Arad is the capital city of Arad County, historically situated in the region of Crișana, and having extended into the neighboring Banat region in the 20th century. Arad is the third largest city in Western Romania, behind Timișoara and Oradea, and the 12th largest in Romania, with a population of 159,704.

A busy transportation hub on the Mureș River and an important cultural and industrial center, Arad has hosted one of the first music conservatories in Europe, one of the earliest normal schools in Europe, and the first car factory in Hungary and present-day Romania. Today, it is the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary and two universities.

The city’s multicultural heritage is owed to the fact that it has been part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom, the Ottoman Temeşvar Eyalet, Principality of Transylvania, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and since 1920 Romania, having had significant populations of Hungarians, Germans, Jews, Serbs, Bulgarians and Roma at various points in its history. During the second half of the 19th century and the beginning on the 20th century, the city has experienced rapid development. The most impressive displays of architecture that are still the popular sights of Arad today, such as the neoclassical Ioan Slavici Theater, the eclectic Administrative Palace and the neogothic Red Church, have been built in this period.

Tourist attractions

Architectural monuments

• The Fortified Town of Arad is one of the Transylvanian fortresses built in the Vauban star-shaped style, in the second half of the 18th century. It was used as a prison for the rebels led by Horia, Cloșca, and Crișan
• Administrative Palace, built in 1872–74, renaissance architecture
• Ioan Slavici Classical Theatre, built in 1874, neoclassical architecture, architect Anton Czigler
• Neumann Palace, built in 1891, eclecticism
• Judiciary Palace, built in 1892, eclecticism
• Cenad Palace, built in 1894, eclecticism and neoclassical architecture
• National Bank Palace, built in 1906, neoclassical architecture
• Bohuș Palace built in 1910, Vienna Secession. (For the first time in Arad, reinforced concrete was used)
• Szantay Palace, built in 1911, Vienna Secession
• Cultural Palace, built in 1913, neoclassical, gothic, renaissance architecture, and Corinthian capitals
• Cloșca Street, Vienna Secession

Historic buildings

• The House with Cannon Balls, built in 1800. Its name derives from the fights between 1848 and 1849. Seventeen cannonballs are incorporated in its walls.
• The High Teacher Training School (Clădirea Preparandiei), the first school for Romanian-language teachers from Transylvania, 1812
• The House with the Padlock, built in 1815
• The Old Theatre (Hirschl), built by Jacob Hirschl in 1817, the oldest stone theatre in Romania
• Water Tower, built in 1896, medieval dungeon architectural style
• The Old Custom House, built in 1907, used as a customs point for goods entering the Arad markets

Monuments

• The Statue of St. John of Nepomuk, raised in 1729, baroque sculpture
• The monument of the Holy Trinity, raised in 1746 to commemorate the plague that swept the town in 1738-1740

The Lutheran Red Church in Arad

• Reconciliation Park
  • The Statue of Liberty, raised in 1890 by György Zala in the memory of the heroes of the Hungarian revolutionary army

This is a picture of a park in Podgoria, Arad. In the background you can see the Holy Trinity Cathedral and some ten story buildings.The Statue of Liberty

• The Arch of Triumph, raised in 2004 by Ioan Bolborea in memory of the heroes of the 1848 – 1849 Romanian Revolution (fighting against the Hungarians)

Religious tourism

• The “St. Peter and Paul” Serbian Church, raised in 1698–1702, early Baroque architecture
• “St. Simon” Monastery , raised in 1762, Baroque architecture
• “St. Anthony of Padua” Church (Roman Catholic). The Order of Minorite Monks raised this cathedral in 1904, in a renaissance architecture style
• The “Birth of Saint John the Baptist” Cathedral (Romanian Orthodox), raised in 1862–1865, Baroque architecture, architect Antoniu Czigler. The mural painter, Anastase Damian, started his work in 1957 and finished it one year later

Roman Catholic Cathedral St. Anthony of Padua

• The Red Church (Evangelical-Lutheran), built in 1906, Neo-gothic architecture
• The Neologue Synagogue, built in 1834, Greek, Tuscan architectural style
• Holy Trinity Cathedral, built between 1991 and 2006, the new cathedral in Byzantine style

Recreational tourism

• Neptun Swimming Place, known in Romanian as “Ștrandul Neptun” is the second biggest Swimming Place in Europe, situated near a river. Due to its size and its recreational activities Strandul Neptun has over 3 million visitors annually, according to Recons Arad.
• Mureș Floodplain Natural Park (Lunca Mureșului Natural Park)
• The Ceala Forest with Măltăreț Lake and Mureș Isle
• The Vladimirescu Forest
• Ghioroc Lake
• Miniș – Măderat Vineyard, situated about 30 km east of Arad
• Moneasa resort, situated about 100 km, or 62 miles, ENE from Arad