Palatul Ullmann Oradea

The Ullmann Palace in Oradea is one of the jewels of Secession (Art Nouveau) architecture that transformed the town on the banks of the Crișul Repede in the early twentieth century. Built for a wealthy merchant family, the building stands out for its façade adorned with sinuous floral motifs, elegant stucco and wrought-iron details typical of the style then in fashion. Within only a few years after 1900, Oradea became a genuine open-air museum of Central European Art Nouveau, and the palace belongs to this string of buildings that rival those of Vienna, Budapest or Szeged.

As in many such edifices, the ground floor houses commercial spaces and the upper floors apartments, yet their value lies in the sculptural whole of the façades. Set in Oradea's restored historic centre, the palace is best admired during a walk among the other emblematic buildings, such as the Black Eagle Palace, which make the town a special destination for lovers of architecture.