Why you should visit Timisoara, Romania
Last Updated on 20/07/2025 by kami
Timisoara, Romania took me by surprise.
I didn’t know much about the city, I didn’t know many people who visited it, I didn’t know what are the things to do in Timisoara.
Yet when planning my Interrail trip to Romania and Bulgaria I’ve decided to go a little bit around and visit Timisoara too.
Turned out to be the best decision ever!
Timisoara happens to be a wonderful place for a city break and had everything I enjoy. It definitely is one of the best places to visit in Romania.
Even if I’ve spent only 1.5 day there Timisoara almost immediately got into my very elite list of 10 favorite cities.
I was leaving the city with a heavy heart, promising myself to return there when I have a chance. And one day I will!
It’s really hard to put in words why I enjoyed visiting Timisoara so much.
It was just a combination of these small things and lively vibe that made me click with the city.
I even dare to say it was my favorite place in Romania (not that I’ve seen that many, only Bucharest, Sibiu, Brasov, Sighisoara, Oradea, Sinaia, Bran, Rasnov and Cluj-Napoca) and I was really surprised why it wasn’t so popular with tourists!
So when planning your next trip to Romania (or Serbia or Hungary, as it’s just across the border) do yourself a favor and visit Timisoara too, even for a day. You won’t regret it!
Quick Timisoara cheat sheet
Where to stay in Timisoara:
- Hostel Cornel (budget)
- Savoy Hotel (mid-range)
- Hotel Del Corso (luxury)
Best Timisoara tours:
Do you need insurance for your trip to Romania? Check the insurance rates here!
Here is the list of reasons why I enjoyed the city (or ideas of what to do in Timisoara)!
Incredible architecture
The first impressions of Timisoara weren’t the best.
The train station and the area around are rather nondescript and the moment I saw these I started doubting my decision to visit Timisoara.
But the closer I was getting to the center, the more things were looking up!
Finally, the heart of Timisoara turned out to be what I like the most: mix of art nouveau and peculiar style from the Habsburg time.
I was getting excited for all the Timisoara things to do that were waiting for me!
I felt like a kid in the candy store when wandering around the streets of Timisoara, everything around looked so beautiful!
Parts of the inner city, including the most beautiful of three main squares – Piata Unirii – were under construction but still looked colorful and just the prettiest.
For some architecture gems you should definitely focus on the center and Fabric neighborhood (especially around Piata Traian).
Sadly many of these spectacular buildings look neglected but if you’re able to look past the layer of dust and flaky plaster you can see the real beauty of Timisoara.
With a little bit of investment (which I really hope will come one day) the city have a chance to be one of the most spectacular, jaw-dropping places in Central Europe!
The good option is to explore Timisoara with a guide – this way you can learn a lot about the place! Click here for more details and prices!
Interesting history of Timisoara, Romania
I love cities with interesting history and Timisoara is definitely one of them.
Origins of Timisoara come from Middle Ages and the place always played an important role in the history due to its strategic location at the crossroads.
Over the centuries it was under the rule of Hungarians, Ottomans and Habsburgs.
Those last ones transformed Timisoara into an important industrial hub (this is how the city used to look like then) with numerous improvements that made the city exceptionally modern for that era.
It was the second place in the world (after New York) with electric street lamps and second in Europe with horse-drawn trams.
Rumors say that even Gustaf Eiffel (known to everyone as the creator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris) made sketches of one of the bridges in Timisoara!
On the contrary, 20th century wasn’t that good for the city.
It was badly destroyed in the WW2 and afterwards, as the result of post-war pacts, the Sovietization process has begun.
Timisoara played a very important role in the Romanian Revolution at the end of 1989 – that’s where the whole movement has started!
Wandering around the city and discovering all the remnants of the past, especially the recent events, was a great lesson for me.
Visit Timisoara to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere
Timisoara is the city of students and you can feel that on every step.
The vibe is young, there’s always something going on and no matter what time of the day the center is full of people.
My trip to Timisoara was over the weekend and on the main square, Piata Victoriei, there was some local event with music till the late evening, attended by crowds of people (I so wanted to join as well but I had to finish my trains related work, that’s what sometimes happens with my crazy lifestyle).
Posters around the city announced some more events to come, including really big festivals. When I googled events in Timisoara I got the whole long list, with offers for every taste.
You can really feel there’s always something going on in the city and the inhabitants make the place very lively.
There is no way to be bored in Timisoara!
During my visit in Romania I’ve heard many times from people both in Timisoara and Bucharest that this city is the best to live in in the country and I could clearly see people are enjoying their lives there.
Decent cafe culture
With the Austria-Hungary legacy I kind of expected Timisoara to have a good cafe culture.
And I wasn’t disappointed!
Recently cafes are a big part of my travels so it is important for me to find nice places around and Timisoara was a treat!
There are so many good places to choose from and – like in many places around Central Europe – I wished I had more time just to explore the local cafes!
And like everywhere else the best source to find cafes was Foursquare – a free application you can either install on your phone or check in the browser.
I’m a huge fan, using it everywhere and it never failed me!
Multicultural legacy
With the location at the crossroads and an Austria-Hungary past Timisoara was a multicultural city.
Even now there is a firm Hungarian, German and Serbian minority living in the city.
There’re cultural institutions, such as German State Theatre or Hungarian State Theatre, or numerous events showing the rich legacy of Timisoara.
When wandering around the city I’ve also spotted two really beautiful synagogues, one in Fabrica (at Strada Ion Luca Caragiale) and another one in the center (at Strada Marasesti).
It just made me more curious about all the various religions and cultures living in Timisoara and making the city so unique and well, awesome.
Timisoara street art
I really enjoyed the street art scene in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, but Timisoara is so much better!
There’re numerous murals, stencils and random paintings and altogether it just looks good.
There’s even an International Street Art Festival that contributes a lot to the local art scene!
Best places to find street art in Timisoara center are under the bridge (between the cathedral and the central park), at Strada Marasesti and in the streets around Piata Unirii.
Morover Strada Alba Iulia is decorated with colorful umbrellas that look simply amazing.
I know this is a well known trend all over the world recently but Timisoara was the first city I saw pictures of umbrella street from. Seeing this in reality brought a big smile on my face.
During my visit in Timisoara I crossed Strada Alba Iulia some 10 times, I just headed there for no reason, only to enjoy the roof of umbrellas above me. And it was beautiful!
I honestly didn’t expect Timisoara to be so amazing, that we will click right away. Together with Chernivtsi, Ukraine these were my best travel discoveries of the year 2015.
Even if Timisoara might be slightly off the path it has a huge potential and I’m almost sure it will be discovered soon, with numerous low-cost flights there it’s just a matter of time.
I know I’d love to go back there to spend some more time, simply enjoying the beautiful architecture around and the vibrant life of Timisoara.
And I’m sure it will be amazing again!
Further reading
I published many articles about Romania that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- 25 Best Places to Visit in Romania
- 23 Great Things to Do in Bucharest, Romania
- 10 Awesome Places to Visit on Day Trips from Bucharest
- 15 Best Things to Do in Brasov, Romania
- How to Get from Bucharest to Brasov
- Visit Sinaia, Romania – home to the amazing Peles Castle
- 9 Great Things to Do in Cluj-Napoca, the Vibrant City in Romania
- and many more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Balkans and ask your questions there.
Travel resources
You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Timisoara
Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Romania here.
I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here.
Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.
For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:
- Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
- Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
- I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Romania too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!
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Renovations are finished. You can enjoy a big pedestrian city center :)
that means I need to go back! :)
I always see cheap tickets from here to Timisoara- I am going to take advantage of that next time! Brilliant photos. Sounds like such a fun and charming place!
It is!! I think you’d really enjoy it so next time you see cheap tickets just book them! :)
Timisoare pamiętam tylko jako ocienioną bramę w której się schowaliśmy po 50 km pedałowania w totalnie męczącym słońcu :D Ale i tak fajnie było!
czyli jakby nie było Timisoara na plus :)
pani grająca na flecie – super! Znasz artystę?
gugiel mówi NEGO & LUX :)
Hahaha, no i latam po wszystkich zdjęciach w poście i szukam kogoś, kto gra na flecie. Nie ma. Ja wiem, może ten telefon niedobry, ekran taki mały, mało widzę. A później taka myśl – no dobra, ale jak Kami znalazła artystkę, że co, zawsze gra w tym samym miejscu? Aaa, streeetaaaaart… ;)
taka przewidywalna jestem ;)
Brzmi super zachęcająco, zwłaszcza architektura i te kafejki, podobnie jak u ciebie stanowią istotną cześć moich podróży. Zdjecia też są super
dzięki! a Timisoara bardzo urocza, polecam!
It is cheap to fly to Timisoara from the Netherlands. So I was also considering to go someday, but you might have convinced to go this fall. It sounds like a great city, love the street art and the multicultural scene!
You definitely should go, Timisoara is pretty amazing! I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I did! And in autumn it must be pretty with all the colors around!
To jedno z niewielu większych miast w Rumunii, w którym nie byłam. Muszę to nadrobić koniecznie!
koniecznie! cudowne jest!
Byliśmy przejazdem, niestety nie doceniliśmy tego miasta :( a szkoda trzeba nadrobić :)
zdecydowanie, bo na pewno potrafi zaskoczyć!
street art mnie zachęcił:P
dobry powód :)
Tak wielką mam nadzieję, że w przyszłym roku może Rumunia się uda
wlasnie widziałam loty we wrześniu z Berlina do Timisoary za 53zł! polecam ;)
ić stont. na wrzesień już niestety kupione bilety w innym kierunku
Rumunia wciąż jeszcze nieodkryta, a prezentuje się naprawdę fajnie!
powtórzę to co Tati pisałam – loty z Berlina do Timisoary we wrześniu za niewiele ponad 50zł :)
Combination of beautiful architecture, street art and cafes full of students sound like a perfect mix for a citybreak! I didn’t expect it from this Romanian city, you really surprised me :)
I think there’re more awesome cities in Romania, we just still have to discover them! Transylvania region is pretty amazing, you should consider visiting it too!
WOW! The first photo reminded me of Disney World, and I thought, “I need to visit!” But then I saw everything else in your post and I thought, “I need to book my ticket now!” I love how you come across these amazing cities no one has heard of.
Thank you! Sometimes I even don’t know how I find all these places! :)
Te ulice z parasolkami… widuje je na różnych zdjęciach z różnych miejsc na świecie, a samych ulic tak udekorowanych nigdzie nei widziałam. chowają je przede mną czy jak?
A co do Timisoary to już kilkukrotnie słyszałam pozytywne opinie o tym mieście. Faktycznie patrząc po zdjęciach budynkom przydałoby się odświeżenie, ale tu pojawia się odwieczne pytanie – czy jak je odremontują i odmalują to miasto zachowa swój urok? Oby :)
nie jest Ci dane zobaczyć parasolek! ja już w kilku miejscach widziałam, nawet koło domu mam kilka, ale pierwsze na zdjęciach widziałam właśnie te z Timisoary, więc super było je na żywo zobaczyć, urocze były :) a i wydaje mi się, że trochę odszorowania miastu nie zaszkodzi :)
Hi Kami, it’s so nice to see you share your readers your impressions from your trips to Romania. I’m glad you had so many positive experiences. Love your photos too!
Thank you! I really enjoyed my time in Romania!
Hi Kami…thanks for your information which is really most helpful. My friend and I have booked our flights and accommodation to Timisoara ? For summer this year.
We then plan to cycle down through Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and into Greece. Are there any other magnificent towns or places you would definitely recommend visiting?
Can’t wait to see Timisoara… ticking off the days now
Kind regards
Tom
Hi Tom. You will enjoy Timisoara for sure, it’s such a great city. The area is full of interesting places – I’d definitely recommend Novi Sad in Serbia, Kotor in Montenegro or Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria but no matter where you go it will be great, do doubts about that! All the best!
I have been to Romania 18 times and my favourite city is Timisoara. But I would also recommend both Brasov and Iasi. They are both very different from Timisoara, but well worth a visit. If you like music, I would recommend both Dao’s club and Capite in Timisoara. You should also visit Ambassada if you are interested in culture. Timisoara is full of good restaurants and the prices for me as a Norwegian, are very acceptable. A beer will cost you from 6 lei to 8-9 lei in a pub and you can get a good meal for less then 10 euros.
Thank you for your comment! I was in Brasov couple of years ago and really enjoyed it too! Now I really hope to visit Iasi soon!
Indeed as a Norwegian you can only get more acceptable prices where ever you go – except perhaps if you come over to Switzerland :-). Thank you for the good words you’ve found for my hometown, Timisoara, which I miss a lot, along with Romania as a whole!
We recently visited Timisoara as well! A pretty unusual city trip, but we loved it! The architecture is indeed stunning and we loved the colourful buildings and overall vibe of Timisoara. No construction works at Piata Unirii while we were there. It was probably the cutest square I’d ever seen! We did miss the umbrella street, but I guess it’s maybe not there anymore?
Ah, that would be such a big shame, this street was so pretty! I agree that Timisoara is unusual but so interesting! I need to go back to see renovated Piata Unirii!
It was gone for a year but it’s back and they don’t plan to remove it again.
I am so happy to see your lovely posts about Timisoara!
The umbrellas are up during the summer only. So, they should be back soon xx
Great, umbrella street was amazing!! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Timisoara really is amazing and so underrated!
I am currently in timisoara and it has great atmosoherel i love all the bikes here that you can enjoy city on the bike, great bars by the river…also I like to see the Romanian sourrindings too.
I am currently in timisoara and it has great atmosoherel i love all the bikes here that you can enjoy city on the bike, great bars by the river…also I like to see the Romanian sourrindings too.
I’m glad you enjoyed your time in Timisoara!
thanks for this article, from the netherlands you can fly low budget with Wizz air en we want to go in september maybe. I read that this city is one of the europe cultural city s in 2021 ! So I will go this or next year because I assume prices will be increasing …
You definitely should go, it’s such an interesting and beautiful destination!
Great article!!
I love the street with the umbrellas on the top! Do you know if these is the whole year, or just in summer?
I am going to visit the city in November, and hope its gonna be there :))
Thank you Silke! Unfortunately I’ve heard the umbrellas are up only in the summer time but I’m sure you will have a great time in Timisoara anyway! Have a great trip!
I am from Timisoara and have to say this is a nice overall view you had for the short time you stayed there. It’s quite a lot and I’m surprised you weren’t exhausted at the end. If you decide to go there again and stay longer there are some other places I will recommend. Usually, during the summer everything happens near the Bega. There are some of the nicest bars and music venues. Also on the river, you can travel by boat. For food, there are also a few tips and tricks I think would be helpful. If you want more options when it comes to food, I recommend the student center. There are a lot of street food venues and also some restaurants that serve local food. When it comes to drinks and enjoying the local scene I would recommend you to visit D’Ark Kaffe under the Bega Bridge (sometimes you will find parties under the bridge) and Capite ( also an open bar/cafe/summer scene) on the river Bega. Locals don’t spend that much time in the city center but more on all other squares in the next proximity.
Thank you Diana for all the recommendations! I’m sure I will return to Timisoara sooner or later as I really enjoyed the city, it’s such a wonderful place! I always do a lot in one day when I travel as I can rest back at home :) But Timisoara was a bit exhausting I must admit, especially that it was so hot during my stay! The parks were a perfect getaway then :)
Cool article
Thank you!
What a great post. I was in Timisoara recently and I realized how big the old town actually is: there are also the areas of Fabric (which I saw you went to as well), Iosefin ( a lot of Art Nouveau) and Elisabetin quarters which most tourists do not know about. I understand it will be the European Capital of Culture in 2021 so I will return there for the event. I also loved the museum of the Communist consumer and the view from the Orthodox cathedral (mind blowing).
You mentioned that you also visited Oradea, Sinaia and Brasov. Did you write about these places? I read about Oradea being one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau towns in Europe and I understood that it was recently very well restored. So I was thinking to go there.
Thank you for your comment! I need to return to Timisoara one day to see more of it, I enjoyed it so much!
Yes, I was in all of these places but haven’t written about them yet. But I can definitely recommend them! Oradea is indeed a stunning art-nouveau city! So many amazing buildings are there, I’m surprised not so many people know about the city!
Are there plenty of pubs for people who appreciate beers and wines in Timisoara?
yes, definitely! Timisoara is a student’s city so you will find lots of pubs there! There is also a local brewery.
Being born in a small town outside Timisoara, have to admit that a big part of my heart remained there, in that multicultural corner of the former Austrian Empire, of the cross-ethnic and intercultural Central Europe. You have to bookmark this destination for next year, it is European Cultural Capital 2021!
I’d love to return to Timisoara so ECC sounds like a good reason! Thank you for telling me about it :)
Hi Kami. I just found out, today (10 Oct. 2020) that Timisoara is where my grandfather was born in 1882. I hope I can find out more about his family from the archives there. I am way too excited right now!
That is so cool! Fingers crossed you can find more info, this is so exciting! And Timisoara is such a great city!
I’m also from Timisoara, and I’m sorry i didn’t saw this article earlier…very heartwarming. And I have a message for you: lots of buildings have been completely restored. Also, I’m curious if you noticed the big castle near the Victory Square. It’s the Hunyadi Castle, the oldest building in Timisoara, and one of the 14500 historic buildings here in the city. It was restored many times.
Also, did you know that, for a short period in the 13th century, Timisoara was the capital of Hungary? Yes, that’s why the castle was built.
Going through the comments, I saw someone who said that the Orthodox Cathedral is very beautiful. Totally agree, mate ;)! It was especially designed for this: to be one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. It’s architectonical style in very unique: this style is used for Moldovan monasteries. For decades, it was the biggest cathedral in Romania.
Talking about Union Square (Piata Unirii), it has a very big religious importance: there are two cathedrals: the Roman-Catholic one and the Serbian Orthodox one, both of them hosting dioceses. Union Square is fully restored now, you can enjoy all of the buildings and the architecture.
Also, I heard (or saw) you saying something about multiculturalism. Timisoara is like a home for it. There you’ll find lots of ethnicities: Romanians, Rroms(Gypsies), Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, etc. They had a big influence over the city, even over the music. Our Opera Building in Victory Square hosts three national theaters: the Romanian one, the German one and the Hungarian one. Right now we don’t have a Serbian National Theatre, but it’s coming soon!
By the end, I wanted to say this to all of you: if you ever go to Romania, visit Timisoara. It’s a wonderful and mindblowing city, with a long history and diverse ethnic and cultural activities.
Viva Timisoara!
(P.S.: Excuse my poor English and my grammar mistakes)
(P.P.S: I hope you’re coming soon. There’s been lots of youtubers since the opening of the European Capital of Culture.).
Thank you for your very insightful comment; I really appreciate it! I truly hope to visit Timisoara again, this is such an amazing yet overlooked city! All the best!
I can’t wait to be there, come May, 2024! My tickets are booked
I’m sure you will enjoy Timisoara! It’s such a beautiful and underrated city
Thanks for your informative post. I just discovered my grandparents grew up just outside of Timișoara. I wasn’t sure if it was worthy of a visit, but you convinced me it is. Can’t wait.
I’m glad you found the article useful. Timisoara is amazing and definitely worth a visit! I’m sure you are going to enjoy it there. Have a great trip!