Bihor County
Europe's Art Nouveau gem where 89 historic buildings, Roman-era thermal waters, and Apuseni peaks create Romania's lowest unemployment county.
Bihor County exists because thermal waters and trade routes converged at Oradea's Crisul Repede crossing. King Ladislaus I the Holy built a monastery here around 1077-1095, but settlement traces back to Neolithic tools and Roman ceramics. Transylvanian Saxons knew the location as Grosswardein; Hungarians as Nagyvarad; the fortress served as an episcopal residence from the 11th century. Ottoman attacks (1598, 1658, 1660) led to 30 years of Turkish rule until 1692 liberation. Habsburg-era development created one of Europe's most significant Art Nouveau cities - 89 buildings harmoniously displayed across Oradea. The thermal waters, valued since Roman times, support world-unique spa facilities: Felix Baths, 1 Mai Baths, and Nymphaea Aquapark, one of Eastern Europe's largest. Today Bihor has Romania's lowest unemployment (2.4% vs 5.1% national), with furniture, textiles, footwear, and food processing industries. Geothermal energy from 2km underground provides 7% of district heating. The Apuseni Natural Park's Padis karst plateau, Focul Viu glacier cave, and Bihor Peak (1,849m) attract adventure tourism. By 2026, thermal tourism and geothermal energy will expand while cross-border Hungarian trade continues.