Orăștie

Orăștie is a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania.

Understand

The city is located in south western Transylvania, south of Mures river and west of the illustrious "Field of bread", at an average sea level distance of 220 m. Orăștie has a temperate climate with an average annual temperature of +9.8°C. January average -3°C and July +20°C.

Traces of human activities can be found since Paleolithic, with intense progress in the Dacian-Roman age. Orăștie city was at one point a Dacian-Roman fortification, and during the time suffered several transformations in relation to the strategical position. Orăștie was destroyed and rebuilt several times during the centuries due to firm attitude of its cohabitants, the Getae (named by the Greeks) or Dacians (by Roman definition). The city's first documented Diploma of the city in 1224 was granted by the Hungarian King, Andrei II to renew the privileges to the German population brought here to populate the area and also to recognize the presence of native population. In 14th century the population of Orăștie counted around 1,300 souls and commerce with other Romanian counties, Poland and Dalmatia flourished. At the end of 15th century the territory was declared "civitas" a city with the right to be represented in the Diet.

With the beginning of the 1853, the city was the Capital Region of the 10th administrative center of Transylvania, the Orăștie Region. Orăștie region was divided into 9 districts called "Plase". Those "Plase" where Deva, Halmagiu, Hateg, Baia de Cris, Ilia-Muresana, Soimus and Hunedoara. At the Great Union in Alba-Iulia on 1 December 1918, Orăștie city was represented by a delegation. In the year 1974 was the anniversary of 750 years from the first incorporation record.

Get in

By train

There are trains connecting Orăștie to Bucharest, Arad, Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Deva, etc. Check timetables here .

• 1 Orăștie railway station. (updated Jul 2022)

By car

To drive to Orăștie from Bucharest you must take A 1(E81) to Pitesti, then take E 81(DN 7) to Sibiu.From Sibiu you must take E 68 to Sebes and Orăștie.

To come to Orăștie from Arad you must take E 68(DN7) to Deva and Orăștie.

From Cluj-Napoca you must take E 60 to Turda, then E81 to Alba Iulia and Sebes. From Sebes you must take E 68 to Orăștie.

Get around

The city centre is relatively small with everything within walking distance. One can take also a taxi.

See

• 1 St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel Orthodox Church (Biserica Sf. Arhangheli Mihail și Gavriil). It is one of the most beautiful churches in the country, it represents a landmark attraction. Foundation stone was laid in 1936. The plan of the church was drafted by architect George Cristinel of Bucharest, and the painting was done by a famous painter of churches of the time, Dumitru Belisarie. Sanctification was made on September 2, 1945, in the presence Metropolitan IPS Nicolae Balan and head of government since then, Dr. Petru Groza. 
• 2 Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art (Muzeul de Etnografie și Artă Populară), Aurel Vlaicu Square Nr.1. Positioned in the heart of the city, the museum was founded in 1952, it is the most important ethnographic collection of Hunedoara county. Reorganized in 1999, the museum exposes to the visitor, representative aspects of the Hunedoara universe and especially rural aspects from Orăştie area. The exhibition takes place in 6 rooms, arranged thematically, covering the main occupations (agriculture, grazing), secondary occupations(harvesting from the wild, hunting, fishing, pasturage, woodworking, weaving, leather processing), archaeological collections and numismatic, as well as issues relating to folk costumes, traditions and customs, religion and spiritual life. 
• 3 Orăștie Fortress (Cetatea Orăștiei). In the center of the city are the ruins of the fortress, the defense wall was a specific medieval fortification system . The fortress is mentioned in documents since 1544 by Sebastian Munster, and in 1560 by Giovanandrea Gromo. In the late 19th century, we owe a description of the city to A. Amlacher. It notes that the fortification of Orăștie had suffered much during the Turkish invasion of 1438 and 1479 (when the fight took place in the Field of Bread), it was besieged in 1561 and renovated in 1631. 

Do

• 1 Arsenal Park. An outdoor theme park, reportedly Romania's largest exclusive retreat. It is the only military themed park in the country and one of the few in Europe. 

Eat

• Casa Regia, Str. Codrului 1, ☏ +40 254 241048. Lots of sausage and ribs and such things. 
• Pensiunea La Bariera, Str. Unirii 153, ☏ +40 254 240 849. daily 09:10-18:00. Featuring beans and cutlet and other items. 

Drink

• Bar Scorillo, Srada Dacilor, Nr. 1, ☏ +40 722 678 562. 
• Rio, Strada Decebal 1. 
• To The King, Nr 1 Strada Armatei, ☏ +40 736 429 639. Dance and night club. 

Sleep

• Arsenal Park Transylvania, Str. Codrului nr. 25, ☏ +40 799 108 391. The Arsenal Park had created a new form of military life: the Holiday Soldier. The man-like spirit and the barrack atmosphere are preserved within the perimeter of the former munition factory in Orăștie. Instruction has been replaced by entertainment. No soldier on duty. No wakening with trumpeters. No crawling on one's elbows. Only free schedule. Napoleon Bonaparte used to say that "any soldier has the marshal's truncheon in his kitbag." Here, any guest is treated as a marshal. The Arsenal Park is a holiday park with 4 stars on the epaulettes. The most extended in Romania. And one of the few objectives focused on military topics in Europe. 
• Pensiunea Sura, Str. Stadionului 1A, ☏ +40 745 702 386. A cozy inn tucked away on a side street. 
• Pensiunea Driver, Strada Morii 19, ☏ +40 766 234 405. There is a ping pong table out on the patio if you get bored; otherwise, accommodations are pretty basic. 93 leu. (updated Mar 2021)
• Complex Daniel's, Strada Căstăului nr. 254 (about 3 km south of town off of DJ705A), ☏ +40 745 529 020. Has an outdoor pool from which you may gaze out upon Romanian farm fields and a banquet hall where you may get lucky enough to hear loud karaoke music blasting from a wedding reception. 170 leu. (updated Mar 2021)

Connect

Orăștie area code is 254 or 354, for Romtelecom, respectively RDS. If you dial from Romania you must dial with 0254(0354) in front of the number. If you dial from abroad you must dial with +40254(+40354).

Go next

• Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains - The ruins of fortresses Costești-Cetățuie, Costești-Blidaru, Piatra Roșie (listed under Hunedoara County) are part of the complex of fortifications that were intended to defend the capital of Dacia. Real administrative and religious center of the Dacians was Sarmizegetusa Regia (about 40 km from Orăștie), located on the right bank of the Grădiștea River. The ruins here reveal the three parts of the center: the fortress itself, sanctuaries and civil settlements.