PIAŢA PIAŢA

This vast square consists of a large central park, surrounded by beautiful, colorful old buildings. Among these is the flamboyant Hotel Dacia, with its facade richly decorated with floral sculptures. Built in the early ^20th century in the Hungarian Secession style, it has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The main points of interest are grouped around piața Libertății.

To the north, via strada Ștefan cel Mare or a tiny street past the Firemen's Tower (45 m high and dating from 1904), you'll reach the Hungarian Reformed Church(Biserica reformată). Also known as the "Chain Church"(Biserica cu Lanțuri), it is a Baroque building, completed in 1802, with organs dating from 1814. In strada Horea, you'll find the Théâtre du Nord(Teatrul Nord), a handsome neoclassical monument dating from 1889.

To the south, between piața Libertății and the river, the Civic Center displays its sad 1980s concrete constructions, with the classic Maison de la culture, prefecture, etc. In strada Decebal stands the large Moorish-style synagogue, built in 1889 for the city's once-large Jewish community: over 12,000 people at the beginning of the ^20th century. Most were deported in 1944, after being confined in a ghetto.

To the east, in strada 1 Decembrie 1918, the Greek-Catholic Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, built in the 1930s, boasts beautiful eclectic architecture influenced by Byzantine and neo-Romanesque styles.