The city of Timisoara is located within the Romanian region of the Banat, towards the western area of the country. This city is also known as Temesvar in Hungarian, as Temisvar in Servian, as Temeschwar or Temeschburg in German, and as Timisvar in Bulgarian, and therefore tourists should not feel confused if they hear any of those denominations instead of Timisoara.
There are several reasons turning Timisoara into a very attractive spot and one of the first places tourists should visit when going to the Banat during a vacation in Romania. This city combines several different cultures and traditions in a unique way, due to the fact that is home of not only Romanians but also a significant number of Greeks, Germans, Italians, Serbs, and Bulgarians, among others. This provides this destination with a very unique environment which is often remembered by visitors as one of the most remarkable of its attractions.
The area where Timisoara nowadays is located has been inhabited since the Roman period, when a military settlement was established in it and called Zurobara. After them, in the époque of the invasions of the Central Asian nomad tribes, other group of settlers chose this area for their home and gave it the name of Beguey. It might be interesting to know that this city was not mentioned as Timisoara until around the year 1020, when it appears in a document written by Basil II, a Byzantine Emperor.
The first official mention known about Timisoara as a city with rights dates from the 15th century, and many historians only agree on such mention as the first veridical or trustful one. The first important historical fact known about Timisoara after such official recognition dates from middles of the 16th century, when it was invaded by the Ottomans who became its rulers for almost two centuries, until around the year 1715 when the Habsburgs captured it.
There are several interesting historical constructions and attractive spots tourists can meet during their visit to Timisoara. One of the first constructions tourists should not miss is the Orthodox Cathedral of Timisoara, a religious building of very interesting and peculiar characteristics. Besides this, visitors could also meet the Roman Catholic Church, the Mehala Cathedral, the Timisoara State Theater, and the Huniade Castle, among others.