Not far from Szeged, we reached the border to Romania and travelled eastwards through the Pannonian Plain until Timisoara.
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| Buying a Rovinette for the Romanian roads |
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| Getting some route recommendation from Mr. Rovinette |
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| Communist architecture at the outskirts of Timisoara |
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| Layout of the massive fortress of Timisoara |
At the beginning of the 14th century, Charles I of Hungary built the first stone fortification. In 1443 John Hunyadi restored the castle and the surrounding walls, which had been destroyed by an earthquake. The fortress was captured in 1552 by the Ottoman Turks, who held it until 1716 when it was taken by the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs reconstructed it, making it much bigger in the style of Vauban.
Finally, at the end of the 19th century the walls were demolished and the ditches were filled in as the old fortress hindered the development of the town. Nowadays, the Theresia Bastion is the only part left from the enormous walls which once protected Timisoara.
