Timisoara has a Quiet Opulence

A Livable Base for Those with Wanderlust

Timisoara is Romania’s third largest city - and is perhaps most commonly known a gateway to the country. It’s the Romanian airport city for the budget airlines (Ryan and Wizz Air) - and is the easiest place to get by road if traveling from Serbia or Hungary. I had no intention of stopping in Timisoara - and only ended up spending a day there because it was a necessary stop on my route to Brasov. I’m really glad I did because the city made for a beautiful day trip.

Timisoara is known as Little Vienna - though, to be honest, I think that’s a bit of a stretch. It does, however, have the largest set of historical buildings in Romania - and the downtown is full of stately, colorful buildings. It’s also known as City of Parks and City of Roses because of its many green spaces - much of which replaced the former citadel that protected the old city.

Between its beautiful Old Town, abundant green spaces, and extremely cheap flights all over Europe - Timisoara struck me as an incredibly livable base for someone with wanderlust. A quiet, charming city where you can afford a nice place - and base out of while you fly for cheap all over the world.

Stroll Through the Historic Center

Pretty much all of the historic center of Timisoara is beautiful and it’s small enough that you can just wander around and you’ll probably see everything.

I recommend spending some time in the city’s three main squares - Union Square (definitely the crown jewel of the city), Liberty Square and Victory Square. In Union Square, check out the Bruck House on the south side - which is a really unique, beautiful piece of architecture. In Victory Square, I’d go all the way south to see the Orthodox Metroplitan Church spires - which I found mesmerizing.

I generally enjoyed wandering through all of the streets - which are wide and pedestrian friendly. Take your time - or grab a coffee and people-watch. The pace of life in the city seems slow - and there’s no need to rush to see anything else.

Relax in the Many Parks

The nickname City of Parks / City of Roses didn’t disappoint. The center of Timisoara feels like it’s half park - with green spaces having replaced much of the old citadel. Some of the most common to explore are Rose Park (which sadly wasn’t in bloom when I was there), Botanic Park (which was closed when I was there), Iulius Gardens (which has free Wi-Fi), and the riverside promenade. I wouldn’t limit yourself to those, though, because i found every green space I bumped into charming.

I also walked through Caleau Sagului Cemetery - which was surprisingly beautiful. But I happened to be there on Maramures - Romania’s Day of the Dead on November 1 - so the cemetery was packed with locals setting out flowers and candles, leaving it particularly memorable.