Oradea

Oradea (Romanian pronunciation: [oˈrade̯a]; German: Großwardein, Hungarian: Nagyvárad, Hungarian pronunciation: [nɒɟvaːrɒd], colloquially also Várad, former Turkish: Varat, Yiddish: גרויסווארדיין‎ Groysvardeyn) the capital city of Bihor County and Crișana region, is one of the important centers of economic, social and cultural development in the western part of Romania, retaining these characteristics throughout history. The city is nestled between the hills that separate and unify in a harmonious way with plain Crișana. Located on the banks of Crișul Repede River, that divides the city into almost equal halves, it is the gateway to Central and Western Europe. The city is located in the north-west of Romania.

Located about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Borș, the most important crossing point on the west border (with Hungary), Oradea ranks tenth in size among Romanian cities; it covers an area of 11,556 hectares (28,560 acres). The city is at an altitude of 126 m above sea level, in the opening of the Criș valley and the plain area, in an area of contact between the extensions of the Apuseni Mountains and the extended plain Crișana-Banat. It lies as the area of transition from relief hills, to the Pannonian plain. City topoclimatic action is determined by the prevailing Western winds. Climate is Temperate Continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with some oceanic influences.