Map - Oradea

Oradea (,, ; Großwardein ; Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western part of Romania. The city is located in the north-west of the country, nestled between hills on the Crișana plain, on the banks of the river Crișul Repede, that divides the city into almost equal halves.

Located about 10 km from Borș, one of the most important crossing points on Romania's border with Hungary, Oradea ranks tenth in size among Romanian cities. It covers an area of 11556 ha, in an area of contact between the extensions of the Apuseni Mountains and the Crișana-Banat extended plain.

Oradea enjoys a high standard of living and ranks among the most livable cities in the country. The city is also a strong industrial center in the region, hosting some of Romania's largest companies. Besides its status as an economic hub, Oradea boasts a rich Art Nouveau architectural heritage and is a member of the Réseau Art Nouveau Network and the Art Nouveau European Route.

The Romanian name Oradea originates from the city's Hungarian name. In Hungarian, it is called Nagyvárad, or colloquially Várad, the latter being the origin of the Romanian name.

"Nagy" means great or large in Hungarian, and it helped to differentiate the town from Kisvárda, a town in Hungary, with "kis" meaning little. "Vár" means castle or citadel, and "-ad" is a suffix used for settlement names.

The city also has a German name, Großwardein, as well as a Yiddish one derived from it, גרויסווארדיין Groysvardeyn. In Turkish, the city was historically known as Varat or Varad. Other names include Latin Varadinum as well as the historical Italian name of Gran Varadino.

Some archaic Romanian names of the city are Oradia, Oradea Mare ("Great Oradea"), Varadia Mare ("Great Varadia") and Urbea Mare ("the Grand City").