What Satu Mare is known for

Satu Mare, located an approximate 20-minute drive from the Romania-Hungary border, is a town featuring attractions and cultural heritage. One such is the Archangels Gabriel & Michael Orthodox Church, a structure with distinctive architectural features. The Roman Catholic Cathedral is established nearby, notable for its shape and dimensions. People can also visit Piata Pacii (Peace Square), where the Hungarian Reformed Church—known as the Church with Chains—has stood since the early 19th century. Inside, the church holds a collection of plates, disks, and glasses dating back circa 1657 to 1679, as well as the town's oldest bell, forged in 1633. Furthermore, Satu Mare holds considerable Jewish heritage. The Great Synagogue was constructed in the 1890s and is now repurposed as a concert hall and cultural venue. The Saar Ha Torah Synagogue, built in the 1920s, remains an active place of worship and reflection. Satu Mare is also known for its fencing tradition, with numerous world and Olympic champions since 1885.[6]

Another visited area in Satu Mare County is the Tara Oasului region. With its mountainous terrain and mineral waters, known locally as "borcut," Tara Oasului is one of the tourist destinations. Located about 50 kilometers from Satu Mare, Negresti Oas is a town in the Transylvanian landscape, attracting visitors with its scenery, culture, and enduring traditions. When visiting Negresti Oas, people can see the Tara Oasului Museum, which exhibits the lives of peasants, their household artifacts, ceramics, wood carvings, traditional house exhibits, folk art collections, and a photo exhibition by Ionita Andron.[7] The Osenii people of Tara Oasului have preserved and passed down their language, ancient traditions, and customs across generations. Thus, visitors can view traditional Oas houses constructed from wood, featuring tall, sloping straw or shingle roofs supported by pillars and ornate oak wood gates.[8] 

Beyond cultural aspects, the town is surrounded by nature, which is also one reason tourists visit. Approximately 8 kilometers away, at an elevation of 500 meters lies Luna Ses at the foot of the Pietroasa and Muntele Mic peaks. There, visitors can view the surrounding vistas and panoramic views. Negresti also serves as a gateway to other villages, known for their costumes, traditions, and customs, including Certeze, Tur, Bixad, Trip, Tarsolt, Camarzana, Huta-Certeze, Racsa, and others. Some of these areas are visited for their thermal and mineral waters as well. Fishing, hunting, and exploratory trips are other notable activities in this region.[7]

Geography

Satu Mare County is primarily characterized by plains, hills, and mountains. The plains comprise 63% of the total area and are part of the Pannonia Depression and extend westward and southeastward. They are crisscrossed by the Somes and Crasna rivers. In the northeast, the county features mountainous terrain, including the Oas Mountains and a section of the Gutâi Mountains. Elevation gradually increases from east to west, with peaks reaching 827 meters in the Oas Mountains and 1,200 meters at Pietroasa Peak in the Gutâi Mountains. To the west, the mountains enclose the "Oas Country" Depression. Satu Mare County's rivers are the Somes River, Tur River, and Crasna River flowing through its territory. Furthermore, the county has mineral resources that support economic development resulting from the local geological structure. The mountainous region, particularly the Oas volcanic area, holds complex ores, which are as follows: pyrite, zinc, lead, gold, silver, and iron ores such as limonite, siderite, and pearlite. Additionally, Satu Mare County sits atop an underground water network featuring springs with varying compositions, including carbon-gas mineral waters, sodium chloride waters with alkaline properties, sulfurous waters, bicarbonate waters, and thermal waters exceeding 50°C.[2]

One of the natural protected areas within Satu Mare's borders is Campia Careiului. It encompasses diverse natural habitats with mixed riparian forests, forest-steppe vegetation, sedges, and xeric meadows, to name a few. These habitats provide food and shelter for various fauna species, such as deer, roe deer, wild cats, and numerous bird species, namely black-fronted plovers, eagles, and woodpeckers. The site also supports reptiles and amphibians, more specifically hazel snakes and pond turtles, as well as wrasse and grayling, among other fish species. The flora of Campia Careiului includes wild steppe sedge, sand sedge, and lily-leaved bell, which are regarded as some of the rarer types of plants in the area. Woody flora consists of trees like maples, ash, oaks, elms, and various shrubs.[4]

Satu Mare County's climate is of temperate-continental character.[2] The warmest time of the year tends to be summer—August in particular—with an average temperature of 29°C. June and July reportedly receive the most precipitation on average, with 98 millimeters on average in June.[5]

History

Archaeological excavations conducted in Ţara Oaşului, including sites in Ardud, Medieșu-Aurit, Homorod, and Sanislău, have unveiled artifacts indicating human habitation in the Satu Mare County territory dating back to the Paleolithic era. Reportedly, the region's history was marked by the presence of the Dacians, who established a civilization that endured for over two millennia. Among the archaeological findings is the Medieșu Aurit settlement, where the remains of 13 pottery kilns have been unearthed. Furthermore, traces of Celtic civilization have also been identified within the borders of Satu Mare county.[1]

Toward the late 9th and early 10th centuries, the rule of Voivode Menumorut became prominent. His Castrum Zotmar fortress fell to the Hungarians after a three-day struggle, as chronicled in Anonymus' "Gesta Hungarorum." The Satu Mare Shire, documented in 1181, held a strategic position at the crossroads of vital trade routes and its abundant natural resources. Its significance grew after the Battle of Mohács in 1526 when it became a contentious territory between the Austrians and the Transylvanian principality. In the summer of 1601, Michael the Brave and his army rested in Moftin before achieving his final victory in Guruslau. Between 1660 and 1661, the county suffered devastation at the hands of Turkish armies, accompanied by the Turkish historian Evlyia Celebi, who documented Satu Mare. Later, the Habsburg occupation, starting in 1711, marked the end of the Kurutzy War and ushered in an era of enduring "stability and prosperity."[2]

Before World War I, the area of Satu Mare was part of Austria-Hungary, mainly in Hungary's Szatmár County. After World War I, Romania took over in 1919. In 1920, the county's territory officially became part of Romania according to the Treaty of Trianon. However, in 1938, Romania's administrative divisions changed, and Satu Mare became part of Ținutul Crișuri. In 1940, it returned to Hungary under the Second Vienna Award but was reclaimed by Romania in 1944 and reaffirmed by the Paris Peace Treaties in 1947. Satu Mare County was reestablished in 1968 when Romania reverted to its county system.[3]