Nicolae Bălcescu Park (Parcul Nicolae Bălcescu) is an urban park in Oradea, Bihor County, which is named after the writer Nicolae Bălcescu, who led the 1848 Wallachian Revolution.
The park dates back to the 19th century, when it was one of the first green spaces in the city. Until recently, it was named the Rhédey Garden after Count Lajos Rhédey, who donated the park to the city. The park used to include the adjacent Oradea Zoo as well, but they are now separated. The park has recently been modernized. In the middle of the park, there’s a restaurant and a children’s playground, and there are several statues.
The Nicolae Bălcescu Statue (1819-1852) is a work by József Fekete from 1969. The Statue of Lajos Rhédey (1761-1831) was installed in 2018 and is the work of Deák Árpád. Rhédey supported several cultural institutions and donated the garden to the city council to turn it into a public park. The Éva Heyman Memorial is a holocaust monument dedicated to the story of Éva Heyman, also called the Anne Frank of Oradea, because she kept a diary during her time in the Jewish ghetto, before her deportation. You can learn more about her story and the Jewish history of Oradea in the museum of the Aachvas Rein Synagogue.
Around the Nicolae Bălcescu Park, you can visit the Oradea Zoo to the west, the Țării Crișurilor Museum to the south, and the Freemasonry Temple to the southeast.
