Arad, the first city reached by one of the principal land corridors into Romania, stands beside the Mures river, and faces a huge 18th century Austrian Vauban-style bastion, 'Cetatea Aradului' (1762-83), built in the shape of a six-pointed star and still serving as a military base. It is a city of impressive buildings and architecture, with many of the main sights located along the principal thoroughfare, the broad Bulevard Revolutiei with trams running along it through the strip of park down the centre. These include the impressive, brilliant white City Hall "Palatul Administrativ' (Derenc Pekár, 1876 - after Ödön Lechner), the Palace of Culture (Szantay, 1913) behind it in Piata Enescu, the Red Church (Szántay 1906 - neo-Ggothic and secessionist), the large, domed Roman Catholic Church (1902-4) and the neo-classicalState Theatre (1874). There are also some delightful examples of art nouveau, as with Oradea, in particular along Strada Closca and around Piata Avram Iancu, e.g. Palatul Bohus (Szantay). There is also an extensive open air market in the older part of the town, west of Piata Avram Iancu, overshadowed by the tall towers of the baroque Orthodox Cathedral (1865) and nearby the old water tower (1896) whih is being restored as a museum. At the corner with Strada Mihai Eminescu you will find the Secessionist Farmacia Grozavescu (Emil Tabakovits, formerly Földes Pharmacy) which still functions with its original interior. East of Piata Avram Iancu stands the Old Theatre (Jacob Hirschl, 1817) where Mihai Eminescu once worked. It bcame the Urania Cinema in 19o3 but is now being restored with a view to reopening as a theatre. Further south near Piatra Veche, location of teh former fish markets, lies the old Jewish quarter and a couple of synagogues. Beyond is the Serbian quarter and the attractive Serbian church of St. Petru & Pavel (1692-1702) which was rebuilt in a baroque style in 1790. Like the rest of the Banat, Arad was ruled for many years by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and during this time saw several uprisings. It still has a German-speaking minority but unlike the Saxons of Transylvania these settlers were Swabians arriving in Habsburg times. Like Timisoara, Arad is presently undergoing considerable restoration.

Arad may be visited as a day trip from Timisoara (50 minutes by train) or we can book you into a hotel such as the rather atmospheric Ardealul or the international Parc. Arad is also a good starting point for a tour, one of our 'Patrick Leigh Fermor' Trails for example, or not so far, to explore the string of wine villages extending along the foot of the Zarand Hills north from the Mures: Minis, Ghioroc, Pâncota and Ineu. Ghioroc may be reached at a relaxing snail's pace by tram, or we could even organise a tour by vintage tram. In Minis we can offer you a lovely old home and restaurant belonging to a former aristocrat. Nearby is the old abbey of Maria Radna with its baroque twin-towered pilgrimage church (1756) immortalisd by Patrick Leigh Fermor and his game of skittles with a Franciscan Monk. Trains from Timisoara or Arad to Radna. To the east the ruins of Soimos fortress mark the beginning of the Mures defile.

Downstream from Arad, near to Cenad, you will find the excellent Mures Wetlands Nature Reserve (Parcul Natural Lunca Muresului) - a fascinating region of water meadows created by the annual flooding of the Mures, with associated marshes, oxbow lakes and characteristic woodland such as the Cenad Forest. Guided tours can be organised to this wildlife paradise which is home to a wide diversity of species ranging from great cretsed newts, fire-bellied toads, otters, wild cats, wild boar and red deer to birds such as lesser-spotted eagles, osprey, marsh harriers, storks, spoonbills, glossy ibis, night herons, little bitterns and bee-eaters.