The Cetate district, the city center of Timişoara has always been the “heart”, a cultural, administrative and political center of the entire city. With at least eight centuries ago, here appeared the first city, an original core that initiated the development of Timişoara.

The Fortress has grown ever since the 12^th century. A major boost in its evolution was the building of the castle by the Hungarian king Carol Robert of Anjou between 1307 and 1315. This castle’s “successor” is the Huniade Castle, which today houses the Banat Museum. In 1552, the city of Timişoara was occupied by the Turks. Only in 1716 the Austrian imperial army, led by Prince Eugen of Savoy, managed to free the city.

The old Ottoman fortress was demolished and a new one was
build, star-shaped, inspired largely by the Vauban fortresses. Protected by the walls, the “inner city” emerged, with a rigorous streets’ system, very modern for that time. This system is still kept almost entirely, despite the fact the city’s defensive walls were demolished after 1892.

In the Cetate district, especially in Unirii Square and Libertăţii Square, many Baroque buildings dating from the eighteenth century are still preserved.

In the early twentieth century, while demolishing the fortifications, numerous 1900s style buildings were added. The very elegant Secession palaces with a great architectural value give Victoriei Square its dominant note. The whole urban ensemble is typical of the 1900s in Europe.
In the city center there are also monumental buildings with neo-Romanian elements.

The Cetate district of Timişoara unites historical monuments in a fascinating and original combination:

ATTRACTIONS ARROUND VICTORIEI SQUARE
Orth. Metropolitan Cathedral	Victoriei Square	Palace of Culture
Dauerbach Palace	Merbl Palace	The Piarist Complex
Former Palace of the          Banks of Banat	Lloyd Palace	Huniade Castle
..
ATTRACTIONS ARROUND  UNIRII SQUARE
Unirii Square	Baroque Palace	Roman-Catholic Cathedral
.
Serbian Bishopric	Serbian Episcopal Church	Salamon Brück House
The Former Discount Bank	Holy Trinity Monument	The former inn "La Cei    Şapte Principi Electori”
.
Nikolaus Lenau High School	Art Museum	Rom.-Cath. Episcopal Palace
.
Theresia Bastion	Memorial of the Revolution	Former “La Trompetist”
.
ATTRACTIONS ARROUND  LIBERTĂŢII SQUARE
Libertăţii Square	Mary-Nepomuk Monument	The Garrison Command
.
St. Gheorghe Square	Cetate Synagogue	Military Casino
.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS  IN THE CETATE DISTRICT
Deschan Palace	The House with the Iron Tree	Dicasterial Palace
1900's architecture -series	National Bank of Romania	The Prefecture Palace
.
Floodgate of the fortress	Bega Canal	Roses Park
.
Evangelical Church	The Post Office Palace

Other places in the city center:

Old City Hall

The Public Hospital

The Misericordian monks’ Church

The Former Orthodox Community House

Solderer House

The Canons’ Houses

Kimmel Villa

“Carmen Sylva” Pedagogic High School

Mercy Palace

Emmer Palace

The General Headquarters Casern

The Inferior Salvatorian Franciscan Church

Former Sisters of Notre Dame Monastery and School

The street lamp

Löffler Palace

Weiss Palace

Neuhausz Palace