Discover Ștei: Churches and 1950s Architecture

Ștei lies at the foot of the Apuseni Mountains and directly next to Apuseni National Park. The Ștei Depression is crossed by the Crișul Negru.

Culture

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Ștei was built in 1923. As part of restoration work carried out from 2008 to 2017, a new iconostasis, a new electrical installation, central heating and new frescoes were added to the church, among other works. The Holy Trinity Church in Ștei was built between 1995 and 2006. The first church for which historical information about Ștei is available was built around 1780. Ștei therefore has churches from different periods of construction, each with its own historical information.

The Community House of Culture is a central component of Ștei’s historic urban ensemble. It is designed in the neoclassical style with a monumental colonnade. Its foyer features Corinthian columns and a monumental staircase. The monumental fountain with lion heads stands in the central square in front of the Administrative Palace. The Sports Complex with the Community Swimming Pool is located at the opposite end of the main street axis and forms a counterpart to the Administrative Palace. The Sports Complex was laid out in a cross shape and includes a central gymnasium and two changing rooms. The Community Swimming Pool has preserved its pool and the adjacent diving board. Thus, the central square, the main street axis and its opposite end are home to various striking buildings and facilities with clearly defined architectural features.

History

The standardised B.W. wooden houses for officials were imported from the USSR and built in the 1950s. Their standardised construction and origin are among the distinctive historical features of these houses. The B.W. wooden houses are considered functional and comfortable to this day. Ștei is presented as an open-air museum because the town has preserved its original appearance almost completely and displays architecture reflecting the spirit of the 1950s on the eastern edge of the Iron Curtain.

The Administrative Palace in Ștei was formerly the militarised headquarters of the commandant’s office and housed the offices of the managers, engineers and geologists of the Soviet-Romanian company “Sovrom - Kwartit”. The Casa Memorială “Miron Pompiliu” memorial house in Ștei was acquired by the Ștei municipal administration from Miron Pompiliu’s descendants after years of negotiations. The two buildings therefore represent different historical traces: the Administrative Palace is associated with the Soviet-Romanian company, while the memorial house came into the possession of the municipal administration through an acquisition.

Getting Around

Ștei is crossed by the DN76, which connects Oradea and Deva. Ștei is also connected to railway line 316. Cycle paths and pedestrian areas have been completed on Unirii, Prieteniei, Mihai Eminescu, Sportului, Cuza Vodă, Andrei Mureșanu, Tineretului and George Enescu streets. The municipal operating regulations for Ștei’s Multifunctional Leisure Centre provide for user access during opening hours upon payment of an entrance fee. The streets mentioned constitute the documented areas for cycling and pedestrian traffic within Ștei, while the DN76 and railway line 316 connect the town to higher-level transport links.

Further destinations: Băile Felix, Biharia, Padiş, Sălişte, Nucet, Cordău, Oșorhei and Urvind.

For the main travel overview: Bihor.