Timisoara, the third largest city in Romania may not seem like the ideal weekend destination, but its under the radar status means it's not overrun with tourists...yet.
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| Stunning buildings line every street in Timisoara |
When I visited, I pretty much had the city to myself and it is a truly beautiful city. It's also possible that no one you know will have been there before which makes it all the more exciting—check it out before the masses move in.
What to do in Timisoara, Romania
1. Check out the incredible architecture
It's not possible to take a bad photo of Timsoara's stunning plazas, and weirdly the main square, Piata Unirii reminded me of the plazas of South America.
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| Piata Unirii in Timsoara |
The grand eclectic style buildings that line it are ornate and fabulous—each one painted in a different pastel hue—while facades of some of the grander buildings are already crumbling, revealing brickwork beneath and in turn giving the city an olde-world feel.
2. Eat amazing food without spending a fortune
Just like traditional Bulgarian food in Sofia the food of Timisoara is also amazing and well-priced. Whether you're after hearty dishes to fill you up after a day of site-seeing, delicious vegetarian or vegan food, or a plate of incredibly good Vietnamese, Timisoara has it all. I tried Casa Bunicii for typical Romanian dishes—the pork knuckle with rosemary potatoes didn't disappoint, while the homemade lemonade is delightfully refreshing. Restaurant Merlot is perfect if you want something a bit fancy, they do everything from wagyu beef to duck breast. Bio Fresh serves vegetarian and vegan food alongside a large selection of juices and smoothies as well as 'healthy' deserts if you're in need of a sweet fix. And if you want Vietnamese you can have that too, just head over to Little Hanoi Bistro to have Bun Cha which seriously rivals dishes in actual Vietnam.
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| Bun Cha at Little Hanoi Bistro in Timisoara |
You'll be hard pushed to spend more than $150 in three or four days eating out in Timisoara too, it's the most budget friendly city I've visited in Europe so far.
3. Warm up with good coffee
Winters in Romania are very cold, (some days in January it gets to minus nine) but if you're wrapped up and exploring you really don't notice it. When the sky is blue and the sun is shining, the parks and city look even more beautiful and the best way to warm up is with coffee.
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| Cold but sunny days are the best for exploring Timisoara |
Timisoara has a handful of good coffee shops but you need to search for them! Cute vinyl record store, Viniloteca, just across the Baga River has good coffee and fab craft beer, while in the centre of town is Mokum Coffee. It's a cozy place where the coffee is strong and they do decent cake too.
4. Get your creative fix by hunting out some art
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| One of the many sculptures around the city |
There's art everywhere. Whether you head to the Museum of Art, the cool Jecza Gallery or just take in the street art and sculptures around the city, there's plenty to see. Check out the boy on his pretend telephone and the super hero if you can find them...
5. Head to church
Religious or not, the churches are impressive. If you're in Timisoara on a Sunday, be sure to visit the very beautiful Orthodox Cathedral—most of the city seem to be there and it's fascinating to watch. Once inside people offer money, kiss religious images and take bread from the priest, and the building itself is out of this world beautiful.
6. Snag a four-star hotel with a two-star price tag
Hotel Timisoara has simple, large, clean and warm (important when the temperatures outside are sub-zero) rooms. There's also a pool in the basement with relaxing water jets, sauna and steam room—both of which were empty for my stay–and a massage room where 50-minute all over body massages costs just $42. Double rooms start from $82 per night including breakfast.
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