):

The Orthodox Church “Adormirea Maicii Domnului/the Dormition of God’s Mother” (XIVth century, with additions in the XVIIIth and XIXth century in the baroque style); On the inside it still keeps the fresk from the XVIth and XVIIth century in the byzanthine style. The museum next to the church houses a collection of old Romanian books and objects of the medieval clerical art.

Bazaar

The Bazaar conjures the Ottoman domination at the end of the XVIIth, beginning of the XVIIIth century. It still keeps the passage of trademen limited by a row of 8 massive columns in the archway, as well as by a part of the rooms and initial cellar.

The museum situated in a building raised in the XIXth century, includes departments of history, archaeology, plastic art and ethnography.

The springs with mineral water (Lipova Bath) are situated 3 km away from the centre of the city, in an afforested area, since the beginning of the XIXth century. The mineral waters are ferruginous, rich in bicarbonate, calcium, sodium and magnesium (bottled at Lipova) and they are recommended in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in the diseases of the digestive tract, of hepato-billiary or associated affections.

Neudorf is situated 6 km to the west, on the left bank of the Mures river: the Roman-Catholic Church is build in 1771 in the baroque style. The churchs’ tomb houses the bronze sarcophagus of the archduchess Anna Ferdinanda of Habsburg (1770 – 1809) sheltered in this regions during Napoleons’ campaigns.

RADNA

Franciscan Church and Monastery

Touristic Attractions:

The Franciscan Church and Monastery (1756 – 1782): monumental architectural ensemble in the baroque style. Remarkable is inside the main altar of marble of Carrara and the icon of the Holy Maria in the style of late Renaissance (XVIIth century).

Soimos Fortress

3 km to Deva: the Soimos Fortress situated on a hill that dominates Muresului valley. Documentary certified in 1278, the fortress is rebuild by leader Iancu of Hunedoara (1440 – 1446) and later on it is fortified and changed into the style of the Renaissance, becoming temporary residence of the prince of Transylvania (1541). After 1788 it becomes a ruin, being abandonned by the Austrian garnison.

8 km to Arad: The Monument in Paulis relates the heroical resistance of the pupils of the non-commissioned officer School in Radna in front of the advancement of the german troops in the Mures narrow path, in the autumn of 1944.

MINIS (3 km away from Paulis to Pâncota): the wine cellar since the XVIII century and the vineyard renowned for its red wines.
The Museum of Vineyard and Wine (in the precincts of the Resort for Viticultural Research). In Minis there is a well known tourist pension that received a Diploma that certify it is the best pension in Romania in 2003.

There is a special cellar for wine tasting that offer the possibility to present red and white wines from the region, buy the international attested specialists.

Beneath the picturesque Muresului valley, the route still offers possibilities of visiting the castles raised between XVIII – XIX. centuries in Odvos, Conop, Bulci, Savârsin, Petris. The one in Savârsin, situated in the middle of a beautiful park has been recently returned by the Romanian authorities to its former owner King Mihai I of Romania.

Traditional architecture

After visiting the castle in Petris (XIXth century) and the park with secular oaks around it one might follow the county road to the villages Corbesti, Rosia Noua and Obârsia in Zarandului Mountains, villages where there are still kept the elements of the traditional peasant architecture: the wooden churches and houses, the water mills, some of them dating from the past century.

MONEASA

Moneasa

Watering and climatic resort situated on the homonymous valleys, in a little depression of the Codru Moma Mountains, surrounded by afforested peaks and haymeadows. Situated at an altitude of 290 m, in an area protected of winds, the resort benefits of a mild climate and of thermal springs renowned since the XVIth century. The first watering pavilions started to be build in 1880. The thermal waters with temperatures within 25 – 32 Celsius degrees, rich in bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium, as well as the ozoned air in the resort are recommended for the treatment of affections of the locomotive apparatus, of the peripherical nervous system or of the nervous asthenia.

Access Routes: by road from the DN 79 A (Chisineu Cris – Ineu – Vârfurile), in front of the Bârsa locality one might follow the road to Sebis and Moneasa: 22 km away from Bârsa, 18 km away from Sebis. Another alternative, a shorter one, is from Arad: through Siria – Pâncota – Ineu – Bârsa – Sebis – Moneasa.
By train: from the railway station Sebis, run Arad – Ineu – Brad.

Trips in the neighbourhood of the resort:

- The quarry of Moneasa offers a remarkable view through the successive opening of the red and black Jurassic limestone layers that are exploited here.
- The Furnace for the Iron Melt in the immediate proximity of the resort, is dating from the XIXth century and it certifies the tradition of the processing of this metal here in this region in the past centuries (Sebis, Moneasa, Vasca).
- The Izoi Chalet and Peak (1098 m), other routes in the Codru Moma Mountains.
- The Liliecilor Cave and the Izoi Aven (the last one being accessible only with speleological equipment).
- Pleasure places: the swimming pool, the lake with boats and hydrobycicles , restaurants that offer traditional food.

DEZNA

The locality is located on the valley with the same name, in the mountain area, where the Codru Moma Mountains have a little deep place, where the people can live. In the commune there is a camp for children, where many children can go during summer time. The camp and the school are placed in a castle built in the first part of XIX century, in neoclassical style.

Ozoiu hill fortress

The most important historical monument in Dezna is the fortress located on the Ozoiu hill (390 m) where one can go in serpentines. A legend tells us – Ladislau Nagy de Peretseny (1817) – that the name of the fortress is coming from the Dacic King – Decebal. The fortress dated from the XIIIth century and it was built in the centre of an old rRomanian region, towering the region and the main road towards the Codru Moma Mountains. The main importance of the fortress was during XVI – XVII centuries. In 1552 the fortress was part of network for defending the west part of Transylvania.

The Orthodox Church located in the centre of the commune has paintings of Byzantine from XVII –XVIII centuries.
In Dezna is also a famous Sanatorium Hospital for neuro-motor recovery established by dr. Barsan. The Sanatorium Hospital is well known due to its good medical achievements.

At the edge of the road from Dezna, the valley has a water-meadow of 300-400 m where is the fishery and two lakes with fish.
The visitors can stop to the new fish inn to taste special fish dishes.

SEBIS

Locality situated at the confluence of Dezna valley with Crisul Alb (White Cris), at the foot of the Codru Moma mountains, 18 km away from the watering and climatic resort Moneasa. Important trade centre of Zarandului Land, old centre of iron processing (till the past century), Sebisul seduces weekly the inhabitants of the neighboured villages with the markets organized on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The castle in the cities’ park (today library), since the XIXth century with elements of the baroque.

Barsa pottery

BARSA village is a nice centre of region called ethnographic area from Tara Zarandului. On the old location of the village, the place called “Gunoiste” existed before 1720 a wooden church which due to the transformation of the centre of the village around 1740, was moved on the Crisului hill. The church called ‘Bunavestire” and in the written paper of Sinesie Jivanovici we find out that in 1755 the church was in a much destroyed shapope. In 1823, when the church was surrounded by a wall, on the old one, the wooden church was destroyed.

The old houses had old terraces with oak bars, one can notice the shape roof, that long time ago were covered with straw.

A very old tradition is to tissue and whitening of the canvas. The tradition women folk suit is perfectly authentically.

In Barsa there is a Village Museum with a valuable collection, specific to the region, of pottery used in house, being an old pottery centre of some known craftsmen who brought the name of the Barsa village across the country.

INEU

Ineu

The locality is situated on the Crisului Alb valley, at the crossing of the roads that traverse the county from north to south (from Arad – Siria – Pancota) with the ones from east to west (Varsand – Chisineu Cris – Ineu – Varfurile).
- The Ineului Fortress: documentary certification since the XIIIth century, centre of an important feudal area, the fortress was part of the defensive system in the West of Transsylvania, beneath those in Oradea, Siria, Soimos, Felnac, Dezna, Arad. Repeatedly conquered by the Ottoman troops re-conquered by the Transsylvanian or Austrian troops, it losses its military importance in the XVIIIth century. The fortress passes more consolidation stages and belongs to the architectural style of the Renaissance. The external walls are surrounded by ditches filled with water from the Crisul Alb.
- The Monument of Gheorghe Doja remembers of the peasant war in 1514, to wich participated also peasants from the Ineu area.

PÂNCOTA

PANCOTA is a dynamic locality, with a powerful trade network, high school, cultural house, library and many public institutions. The locality was famous for the fairs and markets, organized since the XVIIIth century, being a handicraft centre, where the team system appeared at the beginning of XIXth century. For ancient times the people used to practice the leathery, to ensure the life conditions of the people.

At a distance of 500 m from the bottom of the locality, there was a citadel, a feudal fortification, probably a centre of a Romanian cnezat (region), form XIVth century. In Pancota there is the unique curved furniture factory in Romania.

SIRIA

The old residence of the voivodes in the middle eve, centre of an important and expanded feudal area, Siria passed in its rich history flourishing periods, as well as sieges and military conflicts. The fortress and the area belonged along the centuries to Iancu of Hunedoara, Matei Corvin or to the Bathory family.

Fortress

- The Fortress (documentary certified in 1331) raised on a hill next to the commune, still keeps between its walls Roman bricks. Being part of the fortification system that defended the western part of the Transsylvanian. Principality, the fortress has been repeatedly conquered, by the rebels of Gheorghe Doja (1514), the Ottoman (1607) or Hapsburgic troops (1693) that do also destroy it 1784, in order not to be any more occupied by the rebels. In 1599, the same as Ineu, the fortress has been dominated by the army of Mihai Viteazul (Mihai the Brave).
- The Bohus Castle (XIXth century) remembers of the capitulation of the Hungarian revolutionary army in 1849. It house the Memorial Museum Ioan Slavici, that relates the life and literary activity of the great Romanian novelist born in Siria.

NADLAC

Important traffic gate of Romania to Hungaria (Szeged) and Europe, situated on the artery E 68 that traverses Romania from west to east, 50 km away from Arad. Inside the city:
- The Evangelic Church (1822): the Slowak population still keeps the picturesque ritual of signalising each quarter of time with the help of brass trumpets situated in the tower of the church, high of 50 m.
- The Orthodox Church build in the XIX century with baroque elements.

CURTICI

The locality has a very reach historical background. It is one of the most important borders of the country. In Curtici was set up the first Duty Free Zone in the western part of Romania, with possibilities of industrial and urban development. In the region is an entertainment zone with swimming pool that can be used also during winter time.

DOROBANTI village was set up in 1818, but in the village one can fine also trails from Neolitic and Dacic pottery that are placed in the museum located in the cultural area from Dorobanti. The new cultural building has 400 places. Dorobanti village is well known due to its vegetables cultivated in the green houses.
By discovering the termal springs, here was set up a modern swimming pool that attracts many visitors. For this reason was also built a pension and a food store.
In the village the Maltes Society built a modern social centre for elderly.

Macea

MACEA commune is located close to Curtici town and is well known for the tomatoes culture. The most important tourist objectives are: the Orthodox Church and the Castle with its park. The wooden Orthodox Church “John the Baptized” was build around 1700 using a Byzantine cross as a draft. In the walls of the church were discovered in 1968 bricks with the mark of Cernovici noble family, the founders of the church. The windows are small and the tower is linked by the main part of the building with big wrought iron bar. The exterior of the building is in Baroque stile. The church has also old icons from XVIIIth century.

The Macea Castle was build in two steps, now has the shape of ‘L’ letter. The first part by the main tower is decorated with the Cernovici mark, sculptured in rock, from 1862, being close to another building from XVIIIth century. The right wing was set up during 1862-1886, the complex receiving the Secession trail. The castle is very big and was restaurated and has a large collection of cartoon. There is a beautiful dendrological park, natural reservation that surrounds the castle, with a surface of 17 hectars. The park was set up 100 years ago is a real dendrological park, with its unique trees and bushes. Macea has also an entertainment area with swimming pool, visited by many tourists.

CHISINEU CRIS

Agro-industrial locality situated on the Crisului Alb valley, 42 km away from Arad (E 671/ DN 79), is a commercial centre for the whole area.

SIMAND (12 km to Arad):
- The Cernovici Castle (XIXth century) in neoclassical style and the park.
- The Orthodox Church (XVIIIth century), in the baroque style.

HALMAGIU commune – is a very beautiful location. Almost from all of the parts of the commune one can see the beautiful mountains. The name of the commune was given by Nicolae Iorga, the famous Romanian historian, from the word “Holm” – meaning hill. The bottom region is surrounded by hills and mountains, some of them with an altitude of 800 m.

Halmagiu

The first documents about Halmagiu dated from 1444 and 1451, as a kingdom of a Romanain Leader named Moga. In 1450 Simion Priest from Halmagiu translated the four Evangelizes in Slavonic language, being the first literary manifestation in the Western part of Romania. From this century there is a hill in the old cultural building, were can be seen the trails of an old Byzantine church (from the XV century). The church can be considered together with the cathedral of the old kingdom, was also a powerful cultural centre.

In the centre of Halmagiu there is a Rassovician Square; in the square is located the monument of Avram Iancu, the leader of the revolt. From 1752 is documentary attested the famous squares of Halmagiu. The weekly market is still set up every Saturday, being visited by many people. The place of the market is the same as the visited by the old army of Horea Closa and Crisan, fighters for the liberty in the Romanian history.

Group

From the square/market you can go to the Town Hall building. The most artistic value has the mural painting from the church, in Byzantine stile, from 1768. The painting was covered with the wall, but in 1971 was discovered. Another church was built many years before 1700. Under the wall the recent research discovered Byzantine stile painting, which is very old, can be from the XII-XIII century, probably coming from the ages of the beginning of Feudal Romanian painting.

Close to the Halmagiu you can visist the Bortoci Grota (cave), a tunnel set up in the hill. the people say that the tunnel was used half century ago.

At the Banesti bridge there is located the troita (cross monument) built for the memory of the heroes of the Revolt in 1784 and some revolutionary from 1848-1849, executed in the same place.

In Draganesti village there is an old wooden house of 200 years old. The house has only one room, being located on a foundation of river stone.

VINGA

One of the most important commune from Arad County with many urban accents. The villagers are of Bulgarian origin, coming from their country due to their hard life under Ottoman dominance.

Vinga church

In 1749 there was built a monastry and a church. The people started to adapt to the conditions and start to develop, so after one century and a half their colony was of 5000 people, so the church become to small. In 1880 in a popular meeting there was a proposal to build a bigger church. The project in Neogothically style of Reitter Eduard from Wien was approved. The building has a form of a double cross, with the following dimensions: the high of towers -65m, the high of the building – 36 m, the length – 63 m, width – 25 m. The interior of the church has 9 sanctuaries with 43 wooden statues, that are art pieces from XVIII century. In Vinga the Bulgarian customs are preserved and the specific traditions of this region.